modlab.
THE UNIVERSAL MODDER FIELD GUIDE

Your game.
Your ideas.
Your first mod.

Learn to install Universal Modder, plan one small game change, and fix common setup and loading problems. Free guides for your first AI-assisted PC game mod.

Start your first mod Build a mod brief

Free guides · No account needed · Version-aware advice

Built around your next step Understand the setup Make one working change Fix what breaks
THE SHORT ANSWER

How do I start with Universal Modder?

Universal Modder is an open-source toolkit that gives AI coding agents skills, tools and shared knowledge for modifying PC games. Start with a documented game workflow, protect your saves, and verify one small change in the actual game.

Source-reviewed 2026-10-05 · Upstream README ↗

  1. Install the toolkit

    Check prerequisites, your agent plugin and the um CLI.

  2. Record versions and back up saves

    Confirm the game build, loader and a recovery path.

  3. Write a brief for one change

    Describe the result, boundaries and an in-game test.

  4. Build, play and verify

    Check the real game and logs before adding more features.

A GOOD PLACE TO START

Less guessing. More making.

All guides
Getting started

Your first mod with Universal Modder

Understand the workflow, choose a small first change, and know what a working result looks like.

8 min readSource-reviewed
Getting started

Install Universal Modder without guessing

Choose your agent, check prerequisites and verify the CLI before touching a game.

6 min readSource-reviewed
Getting started

What actually costs money?

Separate the open-source toolkit from agent usage, asset generation and repeated attempts.

5 min readSource-reviewed
PICK YOUR PLAYGROUND

Start with a game you know.

Explore documented routes. Check your version before you build.

Game guides
T2D SANDBOX

Terraria

A first item with tModLoader

Upstream example · local test pending
ⅡREAL-TIME STRATEGY

Age of Empires II

Understand data and sprite pipelines

Upstream example · local test pending
AN IDEA IS A START. A BRIEF IS BETTER.

Tell your agent exactly what to build.

Game version, one change, boundaries and a real test.
Turn them into a ready-to-copy mod brief in your browser.

Create my brief
MY FIRST MOD

A game and exact version

One clear, reversible change

A backup and recovery path

An in-game acceptance test

BEFORE YOU JUMP IN

A few honest answers.

Is Universal Modder a one-click app?+

It is a toolkit for AI coding agents. Setup, game-specific dependencies and in-game verification still matter.

Can I use this with any game?+

Engine playbooks describe possible routes, not certified compatibility. Start with a documented example and confirm the exact game and loader versions.

Are these guides tested in-game?+

Our launch guides are source-reviewed. Upstream examples are clearly attributed. We will label local results only after reproducing them in the actual game.

Does using it cost money?+

The toolkit is open source. Agent usage and cloud-generated assets can cost money. Set spending limits and record retries.