If there was ever a game that needed mods, it’d be Factorio. Factorio mods, much like user-generated content for games like Kerbal Space Program, allow the players to fill in the small gaps and quality of life changes on behalf of the dev team so that they can concentrate on the bigger picture.
It’s not ideal, but it works, and communities like these are great at coming up with fixes and ideas the rest of the dedicated playerbase can get behind. Factorio is another early access darling as well – first appearing on the scene in 2016. The players have had half a decade now to figure out what they want, and what’s needed to elevate the economic management game to the next level.
We’ve compiled a short list of excellent Factorio mods that we think might be of interest to veteran and even returning players. We’ve cherry picked some enhancement mods, some helper mods, and a couple of overhauls that provide a new fresh experience. If you haven’t had any experience with modding Factorio before, we’ve got a help section at the bottom of the article. Enjoy!
Here are the best Facotrio mods:
Unless stated otherwise, all mods are compatible with Factorio Version 1.1.
In the Factorio mod scene, two modders have quickly risen to prominence and released a full suite of mods that are incredibly popular. The first of these is ‘Bob’, and rather than pick up individual mods of his we thought we’d talk about the modpack that you can download from the mods website.
The second popular modpack, Angel has far less mods out in the wild (the modpack has eight, one of which is a beta), and they focus more on standard Factpori gameplay mechanics vs. expanding gameplay.
Factorio is a game about building industrial engines that can grow exponentially, provided you can keep all of the plates spinning and keep the enemies at bay. It’s a game where hindsight is 20/20, and one where you can definitely benefit from some forward planning.
From utility, to the final frontier – why worry about building factories on the ground when you can build a factory in space! Also known as a spaceship.
Another useful helper mod, Bottleneck’s job is to simply give you a clear and easy way to identify machines that are not getting the resources they need. These literal bottlenecks can easily wreck a balanced ecosytem.
Another one for those looking for a new challenge. This is a multiplayer friendly mod that introduces new energy sources, buildings, tech, and overhauls combat and fuel mechanics, to name but a few things.
Last but not least, a visual mod. This one doesn’t change anything gameplay related, and it’s not a ‘helper’ mod, but it does offer some new biomes to play around in. You can play in snow, or a volcanic biome, even dirt. Everybody likes dirt.
Despite being a popular game on Steam, Factorio doesn’t actually support Steam Workshop. That said, modding the game isn’t as complicated as other games that require ‘manual’ modding, although you can mod the game manually if you want.
