most mods for this game use the same format for modding, just place the pak files in the paks folder
"DRAGON QUEST XI S\Game\Content\Paks"

some mods however, need certain .ini files edited. these can be found at
"Documents/My Games/DRAGON QUEST XI S/Steam/Saved/Config/WindowsNoEditor" on windows

or "/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/1295510/pfx/drive_c/Users/steamuser/Documents/My Games/DRAGON QUEST XI S/Steam/Saved/Config/WindowsNoEditor/" on linux

(if anyone knows where it is on mac pls comment and i will add it)

sometimes mods will need to replace the same .ini. in this case, just try to combine the two the best you can without repeating any 2 lines

if any mod needs specific directions, a guide will be underneath it

this game can chug a little bit (especially with graphics mods) so here's some optimisations

priority registry mode[www.nexusmods.com]
Unzip and run DQXIS-HighPerfTweak-Install.reg

ULTRA low graphics[www.nexusmods.com]

lower end optimisations[www.nexusmods.com]

steam deck optimisations[www.nexusmods.com]

ROG ally battery tweaks[www.nexusmods.com]

when dq11 got its "definitive edition" most of the graphics and models were downgraded to run on switch. project rebuild ups the quality of the game back to how it was originally

NPC character models[www.nexusmods.com]

player character models[www.nexusmods.com]

monsters, animals and mounts models[www.nexusmods.com]

equipment models[www.nexusmods.com]

environment models[www.nexusmods.com]

this game was released primarily for 8th gen consoles so the graphics are (mildly) outdated.
these mods bring it up to modern standards and fix graphical bugs

aspect ratio patch[www.nexusmods.com]

weather revamp[www.nexusmods.com]

grass and foliage improvements[www.nexusmods.com]

animation frame-rate fix[www.nexusmods.com]

dynamic lighting[www.nexusmods.com]

no more hidden weapons[www.nexusmods.com]

denser grass[www.nexusmods.com]


remove outlines[www.nexusmods.com]

darker quest reshade[www.nexusmods.com]
Install the latest version of ReShade and drop DarkerQuest.ini file into your game’s directory. When installing ReShade, be sure to add in all shaders, just to be sure the right ones are added.

this adds quality of live tweaks and some bonus features

all DLC unlockables[www.nexusmods.com]
adds back removed DLC

faster riding[www.nexusmods.com]
makes mounts more agile

better world map[www.nexusmods.com]
adds new landing spots to the world map to make the game more interconnected

all appearence options in menu[www.nexusmods.com]

unrestricted parade outfit[www.nexusmods.com]
allows full movement in the parade outfit

stick doesn't advance text[www.nexusmods.com]
(can't get this working so try it its hit or miss)

more mini medal progression[www.nexusmods.com]
adds better items to the mini medal exchange after the base ones are redeemed

polyamory mod[www.nexusmods.com]
lets you "form a legally binding union" with all the characters at once


re-translation mod[www.nexusmods.com]
this mod makes a more direct, less localised version of the game

dragon warrior spell names[www.nexusmods.com]
brings back the old spell names from the dragon warrior games

ultra difficulty mode[www.nexusmods.com]

endurance mode[www.nexusmods.com]
increases enemy HP

Serena act 2.5 [www.nexusmods.com]
this returns Serena's act 2 progression in act 3

luminary dual wielding buff[www.nexusmods.com]
adds dual wielding skills to the MC's skill tree

spellcaster Hero[www.nexusmods.com]
turns the MC into a spell caster

mounts anywhere[www.nexusmods.com]

random encounters[www.nexusmods.com]

luminary feminine gear[www.nexusmods.com]
lets the MC equip gear that is normal locked to feminine characters (intended for the feminine luminary mods)

smarter party member AI[www.nexusmods.com]


skip intro and recap[www.nexusmods.com]

skip pointless things[www.nexusmods.com]

seamless cutscenes and faster skip[www.nexusmods.com]

ultra easy mode[www.nexusmods.com]

easy slot machines[www.nexusmods.com]

easy forging[www.nexusmods.com]

ultra easy forging[www.nexusmods.com]

easy monster drops[www.nexusmods.com]

extreme seeds[www.nexusmods.com]

these add back cut content and some new content to make a new postgame dubbed "act 4"

hidden area zoom[www.nexusmods.com]

ultimate equipment[www.nexusmods.com]

new battles[www.nexusmods.com]

up to level 200 (breaks 2D mode)[www.nexusmods.com]

button swaps and UI changes

switch UI[www.nexusmods.com]

keyboad UI[www.nexusmods.com]

dualshock 4 UI[www.nexusmods.com]

japan style UI[www.nexusmods.com]

retro style UI[www.nexusmods.com]

streamlined UI[www.nexusmods.com]

changes the sounds

higher quality music[www.nexusmods.com]

no more plate armour clacking[www.nexusmods.com]

project IX music[www.nexusmods.com]
changes the music to fit in line with dq9

retro music mod[www.nexusmods.com]
retro music mod tutorial[www.nexusmods.com]

no more battle music[www.nexusmods.com]

this section covers character swaps and some other personal preference changes


costumes in cutscene replay[www.nexusmods.com]

followers always or never[www.nexusmods.com]

horse swapper[www.nexusmods.com]
lets you use other characters horses

character model swaper[www.nexusmods.com]


definitive heroine mod[www.nexusmods.com]
makes the MC more feminine

feminine luminary tweaks[www.nexusmods.com]
makes small changes to grammar, dialog and a few other things to make the story more cohesive for a feminine MC


dq4 hero[www.nexusmods.com]

Kiryl over Eric[www.nexusmods.com]

Maya over Serena[www.nexusmods.com]

Alena over Jade[www.nexusmods.com]

Borya over Rab[www.nexusmods.com]

Torneko Taloon over the sun king[www.nexusmods.com]


MC Erdwin hair[www.nexusmods.com]

SSBU alternate costumes[www.nexusmods.com]

dragon quest rivals alternate costumes[www.nexusmods.com]

the prodigal son[www.nexusmods.com]
makes Sylvando look more like their father

remove MC's Helmet[www.nexusmods.com]

remove veronica"s hats[www.nexusmods.com]

remove don sylvando's hat[www.nexusmods.com]

moon bunny over the superstar[www.nexusmods.com]

adds nail polish to some characters[www.nexusmods.com]

alternate Irwin armour[www.nexusmods.com]

Eric the blind bandit[www.nexusmods.com]
(changes Eric to look more like Toph Beifong from ATLA

guns scabbards and staves[www.nexusmods.com]
conflicts with project rebuild equiptment, just rename:
pakchunk0-WindowsNoEditor_P_KX_WEAPONS_Sword_of_Light_SCABBARD_v0.0.1.pak
to Project_Rebuild_ZZ_KX_WEAPONS_Sword_of_Light_SCABBARD_v0.0.1.pak

fair fairy and veronica with a GUN[www.nexusmods.com]

this is not all the mods for the game but its a hand curated list of good ones. if you want more go to the games nexus mods page[www.nexusmods.com]
I'll try to keep the guide updated, so if you have any suggestions or notice any errors let me know :3