15 best PC mods of all time that feel like new games
The best PC mods of all time are ones which can dramatically improve or transform a game to the point where it feels like a completely new experience.
Often known as ‘total conversions’, these mods will add, remove, or change content to a point where you could get away with believing this is a brand new game for you to play. However, since it’s a mod, you’re essentially getting a lot of new content for free.
Our list of the best mods on PC covers the most popular total conversions, from huge RPG adventures to strategy game overhauls.
The list we’ve chosen collects the 15 best ones you can play right now, with download links on each mod that we’ve checked thoroughly to ensure they work correctly.
What are the best PC mods of all time?
Our list of the best PC mods of all time consists of the following:
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15. Star Wars: Genesis — Starfield
14. A Game of Thrones — Crusader Kings 2
13. The Lay D Denton Project — Deus Ex
12. A Tale of Two Wastelands — Fallout: New Vegas
11. Retro Rewind — Mario Kart Wii
10. Divide and Conquer (The Lord of the Rings) — Medieval II: Total War
9. Long War — XCOM: Enemy Within
8. Fallout: London — Fallout 4
7. Stardew Valley Expanded — Stardew Valley
6. The Nameless Mod — Deus Ex
5. Ashes 2063 — Doom 2
4. STALKER Anomaly — STALKER: Call of Pripyat
3. The Dark Mod (Thief) — Doom 3
2. Return to Rapture — Half Life: Alyx
1. Enderal: Forgotten Stories — The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
15. Star Wars Genesis — Starfield
Star Wars Genesis is a total conversion for Starfield which introduces a galaxy far, far away to Bethesda’s 2023 space RPG. The project adds 40 handcrafted planets, with their own unique POIs, quests, encounters, and species.
These planets are based on their appearances from the films and television shows which are considered canon, but some elements from Legends have also been incorporated where appropriate.
The mod also refreshes combat and progression, rebalancing loot so that powerful armour you craft at a lower level will still be stronger than a simple leather jacket you obtain much later in the game. Meanwhile, enemy NPCs have been revamped to be smarter and more aggressive, while also no longer being bullet sponges.
You can download Star Wars Genesis from the mod’s official website.
14. A Game of Thrones — Crusader Kings 2
Crusader Kings 2 is one of the best political strategy games you can play, and its Game of Thrones-inspired mod has been a must-have for fans of the HBO show and books for its accuracy to the lore of the series.
The mod completely removes the base game’s world map and replaces it with Westeros from the aforementioned series. All of the kingdoms from the series are represented here, where you can play as one of the many noble houses across the land, with allegiances and relationships which correspond to how they are in the series. Of course, you can always choose to ignore that though in favour of pursuing your own legacy.
You can download A Game of Thrones for Crusader Kings 2 from ModDB.
13. The Lay D Denton Project — Deus Ex
Early in the development of Deus Ex, an option to allow the player to select the gender of the main character J.C. Denton was available, but this was later cut in favour of a fixed male protagonist.
Lay D Denton is a mod which restores this feature to the game, featuring a new female character model for Denton as well as re-recorded audio using actress Karen Rohan’s voice for over 1,700 voice lines. This also includes pronoun edits from other characters, where the modding team was able to splice together lines so she's always referred to by She/Her pronouns, as opposed to He/Him. And the best part? No AI was used to record the new lines from other NPCs.
As an added bonus, the mod also reverses the bathroom logic so Denton can now use female restrooms without raising eyebrows, while she can’t use the gents.
You can download Lay D Denton from ModDB.
12. A Tale of Two Wastelands — Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout 3 is great. Fallout: New Vegas is also great. Do you know what’s even better? Both games in one.
A Tale of Two Wastelands combines the content of both Fallout games into a single unified experience, where you can experience the stories of both games in a single playthrough. This includes all the content of both, such as quests, enemies, locations, and loot.
The mod starts you off with the Fallout 3 main quest, but you’ll eventually find a train which takes you to the Mojave Wasteland which allows you to start the story of New Vegas.
You can download A Tale of Two Wastelands from the official forum.
11. Retro Rewind — Mario Kart Wii
As every Mario Kart fan knows, each new game in the series features a bunch of retro tracks which have been remastered and retrofitted with the current games features. However, there aren’t any games in the series which feature every track from previous entries.
Retro Rewind for Mario Kart Wii changes this by adding over 200 new tracks, featuring every single track from Super Mario Kart all the way to Mario Kart 7, with further updates adding courses from Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart Tour, and Mario Kart World. There are also a bunch of custom tracks created by community members which you can also race on.
Altogether, Retro Rewind is a must-have mod for those who want the definitive Mario Kart experience. Not only is it built on the most popular game in the franchise, but having over 200 tracks available means you’ll never go bored with the variety on offer.
You can grab Retro Rewind for Mario Kart Wii from the associated wiki.
10. Divide and Conquer (The Lord of the Rings) — Medieval II: Total War
There are loads of Lord of the Rings strategy experiences to be had on PC, some official and some modded, but one of the best ones we’ve experienced is the Divide and Conquer mod for Medieval II: Total War.
Originally known as The Third Age, this mod takes the familiar Total War gameplay and applies it to Middle-earth, with factions such as Rohan, Gondor, and Mordor available to play as. Each one has their own unique units and strengths, and in 2026 it’s a pretty solid strategy experience for Tolkien fans to play around with.
You can download Divide and Conquer now from ModDB.
9. Long War — XCOM: Enemy Unknown
The XCOM games are already filled with a huge amount of content to devour, but the Long War mod takes this to the next extreme with plenty more for you to do.
The idea behind this mod is to make the war between humans and aliens much longer, emphasising the war aspect. Many features and mechanics are overhauled to make it far longer and more intense.
Soldiers now have eight classes to choose from, along with a load of new items and weapons to equip them with. To compensate for the added difficulty, players can now bring eight soldiers into missions, and there are far more missions for you to complete.
In case you fancy it for the sequel, Long War 2 is a mod for XCOM 2 which essentially does the same thing, with a few new improvements here and there to take advantage of the new additions. The creators of the mod also went on to develop Terra Invicta, which was released earlier this year.
You can download Long War now from the Nexus Mods page for XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
8. Fallout: London — Fallout 4
Perhaps one of the most famous total conversion mods, Fallout: London takes the gameplay of Fallout 4 and introduces it into the post-apocalyptic world of Great Britain.
The mod is set in London in the same universe as Fallout, showing how the nuclear war has affected Britain in the 23rd century. Players pursue a main quest as well as a bunch of side content in and around the various metropolitan areas of London, and it all feels very lore-friendly with the story developed by Bethesda.
In particular, the mod manages to capture Fallout’s sense of humour rather well, translating it into various references and jokes that poke fun at British culture just as the original Fallout games did with American culture. It also features a lot of voice talent from British actors to really sell the authenticity.
You can download Fallout: London now from GOG.
7. Stardew Valley Expanded — Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley fans have a while to wait until Update 1.7, but in the meantime those who have rinsed through the game many times can check out Stardew Valley Expanded which adds a load of new content.
The mod redesigns Pelican Town to accommodate many new locations and homes, with 28 new NPCs added for you to interact with. The new characters have their own personalities, interests, and stories for you to discover, and it all fits with the original game rather smoothly.
In addition to the new NPCs, 58 new locations have been added along with 278 character events, 43 fish, and new music and questlines to follow. The vanilla map has also been changed so it feels less like an add-on and more like it was part of the original game all along.
You can download Stardew Valley Expanded from Nexus Mods.
6. The Nameless Mod — Deus Ex
The Nameless Mod keeps all of the gameplay features of Deus Ex relatively intact, using the same models, textures, and same immersive sim-esque gameplay to design each level.
What it actually does, however, is present you with a brand new 15-hour campaign to play through. The mod introduces a new setting, protagonist, and several new items and weapons to use.
In total, there are around 59 maps added with the mod, telling a new story with 200,000 words of unique dialogue across speech, datacubes, and newspapers that you can read. Altogether, it’s a must-have for fans of the series who want something new, with the experience being compared to that of the original game.
You can download The Nameless Mod for Deus Ex now from Steam Workshop.
5. Ashes 2063 — Doom 2
We’re surprised we got this far into the list without citing a Doom mod, but this here rectifies that. Ashes 2063 is a mod for Doom 2 which is one for Fallout fans to keep track of.
Taking inspiration from games like Fallout and Stalker, the mod is set in a post-apocalyptic world where you play as a scavenger who must survive against mutated lifeforms and dangerous enemies.
What makes Ashes 2063 particularly memorable is the fact that it’s a standalone experience that rivals the fun you can get out of the official Doom games. The art and music has its own unique hardcore apocalyptic epic feel, and the gameplay is smooth and coherent that makes it a worthwhile experience across the two campaigns and additional expansions.
You can download Ashes 2063 now from GOG.
4. STALKER Anomaly — STALKER: Call of Pripyat
For fans of the original STALKER games, Anomaly is a mod which combines the maps and content of the original three games into a single unified experience. Despite this, it doesn’t come with the original storylines for each game, instead going with an original narrative that is unique to the mod.
Aside from that, it’s worth playing because it turns the game into more of a survival sandbox game. You’ll have to come up with creative ways to continue surviving in the zone, and it can create an everlasting experience where it’s more about how far you can go, rather than hitting a specific goal in mind.
For those who already enjoy the gameplay of this trilogy, Anomaly is worth checking out almost like an epilogue.
You can download STALKER Anomaly from ModDB now.
3. The Dark Mod (Thief) — Doom 3
Although built on the Doom 3 engine, The Dark Mod is actually an open-source platform for players to upload their own custom levels with the similar gameplay as Thief.
For fans of Thief: The Dark Project and Thief II: The Metal Age, this mod is the closest thing to a true successor of that series, with the familiar light and noise-based stealth gameplay and loot objectives which were featured in the original.
The graphics are slightly better than those games on account of it being on a better engine, which also helps to make it feel like the sequel to the series that we never got.
You can download The Dark Mod from the official website.
2. Return to Rapture — Half Life: Alyx
BioShock fans longing for a return to Rapture can pick up this mod for Half-Life: Alyx which adds an original story set in the BioShock universe with a completely explorable set piece.
Playable in two parts for around 15 hours, Return to Rapture combines the universe of Half-Life and BioShock by featuring a takeover of the underwater city by the Combine forces. It’s set in the aftermath of the original game, referencing characters like Andrew Ryan and the Big Daddies.
As one of the best VR games of all time, Half-Life: Alyx’s BioShock mod is worth playing for those who want to experience Rapture as if they were actually there.
You can download Return to Rapture for Half-Life: Alyx from Steam Workshop.
1. Enderal: Forgotten Stories — The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Here we are. One of the best total conversions you can download now. Enderal Forgotten Stories is a mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition which acts as a standalone RPG. It has its own world, storyline, and characters, but retains the familiar gameplay that features in Skyrim.
It’s difficult to explain why Enderal is so great as a mod, but if you’re a fan of RPGs and The Elder Scrolls in particular, it’s a good one to fill in the gap while we wait for The Elder Scrolls 6, with hundreds of hours of gameplay waiting for you.
Considering the time that SureAI has put into this mod, it's an excellent thing to meet on its own terms. The storyline is refreshing, with some arguing that the writing is actually better than the kind of stuff Bethesda produces. This also applies to some of the gameplay overhauls too, which sees the combat and difficulty increased to make it much more difficult for a newcomer to play. If you're after a new hardcore RPG and love the familiarity of Bethesda's games, this might be one for you. There's a reason it's one of the best Skyrim quest mods you can pick up today.
You can download Enderal: Forgotten Stories from Steam.
Read More: Ranking the 13 Best PC Games Of All Time
How we chose the best PC mods
There’s a few criteria we used in order to determine what the best PC mods are. For starters, in addition to being actually good, they need to be as good or even better than the game they’re based on. They also need to be complete, and transform the game rather dramatically.
We’re also selecting these mods based on how easy they are to install, as well as how much they stand out within the genre they belong to. If a mod is often cited alongside full games as a player favourite, it probably deserves to be on this list.
What you need before installing these mods
A few quick checks are in order to know if you can install these mods. For starters, owning the base game on PC is usually ideal (though not always necessary in some cases), and certain DLCs are sometimes required too.
You may also need to download a mod manager and have enough storage available. It’s also recommended to back up any saves in case the mod breaks your current playthrough.
How to install PC mods safely
Always use official project pages and reputable hosts to download these mods. You can verify this by checking multiple sources, including official social media pages run by the mod creators for links to the proper downloads.
Platforms such as ModDB, Nexus Mods, and even Steam and GOG themselves will host mods which are safe to download. However, even with this in mind, be sure to scan any downloaded files with your virus protection software.
In terms of protecting your own save files, be sure to backup any ongoing saves you have and try the mod on a clean installation of the game, especially if the developer recommends doing so.
Mods that became standalone games
There have been many popular mods released over the years which were popular enough to warrant a full release later on.
Due to the scalability of the GoldSrc and Source engines, many of Valve’s games famously began as mods made by community members before being developed into fully fledged titles.
For example, Counter-Strike and Team Fortress originally began as mods for Half-Life, while Left 4 Dead was developed from an unreleased Counter-Strike: Condition Zero mod called Terror Strike.
Other mods which were eventually turned into full games include The Stanley Parable (originally a mod for Half-Life 2), DayZ (originally a mod for Arma 2), and The Forgotten City (which was originally a mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim).
Best PC mods FAQ
Let’s recap some of the biggest discussion points in this list.
Are PC mods free?
- Yes, most PC mods are free and can be downloaded from websites like Nexus Mods and ModDB. However, some PC modders use Patreon to host their mods, and may also lock some behind a subscription.
Are PC mods safe?
- There is no guarantee that a mod is safe to install, so be sure to only download them from reputable sources and use antivirus software to scan the folders before using them.
Do you need to own the original game?
- In most cases, you need to own the original game in order to play with the mod. However, in some cases such as The Dark Mod, you do not need to own the original game. Be sure to check the official mod page to know what you need in order to play.
Can you use these mods on Steam Deck or Linux?
- Most mods are made compatible with Windows devices, but some games and mods will also allow you to play on other operating systems such as Mac or Linux. As always, be sure to check with the mod’s official documentation to know whether you’ll be able to run it or not.
Will installing a total conversion affect existing saves?
- Your saves may potentially be affected by total conversion mods. It’s always recommended that you back up your saves and test the mod on a completely fresh installation.