Getting Started with Oxygen Not Included Modding

Oxygen Not Included modding is conceptually simple — Steam Workshop subscriptions handle most of what players want. This guide walks the standard install.

Step 1 — Subscribe via Workshop

ONI Workshop hosts ONI mods. Popular picks:

• Async Heat Calc — performance mod for late-game heat physics.
• Smart Pumps — improved liquid/gas pump logic.
• Material Color — visual differentiation by material.
• Bigger Camera Zoom Out — exactly what it says.

Subscribe; ONI downloads.

Step 2 — Enable in Mods menu

In-game Mods menu. Toggle subscribed mods active. ONI prompts to restart; restart.

After restart, mods load. Spaced Out! DLC users: confirm each mod supports Spaced Out (most modern ones do).

Step 3 — Per-save mod set

Each save embeds the active mod set when created. Mid-save mod changes can have unexpected effects, especially for content-adding mods.

Pure UI or performance mods are usually safe to toggle mid-save. Content mods aren't.

Step 4 — Author your own

Klei's modding API is Lua-based and well-documented. The ONI Mod Template on GitHub is the recommended starting point for new authors.

Common gotchas

• Mod requires Spaced Out. Some mods are DLC-specific.
• Klei patch broke mods. Wait for updates; the community is responsive.
• Save game corruption. Content mod removed from a save that referenced its content. Re-enable.

ONI's modding scene is mature and friendly. The colony simulation lends itself to modding because so many of the systems are emergent — there's always room for "one more pump type" or "one more efficiency mod".