12 Best Factorio Mods to Maximize Gameplay

Factorio’s immersive gameplay always has you on the edge of your seat. Whether you’re mining resources or fighting off the Nomads, they’re always something going on in the universe.

Since its release, Factorio has managed to grab the attention of simulation game enthusiasts with its sophisticated mechanics and gameplay.

Factorio offers the complete package, incorporating many simulation and strategy elements. However, players who demand fresh content that enhances the gameplay and adds a new variety of things can turn to the mod market to water their cravings.

From overhaul mods to new gameplay modes, the mod market is filled with mods that cater to the needs of Factorio players. And in today’s round-up, we’ll take a closer look at the best Factorio Mods you can grab right now.

Shield Projector

With over 450K downloads, the Shield Projector mod is a beginner’s best friend as it protects your base from all the dangers of the unforgiving wold of Factorio. This mod allows you to safeguard the important choke points of your base and ensure that your base is protected without draining too much energy.

But, beware, installing too many shield projectors can harm the in-game performance. We recommend installing these projectors at the most pivotal parts of your bases to get the maximum benefit of this mod.

Related post: Best Stardew Valley Mods

Giant Enemy Spider

Tired of the same old enemies? Spice things up with the ‘Giant Enemy Spider’ mod that releases a swarm of spiders with ranging abilities to put up a fight against your stronghold. These spiders can climb over your defenses and use different load-outs to attack your base and take out your defense. 

Upon taking damage, the spiders can retreat and heal before launching another attack. For anyone looking for a real challenge, the Giant Enery Spier mod comes highly recommended.

Robot Attrition

Random robot crashes giving you headaches? Try the Robot Attrition mod which reduces the damage when you’re constructing massive roboports. At times when you have a large network of robots, some may start to crash and deplete resources but, Robot Attrition aims to solve that problem.

The mod has over 400K downloads and it is used by old-timers to keep their base in order and spend more of their time building new networks rather than spending their time and energy collecting the resources dropped by the crashed bots. 

Refined Network Storage

The Refined Network Storage is a Minecraft-inspired mod that allows you to seamlessly transfer your items and fluids without any hassle. With a capacity to hold 256K item units and up to 1024K fluids, you’ll have more than enough storage for all your needs.

With this mod, you can run various plants alongside each other for maximum efficiency. Moreover, the transfer rate is also quite satisfactory, making it the complete package and one of the finest Factorio mods on the market. 

Bottleneck

Clogged and choked mines, drills, and other equipment can cause the plant to work at a slow basis, and collecting the resources can take forever. To ensure that all the machinery is working flawlessly, the Bottleneck mod can come in very handy.

The Bottleneck mod indicates where the bottleneck is happening so you can quickly resolve the issue and run the plant without any issues. Moreover, the mod uses red and yellow color indications. The yellow indication means that the machinery isn’t operating and it is limited by the output. 

Similarly, the red indication means that the machine is limited by the input. In any case, having this bot can be a lifesaver when you have countless plant networks on your base.

Alien Biomes

Looking at the same old biomes and resources can get a bit boring with time but, you can grab the ‘Alien Biomes’ mod to add some new biomes which include Snow, Volcanic, Crater, Dirt, Sand, and Grass. A new line-up of decorative trees is also added that further enhances the aesthetic appeal of the game. 

Furthermore, this mode also allows you to change the terrain type, temperature, and moisture to suit your preferences. In short, this overhaul mod can have great aesthetic improvement and since it is trusted by over 500K players, you shouldn’t miss out on it. 

Jetpack

Running around your gigantic base is pretty fun but at times, it feels exhausting and this is where the Jetpack mod comes in. Exactly like it sounds, the Jetpack mode allows you to fly over the entire planet at an impressive pace, the perfect way to travel and roam around to find sweet spots for your base. 

The Jetpack can hover over walls and water and runs on rocket or nuclear fuel. Before each flight, ensure that you have sufficient fuel to make the round trip. Otherwise, you’ll be left stranded in the no man’s land which is quite unforgiving.

Also, if you’re flying over water and the jetpack runs out of fuel, you’ll get stuck so make sure to always fuel up before each flight. Overall, it is a must-have mod if you want to roam the gigantic world of Factorio quickly. 

Helmod: Assistant for planning your factory

Whether you’re an old-timer or a beginner who is playing Factorio for the first time, the Helmod: Assistant for planning your factory can come in very handy. This mod helps you plan your entire base and gives you all the information you need to run a smooth plant.

From ingredient input to machinery installation, the Helmod ensures that you have all the bases covered and you’re running a seamless operation. Similarly, power use and consumption are also calculated by this mod which further sweetens the planning phase.

If you’re someone who is stepping into the Factorio universe, the Helmod can help you with the learning curve. 

Rampant

If nomads aren’t powerful enough to stand a chance against you then we recommend grabbing the Rampant mod which adds powerful enemies for you to fight. Laden with all the tactics to steal your every resource and level your entire base, you’ll enjoy testing your defenses against some of the most fierce and intelligent enemies.

With the ability to launch strategic attacks, retreat, launch counter-attacks, and breach defenses, these new species of enemies can give you a run for your money. Of course, the difficulty can be reduced from the menu if you’re finding the enemy to be quite powerful. 

LTN – Logistic Train Network

Handling the train network manually can be a nightmare if you don’t know what you’re doing and this is where the LTN – Logistic Train Network mod comes in. Simply install the LTN at the desired place and it will act as the anchor point that’ll automatically handle all the train operations to ensure smooth operations. 

The Logistic Train Network is fully automated and it can detect which train is best suited for the job. Aside from automating the train system and reducing your manual labor, this mod also reduces the rolling stock required to run a megabase down to 30% which is a very big deal. 

Related post: Best Cities: Skylines Mods

AAI Programmable Vehicles

The mod market is filled with some stellar mods but the AAI Programmable Vehicles mod is a fan-favorite. Allowing the user to control RTS units and other custom vehicles, players can use a remote controller to drive around to patrol, do some reconnaissance, or navigate friendly bases on the planet. 

Similarly, assault and vehicles are also included in the package which you can control with a remote. One of the best parts is that any vehicle with on-board weapons can also be controlled by the player and it can be used to raid enemies or defend your bases. 

The AAI Programmable Vehicles is undoubtedly one of the finest Factorio mods out there. 

Extended Vanilla: Refining

Give an overhaul to your ore processing with the Extended Vanilla: Refining mod that adds some new machines to your arsenal and gives a massive boost to production. With this mod, you’re offered 3 more tiers and you must progress through each one to unlock more perks for your base. 

This mod is constantly receiving updates from the developer and you aren’t likely to face any bugs or issues here. In short, it is another mod that you should take a closer look at if you want to improve the efficiency and production of your base.

Conclusion

Adding mods to Factorio can completely transform the gameplay experience and aside from the aesthetic advantages, you’ll get some nice perks that make the game more fun and engaging.

All of these Factorio mods are the best that you’ll find out there and if you decide to grab any one of these, we’ll guarantee that you’ll enjoy every second of your modded Factorio gameplay.