Cities: Skylines Mods: How To Install And Manage Them

Adding mods to Cities: Skylines turns a standard municipal sandbox into an infinitely customizable urban simulation. Whether you play through Steam or the Epic Games Store, modifying your game unlocks custom assets, traffic managers, and performance patches that fix vanilla limitations.

Most players install mods via the Steam Workshop, which handles downloads and updates automatically. However, manual installations or alternative storefront versions require understanding where files live and how to manage potential mod conflicts.

Understanding Where Mod Files Go

Cities: Skylines stores local assets, custom maps, and saved games in specific directories on your hard drive. Knowing these paths is essential if you're installing manual mods or troubleshooting missing items.

On Windows, your local user files are typically located at:

C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines

The AppData folder is hidden by default. To view it, open File Explorer, click the View tab, and check the box for Hidden items. Inside this directory, you will find folders named Addons and Maps.

• Addons: This directory holds subfolders for Assets, Mods, and Styles.
• Maps: Drop custom .crp map files here so they appear in your new game menu.
• Mods: Drop unzipped mod folders directly here if you aren't using the Steam Workshop.

Installing Mods via Steam Workshop

For Steam users, the Workshop is the simplest and most reliable method for adding content. You don't need to manually move files or worry about directory structures.

1. Open Steam and navigate to your Library.
2. Click on Cities: Skylines in your game list.
3. Scroll down to the Workshop section on the game's community hub page.
4. Browse or search for the mod you want, such as Traffic Manager: President Edition.
5. Click the green Subscribe button. Steam downloads the mod automatically in the background.

Before launching your city, you must enable your subscribed items inside the game client.

Enabling and Managing Mods In-Game

Subscribing to a mod on Steam doesn't turn it on immediately. You have to activate it through the game's menu system.

1. Launch Cities: Skylines from Steam or your desktop shortcut.
2. From the main menu, click on Content Manager.
3. Select the Mods tab on the left sidebar.
4. Find your newly downloaded mod in the list and toggle the switch from Disabled to Enabled.
5. Check any configurable options attached to the mod, as many tools feature custom settings menus.

If you are using assets (like custom buildings, trees, or vehicles), check the Assets tab instead. Assets don't require manual toggling in the mod list; once subscribed, they populate your in-game build menus automatically.

Manual Installation for Non-Steam Versions

If you run Cities: Skylines through the Epic Games Store or another platform without a built-in workshop, you must install mods manually.

1. Download the mod archive (usually a .zip or .rar file) from a trusted community hub like Simtropolis.
2. Extract the archive using a tool like 7-Zip or WinRAR.
3. Ensure the extracted folder contains the raw .dll file or mod assets, rather than just a nested zip.
4. Navigate to your game installation directory or your AppData Addons\Mods folder.
5. Paste the entire mod folder directly into the Mods directory.
6. Launch the game and enable the files through the Content Manager just like a Steam installation.

Troubleshooting Broken Mods and Conflicts

Modding always carries a risk of game crashes, infinite loading screens, or broken saves. When a game update drops, old mods often break because the underlying game code changes.

If your game fails to load or acts erratically after installing new items, isolate the culprit using these steps:

• Check compatibility notes on the mod page to ensure it supports your current game version.
• Disable recently added mods one by one in the Content Manager to find the conflict.
• Look for community replacement patches, as many abandoned mods get updated forks by other community developers.
• Use the Loading Screen Mod, which helps identify missing assets and memory bottlenecks during startup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do mods disable Steam achievements?

No. Unlike many other titles, Cities: Skylines allows you to earn Steam achievements even when running heavily modified games and custom assets.

How many mods can I run at once?

There is no hard cap on the number of mods, but your PC's RAM is the ultimate bottleneck. Running over 50 heavy gameplay mods and thousands of custom assets easily requires 16GB to 32GB of system memory.

Why are my downloaded mods not showing up in the game?

This usually happens because the mod files were placed in the wrong folder, or the mod archive was left zipped. Make sure unzipped folders reside directly inside the AppData Addons\Mods directory.

How do I safely clean up broken save files?

If a save file relies on missing mods or assets, loading it can corrupt your city layout. Always keep a backup save from before you install major overhaul mods.