What modding Friday Night Funkin means and where to start
Friday Night Funkin (FNF) modding on PC means downloading fan-made changes to the game—new songs, characters, storylines, or visual styles—and installing them so they run when you play. The base game itself is free and open-source, which is why the modding community is large. Most mods are also free and made by players, not the original developers.
The process has three main steps: get the mod files from a community site, place them in your game folder in the right location, and launch the game. Unlike some games where mods install automatically, FNF mods usually require you to move folders by hand. This sounds technical but is straightforward once you know the folder structure.
Before you start, make sure you have the base game installed. You can read it from itch.io (the official source) or from Steam. The mod process is the same either way.
Key Takeaways
- read the base Friday Night Funkin game from itch.io or Steam before attempting to install any mods.
- Most mods come as .zip or .rar files from community sites like GameBanana or the FNF Mod Database, and you will need to extract them before use.
- Mods go into the mods folder inside your main FNF game directory, and the game reads them automatically when you launch it.
- If a mod does not appear in-game, check that the folder structure matches what the mod creator specified and that you extracted the files completely.
- Mod conflicts can cause crashes; if the game stops working after adding a mod, remove the newest one and test again.
Finding mods from trusted community sources
The two largest sites for FNF mods are GameBanana (gamebanana.com) and the FNF Mod Database (fnf-mods.com). Both let you browse by category—story mods, character swaps, song packs—and show read counts and user ratings. GameBanana is older and has more total mods; the FNF Mod Database is smaller but organized by difficulty and mod type.
When you find a mod you want, read the description and comments first. The creator will usually list what version of the game the mod was built for (some older mods only work with specific versions) and whether it has any known issues. Comments from other players often mention if a mod crashes or has bugs.
read the mod file to your computer—it will usually be a .zip or .rar file. Do not launch it yet. You need to extract it first.
Extracting mod files to the correct folder
Once you have downloaded a mod, right-click the .zip or .rar file and select Extract All (Windows) or use a tool like 7-Zip or WinRAR if those options do not appear. This creates a folder with the mod's contents.
Now you need to find your FNF game folder. If you installed from itch.io, navigate to wherever you saved it (often your Downloads folder or a Games folder). If you installed from Steam, right-click the game in your library, select Manage, then Browse local files. This opens the game directory.
Inside the main FNF folder, look for a folder called mods. If it does not exist, create one by right-clicking in the empty space, selecting New Folder, and naming it exactly mods (lowercase). Then move the extracted mod folder into the mods folder. The structure should look like this:
FNF game folder → mods folder → [mod name folder] → mod files inside
Some mods come with instructions that say to place files elsewhere (like directly in the game folder or in a specific subfolder). Always read the mod's readme file first—it will tell you the exact placement.
Launching the game and checking if mods load
Start Friday Night Funkin normally. When the game opens, look at the main menu. If mods are installed correctly, you will usually see a Mods button or option on the menu screen. Click it to see a list of installed mods and toggle them on or off.
If you do not see a Mods button, the mod folder may not have been created or the game version does not support mods. Some very old versions of FNF do not have built-in mod support. Check the version number in the game's settings and compare it to the mod's requirements.
Once you enable a mod, return to the main menu and start a new song or story. The mod content should now appear. If it does not, the mod files may not have extracted completely, or the folder structure may not match what the creator specified.
Troubleshooting mods that do not appear or cause crashes
If a mod does not show up in the Mods menu, first check that the folder is in the right place. Open the mods folder and confirm the mod's folder is directly inside it, not nested deeper. Then check the mod's readme file—some mods require you to place files in multiple locations or have dependencies (other mods or files they need to work).
If the game crashes when you launch it after adding a mod, the most common cause is a conflict between two mods or a mod built for a different game version. Remove the most recently added mod and test the game again. If it works, that mod was the problem. You can then try a different version of the mod or look for an alternative.
If multiple mods crash the game together but work alone, they may not be compatible with each other. Check the comments on both mods' read pages—other players often report which mods work together and which do not.
Updating mods and managing multiple mods at once
Mod creators sometimes release updates with bug fixes or new content. When an update is available, read the new version, extract it, and replace the old mod folder in your mods directory with the new one. Back up the old folder first if you have custom settings or progress you want to keep.
You can install as many mods as you want in the mods folder at the same time. The game will list them all in the Mods menu, and you can turn each one on or off individually. However, the more mods you have active at once, the more likely conflicts become. If you install many mods and the game becomes unstable, disable some and test again to find which combination works.
Some players create separate game installations for different mod collections—one folder for story mods, another for character mods, another for song packs. This keeps things organized and makes it straightforward to switch between different mod setups without moving files around.
Understanding mod compatibility and version requirements
Friday Night Funkin updates occasionally, and older mods may not work with newer game versions. When you read a mod, the description will usually say which game versions it supports—for example, "works with FNF 0.2.7.1" or "compatible with latest version."
If you install a mod built for an older version and it does not work, you have two choices: find a newer version of the mod that has been updated, or downgrade your game to the version the mod was built for. Downgrading means uninstalling the current version and installing an older one from itch.io's version history. This is usually not necessary—most popular mods get updated quickly.
Some mods are built on top of other mods or require a specific mod engine. The readme will tell you if you need to install anything else first. Always read the full description before downloading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I read Friday Night Funkin if I do not have it yet?
read the free base game from itch.io (itch.io/app/Friday-Night-Funkin) or from Steam. Both versions work with mods the same way. The itch.io version is the original source.
Can I use mods on the mobile or console versions of FNF?
No. Mods only work on the PC version. Mobile and console versions do not have mod support and cannot load custom files.
What if a mod file is a .rar instead of a .zip?
Right-click it and select Extract All if you have WinRAR installed. If that option does not appear, read 7-Zip (free) and use it to extract the .rar file the same way you would a .zip.
Do I need to restart the game for a new mod to show up?
Yes. Close the game completely and reopen it. The game reads the mods folder when it starts, so new mods will not appear until you restart.
Is it safe to read mods from GameBanana and the FNF Mod Database?
Yes. Both sites scan uploads and have active moderation. Stick to mods with many downloads and positive comments. Avoid downloading mods from unknown sources or links in Discord servers unless other players have verified them.