This guide will help you create your first mod for Remixed Dungeon. We'll start with simple modifications and work up to more complex ones.

Before starting, make sure you have:

• A copy of Remixed Dungeon installed
• A text editor or IDE for editing files
• Basic understanding of JSON format
• Basic understanding of file organization

• Navigate to your game's files directory: Android/data/com.nyrds.pixeldungeon.ml/files/ (on Android)
• Create a new folder for your mod (e.g., “MyFirstMod”)

• Inside your mod folder, create a version.json file
• Add this basic content to the file:

    {
      "version": 1,
      "name": "My First Mod"
    }
 

• Download a simple image (e.g., a PNG file) that could replace an item sprite
• In your mod folder, create the directory structure to match the original game: items/weapon/
• Place your image file in this directory with the same name as the original sprite you want to replace (e.g., dagger.png to replace the dagger sprite)

• Launch Remixed Dungeon
• Go to the Mods menu and enable your mod
• Start a new game to see your changes

• Locate the JSON configuration for the item you want to modify in the game's assets
• For example, weapon properties might be in items/weapon/ in files like short_sword.json

• Copy the JSON file to your mod folder in the same directory structure
• Modify the properties you want to change (e.g., damage, level requirements)

Example modification:

{
  "class": "com.watabou.pixeldungeon.items.weapon.melee.ShortSword",
  "name:en": "Modified Short Sword",
  "name:ru": "Модифицированный короткий меч",
  "damageMin": 3,  // Original value might be 4
  "damageMax": 8,  // Original value might be 8
  "ac": "ATTACK",
  "imageIndex": 0
}

• Make sure your mod is enabled
• Start a new game to see the modified item properties

The game's assets follow a specific organization:

• actors/ - Mobs, NPCs, and other entities
  • actors/mobs/ - Monster definitions
  • actors/buffs/ - Status effects
• items/ - All items in the game
  • items/weapon/ - Weapons
  • items/armor/ - Armor
  • items/rings/ - Rings
  • items/potions/ - Potions
  • items/scrolls/ - Scrolls
• levelsDesc/ - Level definitions and dungeon structure
• res/ - Text strings and localization
  • res/values/ - English texts
  • res/values-ru/ - Russian texts
• sounds/ - Sound effects
• music/ - Background music
• sprites/ - Game graphics

To modify in-game text, create a res/values/strings.json file in your mod:

{
  "DungeonTitle": "My Custom Dungeon",
  "WelcomeMsg": "Welcome to my modded version!"
}

To change a mob's properties, copy the mob's JSON file to your mod:

{
  "class": "com.watabou.pixeldungeon.actors.mobs.Rat",
  "name:en": "Giant Rat",
  "HP": 15,           // Higher HP
  "damageMin": 3,     // Higher damage
  "damageMax": 6,     // Higher damage
  "exp": 3,          // More experience
  "loot": "gold",    // Additional loot
  "lootChance": 0.5  // Higher chance for loot
}

For more complex modifications, you can use Lua scripts. The correct approach uses specialized libraries:

Example: items/custom_item.lua

local RPD = require "scripts/lib/commonClasses"
local item = require "scripts/lib/item"
 
return item.init{
    desc = function()
        return {
            image         = 0,
            imageFile     = "items.png",
            name          = "Explosive Item",
            info          = "An explosive item that damages enemies when thrown.",
            stackable     = true,
            upgradable    = false,
            isFlies       = true,
            defaultAction = "THROW"
        }
    end,
 
    onThrow = function(self, cell, user)
        -- Custom behavior when item is thrown
        RPD.glog("Custom item thrown at " .. cell.x .. ", " .. cell.y)
        -- Add explosion effect
        -- Blast functionality would need to be implemented using specific game mechanics
        RPD.topEffect(RPD.Dungeon.level():cell(cell.x, cell.y), "blast")
    end
}

Reference the script in your item's JSON using the correct format:

{
  "class": "com.watabou.pixeldungeon.items.Item",
  "name:en": "Explosive Item"
}

• Mod not loading: Check that your version.json file exists and is properly formatted
• Changes not showing: Make sure the file paths exactly match the original game structure
• JSON errors: Use a JSON validator to check for syntax errors
• Game crashes: Check for missing or incorrectly formatted properties

• Start with simple changes before moving to complex modifications
• Use the game's existing files as examples
• Test frequently to isolate problems
• Keep backups of working configurations

When your mod is complete and tested:

• Package all your mod files in a ZIP archive
• Include clear instructions and documentation
• Test on multiple devices if possible
• Share on the Remixed Dungeon Discord server
• Consider uploading to mod distribution platforms

Once you're comfortable with basic modding:

• Explore more complex JSON configurations
• Learn Lua scripting for dynamic behavior
• Create custom levels using Tiled
• Join the modding community for tips and feedback
• Look at existing mods like Maze to understand advanced techniques

Remember to always backup your save files before testing new mods!