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Oxygen Not Included How To Install Mods Manually [better] May 2026

How to Manually Install Mods for Oxygen Not Included While the Steam Workshop is the easiest way to manage your colony's upgrades, players using the Epic Games Store

version or those who prefer manual control can still install mods easily. This guide walks through finding your local directory and getting your mods up and running. 1. Locate the Correct "Local" Folder

Oxygen Not Included (ONI) looks for manual mods in a specific

folder within your user data directory. You may need to create this folder if it doesn't already exist. %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Klei\OxygenNotIncluded\mods\local

~/Library/Application Support/unity.Klei.Oxygen Not Included/mods/local ~/.config/unity3d/Klei/Oxygen Not Included/mods/local 2. Prepare the Mod Files

Manual mods must be placed in individual subfolders to load correctly. your desired mod from a source like

or use a third-party tool to download files from the Steam Workshop. Extract the ZIP file. You should see files like mod_info.yaml , and often a Create a subfolder inside the directory named after the mod (e.g., .../mods/local/TrueTiles/ Move the files

into this new subfolder. Avoid "double-nesting" (e.g., ensure it isn't .../local/TrueTiles/TrueTiles/mod.yaml 3. Enable the Mods In-Game oxygen not included how to install mods manually

Simply placing the files in the folder won't activate them; you must enable them through the game's UI.

To install mods manually for Oxygen Not Included (ONI), you must place the mod files into a specifically created folder within your game's data directory

. This method works for both Steam and non-Steam (e.g., Epic Games Store) versions. 1. Locate the Mods Folder

Navigate to the directory corresponding to your operating system: Documents\Klei\OxygenNotIncluded\mods\

/Users/[USERNAME]/Library/Application Support/unity.Klei.Oxygen Not Included/mods/ ~/.config/unity3d/Klei/Oxygen Not Included/mods/ 2. Create a "local" Folder Inside the folder, create a new folder and name it exactly

(all lowercase) if it does not already exist. This folder tells the game to look for manually installed content rather than Steam Workshop subscriptions. 3. Install the Mod Files Extract the Mod: Unzip the downloaded mod files. Create a Subfolder: Inside your new folder, create another folder named after the mod (e.g., local/MyNewMod/ Place Files: Move the mod's contents (such as ) into this subfolder. Ensure the files are not "double-nested" (e.g., avoid local/MyNewMod/MyNewMod/files 4. Enable in Game Launch Oxygen Not Included and select

from the main menu. Your manually added mods will appear in the list; simply click the checkbox to enable them. Steam Community currently popular for the latest Spaced Out! How to Manually Install Mods for Oxygen Not

To install mods manually in Oxygen Not Included , you must place the mod files into a specific "local" folder within the game's directory. This process is useful for players using versions from the Epic Games Store or those who want to use mods not available on the Steam Workshop 1. Locate the Mods Folder

The manual installation directory varies depending on your operating system: \Documents\Klei\OxygenNotIncluded\mods\

/Users/[Username]/Library/Application Support/unity.Klei.Oxygen Not Included/mods/ ~/.config/unity3d/Klei/Oxygen Not Included/mods/ Steam Community 2. Create the "local" Directory If it does not already exist, create a new folder named inside the 3. Install the Mod Files Download and Extract : Obtain the mod (typically a file) and extract its contents. Create a Mod Subfolder : Inside the

folder, create a new subfolder specifically for that mod (e.g., local\MyNewMod\ Transfer Files

: Move the extracted files into this subfolder. You should see files like mod_info.yaml directly inside this subfolder. : Avoid "double-nesting" folders (e.g.,

Step 5: Enable the Mod

The game crashes on startup after installing a mod.

Cause: Incompatible mod, corrupt download, or conflicting with another mod.

Fix:

  1. Navigate to mods\Local.
  2. Move the suspected mod folder to your Desktop.
  3. Launch the game. If it works, the mod is broken or outdated.
  4. Check if the mod requires Mod Manager (a prerequisite mod for many advanced mods).

Step 3: The Anatomy of a Mod

Before you dump files in, you need to understand what a "mod" actually looks like to the game engine.

A functioning mod is a folder containing files. It is not a single file.

When you download a mod from a site like Nexus Mods or the Klei Forums, it will usually come compressed in a .zip or .rar archive.

The Golden Rule: A valid mod folder must contain a file named mod_info.yaml or mod.yaml directly inside it. This file tells the game the mod's name, version, and description.

The Wrong Way:

The Right Way:

For Linux

  1. Navigate to: ~/.config/unity3d/Klei/Oxygen Not Included/mods/
  2. Use the Steam or Local` subfolder as needed.

Option C: Extract from Steam (if you have a friend with the game)

If you own the game on Steam, subscribe to the mod, then find the downloaded files in: Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\457140\[mod_id_number]\ Step 5: Enable the Mod

Copy the folder manually.