Contents
Introduction
Skyrim is the Dungeons and Dragons of video games. It has a massive, complex fantasy world to explore, it bills itself as a role-playing game even though it has very limited role-playing mechanics, its core gameplay loop is about going into dungeons to fight monsters to level up and get better equipment to fight bigger monsters, and through modification, you can brute-force it into doing anything you want. You can make it a punishing survival game, or a country life RPG, or fill it with hardcore fucking. Do whatever you want, who gives a shit.
I play Skyrim SE with the Anniversary Edition upgrade. All mods that I’ve included here have been patched to be compatible with the AE. These are all mods that I play with at the same time, so they are completely compatible with each other, and I have never encountered any issues between them. If a mod requires another mod to work, it will be noted in its description.
All of these mods except for SKSE are from NexusMods. If you’re planning on modding Skyrim, or many many other games, you should download the official Nexus mod manager, Vortex. Here’s a good tutorial for getting it set up, that even uses Skyrim Special Edition as its example.
Absolute Essentials
These are the mods that are essential for the other mods in the list to work correctly.
Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE)
The SKSE is a tool that expands the scripting functionality of the game, which allows mod creators to do stuff through code that wouldn’t be possible in the vanilla game.
This is the most labor-intensive mod here, but it’s also essential for many other mods to work (and is totally worth the effort). It comes with a .exe that you open instead of launching Skyrim from Steam, which runs a code injection, which then launches the game for you. I recommend adding it to your Steam library via the “add a non-Steam game” option, so that you can launch it easily without messing around in your file explorer.
There are thorough installation instructions on the webpage.
No requirements.
Address Library for SKSE Plugins
If you’re not a mod creator, don’t worry too much about this one. It’s a resource that makes some mods work, that you need installed if you want to use them.
Requires SKSE.
PapyrusUtil SE - Modders Scripting Utility Functions
Similar to the Address Library, this is a resource for modders that adds some scripts and functions, which you need to make some mods work.
Requires Address Library for SKSE Plugins, and SKSE.
XShadowmanx's DLL Loader
This is just a little dll loader that certain mods require to function. It’s lightweight, but must be installed manually; there are detailed instructions on the NexusMods page.
No requirements.
Achievements Mods Enabler
When you mod Skyrim, a variable gets switched on in your save file that marks it as modded, and turns off achievements. This plugin gets rid of that, which lets you earn achievements even with mods installed.
Requires XShadowmanx’s DLL Loader.
Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch
This one is an absolutely massive undertaking to fix bugs that were never fixed by official patches. This one is necessary for a handful of the other mods on this list, but unfortunately it also fixes the most fun exploits in the vanilla game, like the ability to fly using buckets, and access the hidden khajiit caravan chest in Dawnstar. Use at your own discretion.
No requirements.
UI
These are mods that modify or add to the vanilla game’s UI.
SkyUI
A whole-ass rework of the entire game’s UI. The existence of this mod is the main reason I haven’t played Skyrim on console: I just can’t imagine playing the game without it. Go look at the screenshots on the Nexus to see if it appeals to you.
Requires SKSE.
Atlas Map Markers SE
This mod adds over 700 new map markers to the game, including Solstheim, Blackreach, the Soul Cairn, and the Forgotten Vale. It is fully customizable, so you can turn on and off the extra markers for inns, lumber mills, shrines, or any other category. It also adds the ore type to the name of every mine.
After 500 hours of Skyrim, I thought I knew every hidden detail and secret of the map. I was so wrong. This mod made me rediscover the joy of exploration in this game.
Requires SkyUI and SKSE.
Better Dialogue Controls
This is just a little improvement to the dialogue controls. If you play with mouse and keyboard, I recommend it just to decrease the frustration of accidentally picking the wrong dialogue option.
No requirements.
Gameplay/System Improvements
These mods add complexity to existing game mechanics or attempt to make them more user-friendly.
Acquisitive Soul Gems Multithreaded
If you’ve ever been frustrated by wasting grand soul gems on lesser souls, filling up the Black Star with white souls, or just not being able to keep track of the souls you’re trapping, this is the mod for you.
It is completely modular, so you only choose the features that you want. Included features are:
- The ability to restrict black soul gems to only trapping black souls
- The ability to restrict Azura’s Star to only trap specific types of souls
- The ability to restrict the Black Star to only trap black souls
- The ability to “downsize” souls, so that you can trap a large soul as a smaller soul if you don’t have a big enough soul gem
- Toggle-able notifications when you trap souls
Requires SKSE and PapyrusUtil SE.
Ars Metallica - Smithing Enhancement
Adds a ton of new smithing abilities to the game, including:
- Forging arrows
- Forging lockpicks
- Minor smithing skill advancement from smelting, tanning, and mining
- The ability to melt down (non-Creation Club) weapons, armor, and some clutter items into ingots
No requirements.
Convenient Horses
Makes horses actually useful - an absolute essential for survival mode! Added features include:
- Horse inventory, with encumbrance
- Mounted harvesting of ingredients
- Mounted dialogue
- Customizable combat behavior and follow behavior
- Horse call - summon your horse anywhere on the map - and horse whistle - call your horse over to you from nearby
- Horse leveling and attributes
No requirements.
The Hunting Game
Have you ever wanted to be able to actually make a living hunting? Now you can! It ups the value of animal parts, including pelts and meats, and makes the drop rates of animal parts like horker tusks and all meat more realistic. Especially recommended for survival mode, or any character who you want to roleplay as a hunter.
No requirements.
Replacement Maps
Using the Flat World Map Framework, you can upload new 2D maps to use in your game. These mods include the FWMF and my favorite replacement maps.
Flat World Map Framework (FWMF)
This map flattens all map markers to one layer, so that you can download new 2D maps to replace the vanilla ones! This is the big, all-inclusive version of this mod, which includes a handful of other now-defunct mods under its umbrella. It also includes a big list of every downloadable map on the Nexus - including some for modded areas, like County Bruma! - but I’ve included my favorites below.
Requires Address Library for SKSE Plugins and SKSE.
Skyrim Paper Map by Aesoterik for FWMF
This is, in my opinion, the most beautiful map of Skyrim that I’ve ever encountered. It is completely hand-drawn, and still blows me away whenever I look closely at it. It’s not completely precise - for example, the farms east of Windhelm show as being in the river - but the map is so pretty that I got over it pretty quickly.
Requires Flat World Map Framework (and therefore also Address Library for SKSE Plugins and SKSE).
Forgotten Vale Paper Map for FWMF
A nice, legible map of the Forgotten Vale.
Requires Flat World Map Framework (and therefore also Address Library for SKSE Plugins and SKSE).
Paper Soul Cairn Map for FWMF
A functional map of the Soul Cairn, thank the gods. This map makes the Soul Cairn less miserable to explore.
Requires Flat World Map Framework (and therefore also Address Library for SKSE Plugins and SKSE).
Jokes
This one is just funny.
Chewing Sounds for Spell Tomes
I always forget that I have this installed, and it always makes me laugh.
For some reason instead of changing which file plays when consuming a spell tome, it appears to replace the old sound file with the chewing sound file… meaning, if you have Convenient Horses installed, you hear the munch sound effect when your horse levels up.
No requirements.
Go forth and mod Skyrim to hell and back.