I know most of the Bethesda RPGs have massive mod support, and there’s games like Minecraft that have more mods than anyone can imagine. I would consider those games pretty playable in their vanilla states. Would you say there are any games that were “saved” by modding? Or that are still kept alive by thriving modding communities? What are some of your favorite mods?
I know it’s not as rich or developed as the Fallout or Skyrim franchise, but my fun little time waste Stardew Valley is greatly enhanced by mods.
The base game is incredibly fun and simple, but even the most basic mods enhance the “quality of life”, making some of the more surface time eating elements easier. But then you have entire new world maps, NPC’s, quests and full DLC-esque mods such as STV Expanded almost a must-have for long term players.
As an FYI, I’d highly recommend the game to even the most hardcore gaming aficionados. It’s refreshingly amusing and low-key, so when Elden Ring has you ready to throw your controller at the TV, it’s a nice mental break.
Plus the guy that created it learned how from scratch and coded the whole thing solo- the source, the sprites, even the music. And every upgrade and addition he’s made over the years, easily 2-3 DLC’s themselves, he’s given away for free. Support indie devs!