As of October 23, 2026, you don’t have to choose: Stardew Valley Expanded (SVE) and Ridgeside Village (RSV) are compatible, and SVE’s official Nexus Mods page lists Ridgeside Village among the expansions it works with. If you only want one, SVE expands the valley you already know (28 new NPCs, 58 locations and a redesigned world map, 97.6 MB) and it’s best to start a new save; RSV adds a separate new town with more than 50 NPCs (53.1 MB), can be added to an existing save and also works on Android. Both are free and require SMAPI.
Stardew Valley Expanded vs Ridgeside Village: comparison
Data from our SVE mod page and Ridgeside Village mod page (reviewed on October 20, 2026) and from their official Nexus Mods pages, checked on October 23, 2026:
| Item | Stardew Valley Expanded | Ridgeside Village |
|---|---|---|
| Author | FlashShifter | Rafseazz and mamaesh (RSV Council) |
| Version | 1.15.11 (June 30, 2025) | 2.5.17 for 1.6 (November 12, 2024) |
| Game | Stardew Valley 1.6.x with SMAPI 4.x | Stardew Valley 1.6.9 or later with SMAPI 4.x |
| Size | 97.6 MB | 53.1 MB |
| Required mods | SMAPI, Content Patcher and Farm Type Manager | SMAPI, Content Patcher, Custom Companions, Farm Type Manager and SpaceCore |
| What it adds | 28 NPCs, 278 events, 58 locations, redesigned map, 43 fish, optional farms | A new town with more than 50 NPCs, marriage candidates, shops, festivals, quests and music |
| Focus | Expands and changes the original valley | Adds a new area without changing the valley as much |
| Existing save | A new save is recommended | Yes, with progressive mode since 2.2.5 |
| Multiplayer | Everyone must have SVE | Everyone must have RSV |
| Android | The mod page doesn’t say | Built-in support since 2.5.2 |
| Spanish | Separate translation | Separate translations (mardrest and Kerub) |
| Status | Complete | Parts still in development: world map in beta, Mountain Mistblade disabled |
| Price | Free | Free |
Sources: Holymod mod pages and Nexus Mods pages (SVE, mod 3753; RSV, mod 7286). SVE’s NPC and location counts are from version 1.15; the Nexus page still shows figures from older versions.
What each one changes
Stardew Valley Expanded is the biggest expansion: it reworks areas of the valley and adds characters with storylines and heart events, new areas like Grampleton Fields, fish, crops, quests, festivals and music, plus three optional farms (you can only install one of them). You’ll notice the change from day one, because the town and its surroundings are no longer the same.
Ridgeside Village leaves the valley almost untouched and adds a new mountain town, with its own villagers, marriage candidates, shops and quests. It’s the best option if you like Pelican Town just the way it is and want more people and content, not a different world. Some parts are still unfinished.
Do they work together?
Yes. SVE’s Nexus page says it’s compatible with expansions like Ridgeside Village and East Scarp, and RSV’s changelog includes specific fixes for running alongside SVE (festivals, NPCs at the Festival of Ice and the Fair). It’s not a formal guarantee that there will never be conflicts, but it’s the most common expansion combo. East Scarp also fits with both. If you play with both, install the dependencies for each:
- SMAPI, the mod loader.
- Content Patcher and Farm Type Manager, which both require.
- Custom Companions and SpaceCore, which Ridgeside Village requires.
- SVE and RSV in the Mods folder, without managers like Vortex (the RSV authors recommend manual installation).
- A new save, which is what SVE recommends.
The detailed steps are in how to install mods in Stardew Valley and, if something goes wrong, in SMAPI errors.
Size and performance
Both are small: together they come to about 150 MB, plus a few MB of dependencies, compared with the 500 MB the game needs on Steam. What you notice most with lots of expansions is the initial load and the time it takes to switch days, not FPS. On Android, RSV already builds support into the main mod; for SVE our mod page doesn’t confirm anything, so test it with a backup of your save.
Choose Stardew Valley Expanded if…
- You’ve finished the game and want the valley to feel new.
- You’re going to start a new save anyway.
- You’re after the most complete and finished expansion.
Choose Ridgeside Village if…
- You want more NPCs and content without changing the original valley.
- You don’t want to start from scratch: it can be added to an existing save.
- You play on Android.
Install both if…
- You want as much content as possible and you’re starting a new save.
- You play on PC with SMAPI and don’t mind installing five dependencies.
More Stardew Valley guides: expansion mods, best mods, mods on Android and consoles and romance mods.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use Stardew Valley Expanded and Ridgeside Village together?
Yes. SVE’s official page declares them compatible, and RSV has specific fixes for SVE in its changelog. Install the dependencies for both and start a new save.
Can I add them to a save I’ve already started?
Ridgeside Village, yes, with its progressive mode since version 2.2.5. Stardew Valley Expanded recommends a new save; to update an existing one you have to reset terrain outside the farm. Always back up your save first.
Do they work on Android?
Ridgeside Village has built-in mobile support since 2.5.2. For SVE, our mod page doesn’t confirm it. We explain it in mods on Android and consoles.
Do they work in multiplayer?
Yes, but every player in the game has to have the same mod installed (and, if you use both, both).
Are they available in Spanish?
Not out of the box. Both have community-made Spanish translations that you download separately on Nexus Mods, and they need to match the mod’s version.