7 Days to Die was one of the biggest games to come out of the early access wave, receiving recognition on Valve’s All Time Top 100 Best Sellers and Best of 2019 Most Played Games lists.
It’s no surprise that the community has remained strong, considering how many patches the game has received since launch.
And with that, modding is a great way to expand on what the base game already has to offer. But where do you even get started?
Here’s our list for some of the best mods worth installing, whether you’re new to the title or just coming back for more.
7 Days to Die isn’t exactly on top of any lists when it comes to best-looking games.
In fact, some might argue that the game doesn’t look good at all.
But we can make it look a bit better– and it seems that modder DUST2DEATH has created the most comprehensive visual update the game has ever seen.
The pack provides 2K and 4K textures for mostly everything in the game, along with biome overhauls that supposedly improve performance even with the visual upgrades.
That’s not it though, as this pack even includes upgraded particle and lighting effects.
With everything you’re getting here, the graphics should be almost good enough to rival some of the more recent AAA releases we’ve seen in the past few years.
Next to graphics upgrades, you’re going to want to take a look at some of the quality of life options that could make drastic improvements long-term.
These might seem like small details at first. But let’s not underestimate just how helpful these can be.
The Extra Hud options from CrazedDog’s mod are especially useful, and now I can’t imagine playing without them.
Not only do the added bars for food, water, level, day, etc. make everything a bit easier to manage on the fly – but everything is intuitively placed alongside the vanilla UI as well.
The food and water bars will be found above health and stamina, while the day, time, and temperature along with other relevant details are placed just below your compass.
Barely making it through the days isn’t uncommon in survival games (as the point is usually to make surviving a challenge, obviously).
Nonsensical game mechanics make things even worse, like how 5 pieces of raw meat are needed to be converted into 1 piece of cooked meat in this game.
This simple quality of life fix makes things a bit easier, and bit more realistic at the same time, by making a few minor balance adjustments to how meat works in the game.
Boiled, charred, and grilled meat will now only require 1 piece of raw meat. Chili dogs receive the same buff.
Bacon and Eggs will require 5 pieces of meat and 4 eggs (for two services).
And more complex dishes like stew and steak will require 5 pieces of raw meat to cook.
This next one is a little bit of a cheat, but consider it a bonus from me.
The Simple UI Modlets actually includes 14 smaller mods, all aimed at making surviving the harsh zombie-infested Navezgane county a bit easier to manage.
With 14 modlets in this pack, you’re bound to found one or two you’re going to need.
For example: one modlet increases your backpack size, giving you 60 slots to place items in.
There are multiple options available as well, coming in a 120 slot version as well as another that increases player-built storage capacities as well.
Other helpful modlets include an increases crafting queue, improved vehicle storage, and compass upgrades.
I understand that survival games are supposed to force you to live on pretty much whatever you can find. It would be nice to have some expanded options as you go along, though.
I mean, even Tom Hanks eventually learned to put his resources to better use as the days passed in Cast Away.
This is a cool mod that does exactly that, adding two new craftable items your game.
The faucets can be made to provide murky water, while the ovens work just as campfires would.
Modder Pringlz46290 included the option to have the blocks randomly spawn in the world as well, if you prefer to play that way.
Water and fire might help you stay alive, yet what they won’t do is help you survive the endless waves of zombies that could attack at any time.
Well, we have a solution for that as well.
Why not protect your base with these usable CCTVs from xyth?
The mod gives you access to a total of 8 CCTV security cameras, which you’ll of course be able to monitor through the screens provided as well.
Each camera has a panning function as well, so you’ll be able to strategically place them around your base to gain visibility of all your surroundings.
The packs just keep coming, as this next one is another mod pack that includes over 30 modlets that could prove useful in many different situations.
While the pack does include some modlets that are similar to the previous one, some of the unique options here include adjustable weapon magazine sizes, automated mining machines and rain catchers, and even the ability to cure poisoning.
What I found particularly interesting were the modlets that affect looting in the game, as you’ll be able to enable lootable store shelves and wine barrels, giving you more sources for valuable resources.
Navigating through Navezgane can be much safer if you have a vehicle to get you around.
While there are a number of options in vanilla, modder Ragsy felt the need to expand on what’s already available.
So up next, we have yet another mudpack – this time more focused on vehicles along with some other options that will help you get around much more easily.
The pack contains a few unique vehicles, included completely a working hang glider, raft, and boats.
There are other additional modlets in there as well, which allow anything from motorcycle upgrades to finding bikes in dumpsters.
Headshots is a crucial mechanic of any FPS game. And players spend hours improving their aim to make sure they get every kill as quickly as possible.
Though we should all know by now that 7 Days to Die is by no means your typical shooter… but many fans disagree with the built-in headshot system the game provides.
By default, headshots are given a small damage multiplier compared to body hits. But it still takes way too many shots to take those pesky zombies down.
Lethal Headshots rebalances damage given by a number of weapons to make it feel a bit more like a traditional FPS game, where headshots from guns and bows only take 1 hit to kill a zombie when playing on insane difficulty.
While there are tons of other useful mods you could pick up to help make your lives easier in Navezgane, there are those that might not be as helpful but can be just as fun.
In fact, these next few items are quite perfectly summed up by the title of this one – as they’re mostly unnecessary but beautiful.
This first one, however, includes loads of home decoration options created by modder hernanxx.
You’ll find anything from tables, lights, TV sets, and kitchen fixtures in this one – making it feel almost like you were playing a Sims game.
Next we have a set of completely custom prefabs made by husband and wife survival enthusiasts who go by the name Not-A-Gamer Gaming.
For those who aren’t familiar, “prefabs” are actually complete building sets that are created from custom textures, allowing you to add unique settings to the world.
Another option to get some great prefabs would be Stallionsden’s set, who has made quite a name for himself in the 7 Days to Die community.
We already went over some of his quality of life modlets earlier, but this time let’s take a look at his prefabs for 7DTD.
This mod adds loads of new locations to the game, from small ones like the nursery and museum to the larger race track, theme park, and even NFL stadium.
Not only that, but the pack also includes 18 complete city prefabs.
You’re definitely going to have plenty of exploring to do with this one installed.
Up until this point we’ve covered some quality of life fixes, items, vehicles, and buildings.
Of course, I didn’t forget about the weapons. What kind of zombie apocalypse survivor do you think I am?
As a fan of both the 7 Days to Die and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games, modder YuriBeng4la decided merge the two by bringing in some of the guns from the latter.
The mod pack includes almost 20 new weapons, including favorites like the Degtyarev, VSS, and of course the AKM.
New items are also introduced, including vodka which you should probably be careful with.
Mayic’s Weaponry mod seeks to completely change our experience with weapons in 7 Days to Die by changing some of the game’s mechanics, at least when it comes to weapon crafting and weapon-related looting.
Let me at least try to put it simply – with the mod installed, each weapon will have a counterpart that supports either 22Lr/9x19mm rounds.
This makes managing the many different ammo types in the game much easier.
Further building on the concept, each 22Lr/9x19mm counterpart can be reverse engineered once you have one in possession, from which you learn how to craft each weapon.
Now this is where it gets really crazy.
Once you have the crafting recipe for any of the weapons, a crafted weapon will now become completely customizable. Everything from range, fire rate, and recoil values can be set to fit your exact needs.
Unlike most other games, there are actually a lot more overhauls for 7 Days to Die than you might think.
From this point on we’re going to be talking about some of the more expansive mods for the game.
Just a quick side note though, some of these might have some overlapping features alongside some new ones. So it’s probably best that you pick and choose which you find most interesting.
First up?
Die Till Day 7 by Cyanide.
The mod adds tons of new content including over 1,000 new items and blocks, 22 new guns, 11 professions, and new locations.
Here’s one of the more unique overhauls for the game, taking a completely different approach to customizing your 7 Days to Die experience.
This Medieval Mod, as you probably have guessed, takes you to a completely different time period.
The modder’s description intro is enough to make me want to give it a try, as it reads:
“Enter a world of Orcs, Goblins, and yes, Dragons… Ride a horse through the beautiful countryside, or delve deep into the haunted forest… travel north to the great Orc Lands, or visit the eerie crystal biome.”
Up next, we have one of the most popular 7 Days to Die out there – War of the Walkers by Dwallorde.
This mod includes loads of new content to check out, including survival mechanics, loot and perks, items, and even enemies.
Farming is a great source of resources: you’ll be able to plant and grow anything from wheat to strawberries.
What makes the mod even more exciting is the host of new enemies you’ll face, which not only include new zombie types, but completely new mini-bosses and main bosses as well.
Starvation is another interesting mod that puts the spotlight on survival aspects.
Similar to War of the Walkers, Starvation does come with loads of new content including new weapons, locations, and enemies. What makes this one different is the increased difficulty from some of the added survival elements.
The mod introduces a number of mechanics like food spoilage, wildlife hazards, radiation hazards, and even wellness and sanity systems as added factors for you to manage.
9. Merry ComSens – A 7 Days to Die Winter Project Mod
If you’re finding that hardcore survival is just too much for now, and are looking for a more laid-back experience, you might want to give the FarmLifeMod a try.
Instead of focusing on making survival more challenging, FarmLifeMod introduces new ways to stay alive in the game.
It adds tons of new items and focused on farming, livestock, and cooking to spice things up a bit.
Included here are over 200 new items, 7 new crafting stations, over 115 blocks, 214 recipes, and 13 buffs for you to explore.
Darkness Falls is another popular 7 Days to Die mod, which aims to make the game a bit more challenging on the whole.
How does it work? Basically by stretching out the earlier survival struggles, giving you access to iron and steel much further down the line.
Mechanics are changed up a bit as well to add a bit of realism to the game, as some recipes now require certain perks based on how you might craft them in real life.
Other than that, there’s loads more to explore here – including increased zombie spawns, a fresh UI, new weapons, and even a unique zombie type that only comes out at night.
War3zuk’s mod affects around 90% of the base game.
So yeah, a lot’s new here.
The pack actually contains all of War3zuk’s modlets, and with all 50+ combined, makes for a completely new 7DTD playthrough.
The mod includes everything from HD textures to custom food items, as well as War3zuk’s custom zombie mods which adds tons of new zombie types to the game.
True Survival is a more hardcore take on a realism mod, introducing a few new interesting mechanics that change the game completely.
First off, you’ll be greeted with a completely revamped trait system. Which you’ll use to customize your character’s starting attributes.
From there you’ll be able to choose one of 16 professions, which will determine your starting recipes and bonuses. Basically a cool job-style system added in.
There’s a lot more to explore here, where all changes are aimed at making the game as realistic as possible without things getting boring and repetitive.
But overall, if you’re looking for a challenge, True Survival is a great choice.
Top of the list we have the Valmod Pack, which is widely regarded as one of the best mods worth getting.
The mod comes in two different variants: one as an expansion to the base game, and the other being a complete overhaul.
This is a nice touch, as you’ll be able to decide whether you prefer to stay close to the base game, or change things up (a lot).
Other than that, the changes here will make 7 Days to Die feel like a completely different game. Something you’ll want to see to believe.
A brief list of changes includes revamped classes, progressions, and cooking systems, as well as new zombies, weapons, and items to discover along the way.
