In the infinite, procedurally generated universe of Starbound, your character is your avatar of chaos and creation. You spend hours fine-tuning their race, hair color, and clothing in the character creator, only to realize—twenty hours into a sprawling galactic adventure—that you desperately wish you had chosen a different hairstyle. Or perhaps you’ve found the perfect piece of cosmetic armor that clashes horribly with your character’s unchangeable eye color.
For new players, this moment is frustrating. For veterans, it’s a familiar ache. Vanilla Starbound has a glaring omission: no official method to change your character’s appearance after you leave the initial ship locker room.
Thankfully, the Starbound modding community has turned this oversight into a playground of possibility. This article is your deep-dive guide into the world of appearance-modifying mods, from simple in-game salons to complete overhauls of the character customization system.
If you install only one mod from this article, make it this one. Appearance (often called "Dynamic Character Customization" on the Steam Workshop) is the gold standard.
What it does: This mod adds a new craftable item: the Identity Card Swapper. Craft it at any basic crafting table (costs a few pixels and copper wires). When you activate it, the full character creation screen re-opens. You can change anything: species, gender, hair, shirt color, pants color, even your ship's name and your character's name.
Why it’s essential:
The Caveat: Changing your race via this mod does not change your ship type. If you start as a Floran (plant ship) and change to an Apex (apex sci-fi ship), you’ll still have a plant ship. For that, you’d need a separate ship-changing mod.
Two of the most popular custom races—Felin (space cats) and Avali (feathered raptors)—come with their own nuanced appearance systems. The Felin mod includes tail color matching, ear styles, and fur patterns. Crucially, you need the Appearance mod to change these mid-game, because Felin uses custom JSON tags that vanilla commands can’t read.
There is no excuse to suffer with bad hair in space. While we wait for Chucklefish to ever release a "Beauty Update" (don't hold your breath), the modding community has your back.
My recommendation: Start with the Universal Uncrappifier. It’s ugly, it’s overpowered, and it works flawlessly. Change your look as often as you change your ship’s fuel.
Now go forth, spacefarer. Dye your hair. Switch your tail. And pretend that scar was always there.
Have you found a hidden gem appearance mod? Did you accidentally turn your Floran into a Novakid? Let me know in the comments below!
Changing a character's appearance in post-creation is notoriously tricky because the game lacks a built-in "magic mirror" or barber system. While there isn't one definitive "perfect" mod that handles this seamlessly within the UI like other modern RPGs, several community-driven solutions exist—ranging from in-game editors to external save manipulation. Notable Appearance & Customization Mods
StarExtensions: This is widely considered the most modern and "cleanest" solution. It is a client-side extension (found on GitHub rather than Steam) that adds an in-game character editor.
Usage: Once installed, players can type /editor open in the chat to access a customization menu.
Pro Tip: It is recommended to unequip cosmetic items before using it to avoid visual glitches or resets. starbound change character appearance mod
Cutebound / Make the Universe a Cuter Place: One of the most popular aesthetic mods, it completely overhauls the default character sprites (faces, bodies, and hair) into a more stylized, anime-inspired look.
Impact: It doesn't give you a menu to change your hair on the fly, but it replaces the global appearance of existing races.
Colorbound: This mod significantly expands the color palette available during character creation and can sometimes be used in conjunction with save editing to access colors that weren't originally available.
Simple Extended Character Creation 2.0: While primarily for starting new characters with modded races, it is essential if you want to swap your current character to a custom race using external tools, as it ensures the UI can handle the additional race slots. Alternative: External Tools & Manual Methods
If you don't want to rely on mods that might break with game updates, the community often uses these manual methods:
Starcheat: A powerful third-party character save editor. It allows you to open your .player file and manually change values for your hair, skin color, and even your race ID.
Warning: Always back up your save before using this, as it is a third-party application.
The "New Character" File Swap: A common workaround is to create a new character with your desired appearance, then use a text editor like Notepad++ to copy the specific appearance data chunks from the new character's .player file into your old one.
In-Game Commands: Players using OpenStarbound (another popular engine extension) can use commands like /run player.setSpecies("race_id") to change their character's race instantly.
Beyond the infinite horizons of Starbound, where players traverse procedurally generated galaxies and build monuments across the stars, lies a common frustration: the permanence of the character creator. In the base game, the choices made in the opening minutes—your hairstyle, feather pattern, or skin tone—are essentially etched in carbonite. For a game centered on evolution and infinite possibility, this static nature feels like a missed beat. This is where the "Change Character Appearance" modding subculture steps in, transforming a rigid RPG mechanic into a fluid tool for storytelling.
The primary appeal of appearance-changing mods (such as the popular "Wardrobe" or "Character Edit" tools) is the restoration of player agency. In a typical playthrough, a player might spend fifty hours developing their character from a shipwrecked survivor to a galactic peacekeeper. It is only natural that their physical appearance should reflect that journey. Whether it is adding battle scars, changing a hairstyle to suit a new set of high-tier armor, or simply correcting a color choice that looked better in the creator than it does under the harsh light of a radioactive planet, these mods allow the character’s aesthetic to grow alongside their power.
Furthermore, these mods bridge the gap between mechanics and roleplay. Starbound is a haven for roleplayers who craft intricate backstories for their Floran hunters or Glitch knights. In a long-term campaign, characters change; they age, they adapt to new cultures, or they might even undergo "biological" shifts based on the lore of the mods they use. Without an appearance editor, players are forced to either start a new save file—losing all progress—or remain stuck in a visual shell that no longer fits their narrative. Mods solve this by treating the character sprite as a dynamic canvas rather than a finished statue.
From a technical standpoint, these mods also highlight the versatility of the Starbound engine. Most appearance-change mods work by injecting a custom interface into the game’s existing UI, often accessed through a craftable vanity object like a "Mirror" or "Styling Station." This seamless integration makes the feature feel like a "vanilla-plus" addition—something that should have been there from the start.
In conclusion, "Change Character Appearance" mods are more than just cosmetic tweaks; they are essential tools for immersion. They acknowledge that in a universe of infinite change, the player should not be the only thing that stays the same. By allowing for mid-game adjustments, the modding community ensures that every player’s avatar remains a true reflection of their unique journey through the stars.
If you want, I can:
Which of those would you like next?
Whether you’ve spent hundreds of hours building the perfect lunar base or you’re just tired of looking at the same hairstyle you picked three planets ago, the desire to change your character's look in Starbound is a common one.
While Chucklefish’s sandbox epic offers deep customization at the start, the vanilla game famously lacks a "barber shop" or "plastic surgeon" mechanic to let you tweak your appearance post-creation. Thankfully, the modding community has stepped in.
Here is everything you need to know about the best Starbound change character appearance mods and how to use them. Why Use an Appearance Mod?
In most RPGs, your character evolves. In Starbound, your character might start as a simple Protectorate recruit and end up as a galaxy-hopping god. It feels immersion-breaking when your "hardened veteran" still has the same bright pink mohawk and goofy grin they had on Earth. Appearance mods allow you to:
Change Hairstyles and Colors: Switch up your look to match your new high-tier armor.
Modify Body Scars or Details: Add "battle scars" as your campaign progresses.
Fix Mistakes: Realize ten hours in that your character’s skin tone looks weird under alien suns? Modding is the only way to fix it without restarting.
In the pixelated expanse of , where your identity is often forged in the first few minutes of a new save, the "Appearance Change" mod isn't just a utility—it’s a gateway to a second lease on life. The Mirror of the Multiverse
Kaelen had spent three hundred solar cycles as a grizzled Apex, his fur greyed by the radiation of a thousand moons. He was a warrior, built for the frontlines of the Protectorate. But as he sat in the glow of his ship’s console, staring at the vast, silent void, the reflection in the glass felt like a stranger. He didn't want to be a soldier anymore; he wanted to be a wanderer, light-footed and free. He had heard whispers of a transmutation terminal
—a modded relic forbidden by the strict laws of the universe but whispered about in the dark corners of the Outpost. The Transformation
He found it tucked behind a stack of crates near Beak-Easy. It wasn't much to look at: a sleek, pulsing platform hummed with a low, violet light. Stepping onto it, Kaelen didn't just feel his clothes change—he felt his very molecular structure vibrate.
The interface flickered before his eyes, offering choices that should have been impossible: The Hues of a Nebula:
He could shift his fur from slate grey to a vibrant, electric blue. The Eyes of a Seer:
His tired, soldier’s eyes were replaced with the glowing, inquisitive pupils of a scholar. The Mark of the Stars: Beyond the Cosmic Door: The Ultimate Guide to
Intricate, bioluminescent patterns began to trace across his skin, reflecting the constellations he had yet to visit. A New Horizon
As the light faded, the old Kaelen was gone. Standing on the platform was someone new—younger, brighter, and unburdened by the weight of a thousand battles. He walked back to his ship, and for the first time in years, the reflection in the cockpit window smiled back. Appearance Change mod
, the universe hadn't changed, but he had. And in the infinite reaches of Starbound, that made all the difference. specific mods
allow for this in-game, or should we continue Kaelen’s journey to a specific planet type
players, the lack of an in-game "barber" or "plastic surgeon" is a long-standing frustration. While there isn't one definitive "Appearance Mod," several tools and specialized mods solve this problem in different ways. 1. StarExtensions (Highly Recommended) StarExtensions
is widely considered the best modern solution for changing your character mid-game. Steam Community What it does
: It isn’t just a cosmetic mod; it’s an engine extension that unlocks several "hidden" features, including an in-game character editor. Key Feature : You can type /editor open
in the chat to reopen the full character creation menu at any time.
: It’s safer to strip off your cosmetic clothes before using it to avoid potential resets of your worn items. 2. Starcheat (The Classic Power Tool) If you prefer an external program with surgical precision, is the community standard for save editing. What it does
: It is a standalone GUI application that lets you open your
save files and manually change hair, colors, and even your race or name. The Review
: It is incredibly powerful but slightly more technical than an in-game mod. Always back up your save folder
before using it, as corrupting a file is possible if you aren't careful. 3. Cutebound (The Visual Overhaul) If your goal is to change how characters look rather than just your specific hair color, is the most popular choice. Chucklefish Forums What it does
: It replaces the default vanilla sprites with more "chibi" or "cute" versions, including better faces and expressions. The Review
: It’s highly rated and "single-handedly" keeps some players engaged for hundreds of hours. However, it can conflict with other mods that modify human or race-specific sprites. Steam Community 4. Manual Save Editing (For Mod-Free Players) Non-destructive: It doesn't break quests or your inventory
If you don't want to install mods, you can manually swap appearance data by editing JSON files. Steam Community How it works : You use tools like dump_versioned_json (found in the Starbound folder) to convert your encrypted file into a readable The Review
: This is the "hard mode" of customization. It gives you total control over every stat and appearance value but is very easy to mess up if you aren't comfortable with code structures.