Finds mods
A full browser is built into the app, with search, sorting and filters. You never open a website to install something.
Mod manager for Thunderstore games
r2modman
Install mods without touching your game files
r2modman is a free, open source mod manager for games that publish their mods on Thunderstore. It finds mods, installs everything they depend on, keeps them in their own folder away from your game, and launches the game with the set you chose. It runs on Windows and Linux, and it is developed by ebkr under the MIT licence.
- Free, MIT licensed
- Windows and Linux
- SHA-256 on every file
- No macOS build
One mod, and the loader plus every library it needs, resolved and installed for you.
What it actually does
Five jobs people used to do by hand
Installs what they depend on
Almost no mod works alone. Most need a mod loader, and many need shared libraries built by other authors on top of it. r2modman works out that whole chain and installs it in one click. On some games a single mod pulls in dozens of packages, and that is normal.
Keeps your game clean
Mods never go into your game folder. They live in r2modman's own folder and the game is pointed at them at launch. Verifying your game files through Steam does not remove them.
Keeps things current
It flags mods with newer versions and can update everything at once, adding any new dependencies on the way.
Launches the game
Start modded runs it with your mods. Start vanilla runs it clean, which is the quickest way to tell whether mods are the problem.
The mod browser inside the app, with search, sorting and filters.
There is a fuller explanation on what is r2modman.
From nothing to modded
Five steps, and that is the whole thing
1
Install it
Run the installer, or your Linux package. Step by step on how to install r2modman.
2
Pick your game
Search rather than scroll. Hovering a tile gives you Select game and Set as default.
3
Pick a profile
Default is fine to start with.
4
Install mods
From the Online tab, always using Download with dependencies.
5
Press Start modded
That is it. Your game launches with the set you chose.
Step two happens here. Search rather than scroll.
That is the whole thing. The r2modman guide walks through every screen with pictures if you want the long version.
One thing to know before you start
Launching the game from Steam afterwards will give you the unmodded game, every time. That is deliberate, not a fault, and it is the single most common reason people think their mods are broken.
Get it
Always the current build
The download page lists every published build, with real file sizes and the SHA-256 checksum for each one, read from the project's own release data. Nothing on it is typed by hand, so it is never out of date.
Every file, its size and its checksum come from this release data rather than from anyone typing a list.
Your platform
Windows
Take the Setup file unless you specifically want the portable build.
Install guideLinux
Match the package format to your distribution. AUR and nixpkgs both carry it.
Linux guideSteam Deck
Use the flatpak. It works in Game Mode as well as Desktop Mode.
Deck setupmacOS
No build exists, and no Thunderstore mod manager runs there.
What Mac owners can doWindows is the straightforward case. Run the installer and go. Pick the Setup file unless you specifically want the portable build.
Linux runs natively, with six package formats plus separate packages for Arch and NixOS. Match the format to your distribution. If the app will not open, the sandbox is nearly always the cause. See r2modman on Linux.
Steam Deck works, including in Game Mode, whatever older guides tell you. Use the flatpak, set it up in Desktop Mode, and there is a documented route to modded launches from your normal library. See r2modman on Steam Deck.
macOS is not supported, and neither is any other Thunderstore mod manager. If you are on a Mac, read r2modman on Mac before you spend an evening looking for a build, because there is not one. The honest picture is on that page.
Profiles
The reason people stay
A profile is a self-contained set of mods with its own settings. You can have as many as you like per game, they do not interact, and switching takes two clicks.
- One profile matching your friends' mod list, another for your own experiments.
- A clean one for testing whether a mod broke something.
- A small one with only the essentials, for playing after a game update breaks everything else.
- Hand one to someone else as a code or a file, carrying your mods, their exact versions, which ones are switched off, and your configuration.
Every mod set for a game, side by side.
When something goes wrong
Work out what broke, then fix it
Almost every problem is one of four things. Pick the one that matches rather than trying fixes at random.
Start here
Not sure what is broken
Three questions narrow it down to the right page in about a minute.
Troubleshooting DownloadsMods will not download
Almost always the delivery network rather than your connection.
Network error Server sideA numbered error such as 503
What each code means, and whether waiting is the right response.
Status codes AppBlank or white window
Three different faults wearing the same face, with three different fixes.
White screen In gameGame runs but mods are absent
Ten checks in the order actually worth doing them.
Mods not loading PathsSteam or game folder errors
Two different paths, and people mix them up constantly.
Directory errors FilesInstall or import stops partway
Either writing files on your machine, or reading a profile that arrived broken.
Install and import failuresIf mods will not download
Open Settings, then Debugging, and use Toggle preferred Thunderstore CDN. It switches which server your mods come from and it resolves most download failures.
It also resets itself every time you restart the app, which is by design, so you may need to select it again.
Stop looking for Run preloader fix
If a guide anywhere tells you to click it, that option is not in current versions. Reset installation, on the same Debugging tab, is what replaced it.
Both of the fixes above live on this one tab.
Games
The list grows without you doing anything
The list of supported games comes from Thunderstore rather than being built into the app, which is why it keeps growing without you doing anything. We do not print a count anywhere on this site, because any number is wrong within weeks.
Recent additions appear on the game selection screen without you updating a list.
Game guide
PEAK
Including the launch parameter that stops it crashing when modded.
Read guide Game guideR.E.P.O.
Including why it may not appear in your game list at all.
Read guide Game guideRisk of Rain 2
The game r2modman was originally built for, and the deepest mod stack here.
Read guide Game guideValheim
Including the preloader folder fix and dedicated servers.
Read guideSafety
Yes, it is safe from a legitimate source
It is open source under the MIT licence, its code is public, and it does not alter your game's installed files.
Two things do cause alarm and both have ordinary explanations. Antivirus software sometimes flags mod loaders, because loaders inject a library into a running game and that is the same technique cheats use. And fake download pages for this app genuinely exist, which is why the project itself warns about them and why every file on our download page shows its published checksum.
The full answer explains how to tell a false positive from something worth worrying about.
Why antivirus complains ComparisonSame mods, different delivery
r2modman, Thunderstore Mod Manager and Gale all install the same mods from the same place. The differences are how you get them and what comes attached.
Thunderstore Mod Manager runs through Overwolf, which makes it Windows only and brings advertising into the app. r2modman and Gale are standalone, open source, and run on Windows and Linux. None of the three runs on macOS.
The comparison is a fair one, including what the branded option genuinely does better.
Read the comparisonQuestions
Frequently asked questions
What is r2modman?
A free, open source mod manager for games that publish mods on Thunderstore. It installs mods and everything they depend on, keeps them separate from your game files, and launches the game with the set you chose.
Is r2modman free?
Completely. No paid version, no subscription, no account, and no ads inside the app.
Is r2modman safe?
Yes, when downloaded from a legitimate source. It is open source under the MIT licence and does not modify your installed game. Antivirus warnings about mod loaders are usually false positives, for reasons explained on is r2modman safe.
What games does r2modman support?
Hundreds, and the list is fetched from Thunderstore rather than built into the app, so it grows on its own. The game selection screen inside the app is the only accurate list.
Does r2modman work on Mac?
No. There is no macOS build, and no other Thunderstore mod manager runs on macOS either. See r2modman on Mac.
Does r2modman work on Steam Deck?
Yes, in Desktop Mode and in Game Mode. Use the flatpak build. Older guides saying Game Mode does not work are out of date. See r2modman on Steam Deck.
Why do my mods not load when I launch from Steam?
Because that is intended. r2modman starts the game with extra arguments pointing at your profile, and Steam does not include them. Use Start modded, or add the arguments the app gives you to Steam's launch options.
How do I share my mods with a friend?
Export your profile from the button at the bottom of the window, as a code for something quick or a file for something lasting. They import it from the profile screen. See profile codes and modpacks.
Why did installing one mod install thirty things?
Because mods depend on a loader and often on shared libraries too. Download with dependencies pulls in that whole chain so the mod actually works. It is normal, especially on Risk of Rain 2.
Where does r2modman store my mods?
In its own data folder, organised by game and then by profile, never inside your game folder. See where r2modman stores mods.
How do I update r2modman?
Close it completely and open it again. It downloads updates in the background and installs them on close. See updating r2modman.
Is r2modman the same as Thunderstore Mod Manager?
No, they are separate programs reading the same mod index. One is standalone and open source, the other runs through Overwolf. See r2modman vs Thunderstore Mod Manager.
Does uninstalling r2modman delete my mods?
No. Profiles and mods live in a separate folder the uninstaller does not touch. See how to uninstall r2modman.
Is this the official r2modman website?
No. This is an independent documentation site with no connection to the project or to Thunderstore. The project names two official sources for the software: its package page on Thunderstore and its releases page on GitHub. Our download page shows the published checksum for every file so you can verify what you have without trusting anyone.