ExpansionKit

The shared support mod used by Gambler's Reach and Tidehaul Nets for How to Fish.

For How to Fish 1.0.12, Steam build 25127368, on Windows. ExpansionKit does not add fish, islands, equipment, or quests by itself. Install it when another mod lists it as a requirement.

For players

With Thunderstore Mod Manager or r2modman, the runtime is installed automatically when you install a mod that depends on it. You only need one copy, even when you use several compatible mods.

For a manual install:

1. Install the listed BepInExPack dependency.
2. Copy this package's BepInEx folder into the game folder, beside How to Fish.exe.
3. Install the content mods you want to play.
4. Close and restart the game after any update.

Every player in a crew needs matching versions of the game, content mods, and ExpansionKit. A compatibility error is a reason to check versions, not to delete files from the save.

What it does

ExpansionKit gives compatible mods a shared way to:

• Add items, lures, characters, shops, and islands.
• Attach equipment and controls to the boat.
• Use the game's normal purchasing, animation, cooking, and selling systems.
• Keep mod item identities and co-op data consistent.
• Save mod progress alongside the crew without replacing original saves.

It checks the game version and required content before starting a modded crew. Unsupported or incomplete combinations fail with an error instead of silently discarding content.

Your saves

Modded progress is kept separately from the original game. On first import, the original save is copied, not overwritten. Original and modded progress then remain independent.

Modded profiles are stored here:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Dazed Games\How to Fish\ExpansionKitProfiles\<SteamID>\

Back up the whole profile folder before updating. Keep crew saves, expansion sidecars, and backups together. Do not put these files into the original game's save folder or remove a required content mod from an existing modded crew.

To play without mods, launch an unmodded profile and use the original saves. Progress made only in a modded crew is not merged into the original game.

Troubleshooting

• Use the supported game build and the dependency versions requested by your mods.
• Keep only one HowToFish.ExpansionKit.dll and one HowToFish.ExpansionKit.Runtime.dll.
• If an older manually installed mod bundled its own runtime, remove the duplicate copies from that mod's folder before using this standalone package.
• Restart the game after changing mods.
• Check BepInEx\LogOutput.log for the first ExpansionKit error.

If you share a log, remove personal paths and other private details. Compatibility with unrelated loaders, all third-party mods, and future game versions is not guaranteed.

For mod authors

This is the player runtime, not the complete developer SDK. Your Thunderstore package should depend on B3rries-ExpansionKit-0.7.2 rather than include another copy of its DLLs.

The separate developer kit contains the API documentation, pack examples, authoring support, and command-line tools. Players do not need those tools or a .NET SDK to use a mod built with ExpansionKit.

Credits and license

Created by B3rries. ExpansionKit is an unofficial modding framework, not an official API from the game developers. It uses native assets and behavior from the player's installed game; no game DLLs or game artwork are included. Developed with AI assistance and tested with native-game integration checks.

The SDK license and required third-party notices are included in this package. The native content integration acknowledges MoreFishAPI by hiccup444; see MoreFishAPI.NOTICE.txt and MoreFishAPI.LICENSE.txt.

Changelog

0.7.2

• Prepared the first standalone Thunderstore runtime package.
• Added shared content registration, native shops, boat equipment, co-op compatibility checks, and separate modded save profiles.
• Added consistent boat attachment frames and optional equipment driving guards.
• Added support for articulated original crane art and blended bird visuals.
• Preserved supported older save revisions without accepting unknown changes.
• Kept developer tools and examples out of the player download.

Earlier version numbers were used for local development and testing.