Version and compatibility (September 2026): the current build is Darkness Falls V6, version 6.0.0.20, and it targets 7 Days to Die v1.4. That is the number to check, because the live vanilla game has moved on: current stable is the V3.x line, and Darkness Falls will not load on it. To play, pin the v1.4 build in Steam. The mod is authored by KhaineGB and distributed through his own channels and the 7D2D Mod Launcher; public code mirrors exist but can carry much older Alpha-era trees, so do not treat a stray repository as the current V6 source.
This is a 7D2D mod written by KhaineGB to fix a few “issues” that he, his wife, and many friends considered the game to have. He learned that he really loves customizing, therefore he has expanded on it quite a bit. The idea is to delay the early game so that you take longer than normal to achieve Iron and Steel.
He’s also attempted to add some realism by concealing a lot of recipes behind benefits, since most average people wouldn’t know how to do/make such things.
Also, he started playing in Alpha 8, so he wanted to attempt to bring back some of the era’s aspects. Hub city, jagged rocks, and sticks are some excellent examples, and he wants to attempt to integrate extra gameplay features from that age. He will also strive to bring extra zombies/enemies in order to make the “final game” more challenging.
Note: Darkness Falls is one of the most comprehensive 7D2D overhaul mods, adding hundreds of new items, mechanics, and challenges.
| Category | Features | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Classes & Skills | 8 unique classes | Each with 6 specific tasks, skill manuals for all 100-level skills, action powers |
| Inventory & UI | 96-slot backpack | Crafting queue with 12 spaces, custom UI with food/water kiosks near hotbar |
| Combat & Weapons | New weapons & tools | P225 Pistol, AR-15 Rifle, Winchester Rifle, Combat Shotgun, battle axe, titanium weapons |
| Crafting & Workstations | 12 new workstations | Writing Desk, Mortar and Pestle, Tailoring Workstation, Metal Workstation, Mechanic's Workstation, Working Wall Oven, Oil Pump, Big Forge, Advanced Forge, Portable Lathe, Fusion Forge and Laser Workbench |
| Resources & Materials | Titanium system | New resource found as loot, used for tools, weapons, and building blocks |
| Farming & Food | Expanded agriculture | Apple, banana, coconut trees; wheat, carrots, tomatoes; clay bowls for cooking |
| Zombies & Enemies | Enhanced threat | Zombie Behemoth (male/female), faster spawn/respawn rates, dangerous nights |
| Quality of Life | Many improvements | Lockpicks for safes/doors, steel crossbow with specialized bolts, scrap iron tools |
| Mod stack | Custom models | V6 ships as a stack, not one folder: DarknessFallsCore alongside SCore, IDCCore, Quartz and the TFP Harmony loader, plus a set of IDC modlets. SDX is Alpha-era terminology and is not part of a current V6 install. |
Darkness Falls replaces vanilla's open perk shopping with eight classes. Seven of them come from a class book you choose at the start; the eighth, Scavenger, is what you are if you do not take one. Each class opens a quest chain, and finishing the chain plus its masteries is how you eventually unlock everything. The perks listed below are the three each class starts with, taken from the mod's own progression.xml and localization files in build 6.0.0.20.
| Class | Role | Starting perks |
|---|---|---|
| Scavenger | The no-class start. Internally the mod calls it Civilian, and it is what you get if you skip the class books or gamble on the Random Class Book and lose. | None to begin with. You work up through the scavenger class quest chain instead. |
| Farmer | Farming, food and self-sufficiency | Living off the Land (mortar and pestle, scrap iron hoe, animal feed, snares, chicken coop, dew collector, seeds), Sous Chef (teas, juices, rice milk, tapioca), Get Off My Land (shotgun handling) |
| Hunter | Stealth, ranged combat and hunting | The Huntsman (25% more from animal harvests, leather armour and scrap machete), Threat Assessment (rifle headshots, tracks zombies within 25m), Stealth Assassin |
| Laborer | Mining, building and the early crafting backbone | Hammer & Forge (scrap tools, lantern), Advanced Engineering (workbench, dart trap, faster forge recipes), Well Maintained (tools degrade 10% slower) |
| Mechanic | Vehicles, engines and robotics | Salvage Operations (wrench, faster salvage, 20% more resources), Grease Monkey (wheels, gas cans, minibike, dirt bike, UAZ), Robotics Inventor (quality 11 robots) |
| Scientist | Medicine, chemistry and explosives | Yeah, Science! (chemistry station, acid, ammo, junk batons, TNT), Physician (bandages, plaster casts, aloe cream, softer drug side effects), Demolitions Expert |
| Security | Armour and front-line combat | Martial Training (cuts the mobility and stamina penalty of worn armour), Flurry of Blows (melee speed, light weapons last longer), Mobile Gunner (auto-weapon magazines and accuracy) |
| Survivalist | Broad early utility, scavenging and trading | The Survivor (10 insulation each way, +20% disease resistance), Charismatic Nature (better buy and sell prices, +10% quest dukes, better trader stock), Wasteland Treasures |
If you have read an older guide: Darkness Falls has no Soldier and no Engineer class. Those roles are covered by Security and by the Laborer and Mechanic lines respectively. Scavenger is real, but it is the default state rather than a book you pick.
Listing a handful of gun names undersells what Darkness Falls does to gear. The mod extends the whole material ladder past where vanilla stops, and your class and workstations gate how fast you climb it:
scrap → iron → steel → titanium → coil and laser
| Tier | What it covers | Where it is made |
|---|---|---|
| Scrap and iron | The early game, much as vanilla, but slowed down and gated behind class perks rather than bought outright | Forge, Workbench |
| Steel | The vanilla ceiling, which in Darkness Falls is the middle of the run | Advanced Forge, Metal Workstation |
| Titanium | A full tier of its own: pickaxe, shovel, fireaxe, auger, chainsaw, machete, hunting knife, claw hammer, sledgehammer, spear, club, knuckles, crossbow, a four-piece armour set, and arrows, bolts and darts to match | Advanced Forge, Lathe |
| Coil | Coilrounds for the conventional calibres, in AP and HP variants, plus the weapons that fire them | Fusion Forge, Laser Workbench |
| Laser | The endgame: laser pistol, carbine, shotgun, sniper rifle and M60, plus a laser sword, spear and knife, all built from separately crafted barrels, receivers, stocks and grips | Laser Workbench |
Item names above are read from build 6.0.0.20's own items.xml.
Important: Darkness Falls requires both client and server installation for multiplayer. Always back up your save files before installing.
| Installation Method | Steps | Requirements | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual Installation | 1. Download mod files 2. Extract to 7D2D Mods folder 3. Ensure correct version match |
7D2D 1.0 Full Release compatible | Check Nexus Mods for latest version |
| Mod Launcher | 1. Use 7D2D Mod Launcher 2. Select Darkness Falls 3. Click install |
Mod Launcher installed | Simplest method for beginners |
| Dedicated Server | 1. Start from a clean v1.4 server install 2. Replace the server's Mods folder with the Darkness Falls package, structure intact3. Set EACEnabled=false in serverconfig.xml4. Point the server at a Darkness Falls world 5. Restart, and keep every client on the same v1.4 and DF build |
Server hosting with mod support | Our M Plan includes 1-click setup |
| Modpack | 1. Use built-in modpack system 2. Automatic download & install |
Server with modpack support | Available on our hosting plans |
Darkness Falls is free. The current release is V6 Stable, built for 7 Days to Die game version 1.4 (the 1.0 / "V1" release line). Get it one of two ways:
Confirm you are running the v1.4 build of 7 Days to Die in Steam before installing - Darkness Falls will not load on the current V3.x stable line, or on any 2.x build. See the 2026 Mod Status Tracker for the live version status.
%APPDATA%\7DaysToDie\Saves on Windows, ~/.local/share/7DaysToDie/Saves on Linux). Darkness Falls needs a fresh world - it will not load cleanly into a vanilla save.Mods/ folders into your game directory's Mods/ folder.For multiplayer the mod must be installed on the server and every client, all on the same 1.0 build. The steps mirror a vanilla dedicated server setup with two additions:
Mods/ folders into the server install.Prefer not to hand-run SteamCMD and branch-pinning? Managed Darkness Falls hosting installs V6 on the right branch in one click and keeps it updated. Walkthrough video:
Is Darkness Falls dead? No. V6 is current and maintained - it just runs on the 7 Days to Die 1.0 branch, not 2.x. Stay on the 1.0 branch in Steam to play it. See the 2026 Mod Status Tracker.
Does Darkness Falls work on the current V3.x game? No. V6 build 6.0.0.20 targets 7 Days to Die v1.4, and there is no 2.x or 3.x build. Pin v1.4 in Steam or the mod will not load.
Is Darkness Falls free? Yes. The mod itself is free and is distributed by KhaineGB through the 7D2D Mod Launcher and his own channels, so download it from there. A hosting provider charging you for a server with Darkness Falls pre-installed is selling the hosting and the setup, not the mod; that is different from someone selling you the mod files themselves.
How do I install Darkness Falls? Back up your saves, pin the 1.0 game branch in Steam, install via the Mod Launcher (or extract the Mods folders manually), launch with EAC off, and start a fresh world. Full steps are above.
Can I play Darkness Falls with console (Xbox / PS5) friends? No. Darkness Falls is a PC-only overhaul and disables EAC, so it is not crossplay-capable. Everyone must be on PC, on the 1.0 branch, with the same mod build.
Does Darkness Falls need a fresh world? Yes. As a total overhaul it changes blocks, items, and progression, so it cannot load into a vanilla save - start a new game after installing.
Explore More: Check out these additional resources for Darkness Falls and other popular 7D2D mods.
| Resource | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Darkness Falls Server Hosting | Specialized hosting for Darkness Falls mod servers | Darkness Falls Hosting |
| Darkness Falls Mod v6 | Latest version information and updates | Darkness Falls v6 Details |
| Undead Legacy Mod | Another popular overhaul mod for 7D2D | Undead Legacy Guide |
| Compare Hosting Plans | Compare M, L, and XL server hosting plans | Compare Plans |
| Server Hosting Plans | View all available server hosting options | L Plan | XL Plan |
Looking for other mods? Browse all 7 Days to Die mods - Darkness Falls, Undead Legacy, Ravenhearst, plus 20+ quality-of-life modlets. Or grab them through the 7D2D Mod Launcher.