I know I’m not saying anything new here, but Stardew Valley is an amazing game.
This is thanks to the amount of freedom it gives you in handling your farm and your relationships with the other characters. The NPCs may not be particularly well-developed, but you’ll soon come to care for them deeply. So much that you probably want to marry some of them.
And as a game that has to be played for hours to become truly enjoyable, the visuals will eventually start feeling repetitive. But as we all know, mods are here to save the day.
Character portraits mods are a great way to spice up your Stardew Valley experience, and make these characters feel fresh again.
This work so well that you’ll start wondering why you didn’t delve deeper into the world modding before!
20. Younger Pam
Pam always looks like she has a bone to pick with anyone. But I really don’t understand why. Everyone loves her, right?
The Younger Pam mod tweaks the character portrait so that she looks a little younger and way less grumpy.
So much that she’ll leave you far more happy to look at her.
Must be the new haircut.
19. Long Haired Penny
Penny is pretty popular in Stardew Valley. And it’s easy to understand why. She’s so sweet and caring that you’ll want to make her your wife as soon as you lay your eyes on her.
Some, however, may not like her default hairstyle which makes her look much older than she really is.
And how do we solve this?
By installing this mod and watch her luscious hair getting blown by the wind during a romantic sunset.
Sorry, I was daydreaming!
18. Sebastian – New Hair and Moto Jacket
Deep down, Sebastian is a true sweetheart.
But it’s his attitude that has captured our hearts and made us want to learn more about him.
But his rebellious nature, and his love for bikes, aren’t well represented in his vanilla portrait.
Enter the New Hair and Moto Jacket portrait mod, which gives him a more mature look, some stubble, and a jacket that’ll woo the hearts of young and not-so-young ladies.
Even moreso than before.
17. Sam – New Hair and Jacket
Let’s be honest, Sam has a lot going for him. And with his energetic outgoing personality, he doesn’t really need an overhauled portrait to continue being the charming dude that he is.
For some people, however, default is never enough.
And this New Hair and Jacket portrait gives Sam, well… exactly what it says! A new hairstyle, jacket, two beard options, and even a new sprite.
16. Plump Abigail Mod
Everyone’s got their tastes, right?
But games sometimes do not really appeal to all of them, unless modders intervene.
Plump Abigail is a pretty self-explanatory mod that changes her portrait so that she looks a little fuller.
The mod also comes with new sprites to match the portrait, so you won’t be left with the impression that the virtual woman you love looks nothing like her picture. It’s online dating all over again.
15. Female Wizard
You can never have enough anime in your life.
It’s always not enough, I assure you!
Female Wizard overhauls the original portrait with a distinct anime portrait that’ll turn Stardew Valley into those bishojou shows you despised so much as a kid, but came to somewhat appreciate down the line.
Don’t lie, anime fans!
14. Maru Replacer
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always loved learning about beta content in games and finding ways to access it, even just for curiosity.
While most of the Stardew Valley beta content is gone forever, there is a way to restore the bachelorette Maru to her beta version. Which looks quite different from the final version.
This mod also changes her sprites so that her appearance doesn’t clash with the new portrait.
Now that’s attention to detail!
13. Dizor’s Adventurer Guild Redraw
The adventurers look so badass that you don’t need to overhaul them very much… but let’s do it anyway!
The Adventurer Guild Redraw mod overhauls the portraits of both Marlon and Gil, making them look like the weathered adventurers they’re supposed to be.
And this naturally skyrockets their badassery to the sky and beyond. Because an adventurer doesn’t know any limit.
12. Samantha – Gender Swapped Sam
Time to swap some genders around.
And your village will never be the same again.
Samantha – Gender Swapped Sam is Stardew Valley’s version of those apps that use your photos to turn you into the opposite gender.
But unlike those apps, this mod doesn’t try to steal your personal information. And it makes interacting with the character feel fresh once again, as some of the dialogue Sam has been changed to reflect the gender swap too.
So it’s a win-win situation for all.
11. Refined Abigail and Emily Portraits
Can’t spend a day without thinking about Abigail and Emily?
Well with this mod, you’ll be even more obsessed, I assure you.
Refine Abigail and Emily Portraits shows how just a few tweaks can be enough to make things look great.
Or rather, just a new haircut that makes them look more like their in-game sprites.
Hairdressers will save the world one day, truly.
10. Dreamburrows Elliot Portrait
Elliot is a dreamer. Elliot is a poet. Elliot is the most romantic villager you will ever meet.
And he will become irresistible with this portrait mod.
This makes Elliot look even more dreamy without altering his original appearance too much.
While this new portrait is the modder’s interpretation of the character, I’m sure that more than a few players will instantly love it nonetheless.
9. Emotive Krobus
Krobus doesn’t live a very easy life.
Being a monster, he’s shunned by humans.
And being friendly to humans is not winning him points with his brethren.
His life, however, can be easily improved with a little bit of love and appreciation and the Emotive Krobus mod, which introduces some extra portraits that show him smiling or even getting angry.
Now that he can finally emote, you won’t have any objection to make him your roomate, right?
8. Dreamlike’s Portraits
Is it Stardew Valley, or Final Fantasy?
A modding mystery for the ages.
Dreamlike’s Portraits adds a distinct Final Fantasy flavor to some character portraits that still makes them feel like they belong in the game.
There’s so much of this flavor that it’ll feel like Sam has turned into Cloud Strife and Elliot into Sephiroth.
Make sure to keep them apart, though: you do not want them to fight. Trust me.
7. Aging Bachelors / Bachelorettes
The Stardew Valley villagers have found the secret of eternal youth.
Seriously, how come the years pass and they never age?
If you’re looking to change this and make the experience feel a bit more authentic, you need the Aging Bachelors / Bachelorettes mod.
It’s a compilation mod that makes most characters in the game look older than they do in their vanilla form.
A great cut-off point is when you get married, but you’re free to choose when villagers should age. To their own horror!
6. Kal’s Marriage Candidates Portraits
Marriage is a big part of the Stardew Valley experience.
And you’ll want to find your perfect match at any cost. Even if it means changing their portraits.
Kal’s Marriage Candidates Portraits mod isn’t exactly an overhaul, as it builds upon the vanilla portraits.
But it enhances them considerably with an interesting style that almost makes them feel more realistic.
What, blue hair isn’t particularly realistic to begin with?
Don’t nitpick, or these characters will never want to marry you!
5. Gold Star Portrait Overhaul
If you feel like you’re disrespecting the Stardew Valley developers by using any portrait mod, I have the perfect cure.
The Gold Star Portrait Overhaul has got to be one of the most faithful mods ever made for the game. The changes to both portraits and character sprites are completely in line with the original artist’s vision.
A mod for those that want change, but are not ready to start a revolution.
4. Einar’s Portraits Mod – All Villagers
The best thing about Stardew Valley is the power of choice.
Choose how to build your farm, choose who to befriend, choose who to marry, choose how to overhaul your portraits.
The Einar’s Portraits Mod overhauls all of the villager’s portraits, altering some of their designs to adhere to a slightly more anime aesthetic, without going completely overboard.
The end results are great, as expected.
So download this mod if you’re looking to bring the cartoon-ish feel of the game to new heights.
3. Villagers Anime Portrait
You either go full anime, or you don’t. There is no middle ground.
This is the ultimate Stardew Valley mod for all the otakus out there, overhauling most of the villager’s portraits with a distinct Japanese animation feeling.
Which works incredibly well in the game, surprisingly.
Now if only we could get anime-inspired sprites, that would be great.
2. Character Portrait Overhauls
When you want your characters to always look their best, you should look no further than the Character Portrait Overhauls mod.
It comes with a lot of overhauled character portraits that look amazing, all while keeping the spirit of the originals intact.
Sadly, it does not overhaul the portraits in the game. But the amount of effort put into this mod is so great, that it cannot be anything other than one of the best portrait mods ever made for the game.
1. Leyalluna’s Portraits
With so many NPCs featured in Stardew, one may think no one ever managed to overhaul all of their portraits.
Well I have a few words for you: never underestimate the power of modders!
The Leyalluna’s Portraits mod doesn’t just renew all of the game’s NPCs portraits, which would be more than enough to earn a spot on this list.
But it also introduces seasonal portraits and new character sprites for all NPCs. All of them!
By installing this mod, it will feel like you’re playing a true sequel to Stardew Valley. Fresh as fresh could be.
