Mods have helped Skyrim change the landscape of the game ever since it was released back in 2011. This longevity of the game is thanks to players and enthusiasts of this wonderful game supporting and adding new elements whenever they get the chance.

Mods can change from how Skyrim looks to what characters players can bring to the game, we’ve seen things and characters from far corners of pop culture find their way in Skyrim. From Thomas, the Tank Engine to Superman, Skyrim’s versatility is endless and only limited by your imagination.

Though the game was released in 2011, players are still very much active in this RPG game where you play as a Dragonborn with a destiny to fulfil. Developed by Bethesda, they allowed players to add in a few things to tinker with the game to get a tailor-made experience for anyone ready for it.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the best mods we’ve come across that will make playing Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim one of the best experiences in 2021. Check out the best Skyrim mods and pick whichever you find suits you best.

Best Skyrim Mods

Unofficial Skyrim Patch

The very first and most essential mod that everyone should download and install is the Unofficial Skyrim Patch, this mod helps to iron out all the tiny little bugs and issues that Bethesda failed to address.

This mod is constantly updated bringing you endless support and newer elements with each patch fix. This is one of the most downloaded mods in Skyrim and will make the game even more enjoyable than before.

Duel Combat Realism

This one is for players who are looking for a bigger than what Skyrim possess, this mod will forever change how you battle in Skyrim. This mod will have you focus on your stamina bar which was largely ignored in the main game.

What this does is, it brings a bit of Dark Souls vibe to Skyrim making it more challenging, engaging with a lot of things to on the line. No longer will you be able to run at enemies and slash your way through. With this mod, you will have to carefully time your attacks, learn to dodge, and use resources carefully.

The Duel Combat Realism mod has completely given a different perspective to us about Skyrim and we highly recommend that you download this if you think Skyrim isn’t tough enough the way it is.

Relighting Skyrim

Videogame graphics have gone through an overhaul since Skyrim was released and with better lighting and character models, you can get a better-looking Skyrim in a matter of minutes.

Skyrim’s Relighting Skyrim mod will change the lighting, make the edges more defined and sharper so that you get to see every little detail in the game. The lighting never seems quite natural in the base game but this mod helps to change that with a few changes here and there to make it look stunning.

Pit Fighters

If someone told you, there can be a new faction in Skyrim that has its questline with gladiator-style battles and whatnot, would you be not excited. Well, the Pit Fighters mod does exactly that. You will have to slaughter your way through a ton of people to become a champion fighter, this adds to the perk of being a Dragonborn with a gladiator.

Take a jump into medieval times and get to experience, raw, brutal and unforgiving combat with the Pit Fighters mod in Skyrim.

Open Cities

The traversal mechanics in Skyrim are amazing and all but you still have to deal with the dreaded loading times in the game whenever you go a different part of the city. Well, the Open Cities mod manages to change all that by removing the loading times across all cities.

This makes exploring new cities even more fun as you get uninterrupted access to go wherever you want in the city. No longer will you have to suffer through breaks in the gameplay and you can continue on your merry slaughtering quests without a hitch.

Skyrim Flora Overhaul

Skyrim has vast forests that will take you far and beyond between cities and gives a contrast to the game. The Skyrim Flora Overhaul brings new flowers and trees to the game giving each area a distinct look and feel to it. This mod will make sure that every area of Skyrim looks different and has a personality of its own.

Skyrim Flora Overhaul also helps to bring in more drama to the visuals of the game. Trees look better than before and make it looks like the game was released recently rather than almost a decade ago.

Climates of Tamriel

This is a weather and lighting mod that will have you looking at the skies in wonder and disbelief in Skyrim. This visual mod will help to bring the best out of ENB like SkyrimSE Re-Engaged ENB and Realistic Lighting Overhaul’s interior lighting.

This mod brings hundreds of different weather and no longer will the landscapes look dreary and wet all the time when you install this mod. Cities of Tamriel helps to see how good Skyrim can still be and with this, it will surely compete with games released in recent years.

Interesting NPCs

This mod adds several new NPCs, each having their specific role and dialogue lines. You no longer have to be content with having to listen to “Took an arrow to the knee” dialogue as this will bring a much-needed variety.

This isn’t to say that there’s not enough NPCs in Skyrim but having more of them surely adds to the narrative and you will get new questlines to complete too. Check out this mod to bring in more supporters to your cause in Skyrim and take all of them on a quest like never before.

Run For Your Lives

This mod gives the NPCs in Skyrim some sense as they will run for their lives when a mythical creature like a dragon attacks their village. You won’t have to look out for silly villagers wanting to take on a dragon by themselves and risk losing their lives.

These NPCs will run inside their house or the nearest place that they can find while you and others can take on the dragons without any interruptions. Give this mod a try and see how much of a difference it can make to you.

Immersive Armors

This mod will redefine the already spectacular armors in Skyrim, you will gain access to hundreds of new pieces and give another dimension to the gothic style armors in the game. The best thing about this mod is the fact that you can truly design a custom armor with different parts.

The versatility that it adds to the entire Skyrim experience makes you want to invest in world exploration once again, going through the familiar route in search of a trinket of something new. This added with the Immersive Weapons mod can define combat once again for you in Skyrim.

Apocalypse

Magic in Skyrim is something that has a legendary status for itself in all of videogame history. With more immersive spells that bring out some of the best and creative gameplay’s ever seen. Apocalypse mod just by itself is strong enough to give you a wholesome experience.

Apocalypse is one of the most vibrant and visually hallucinating mods ever in any game. Apocalypse will give you another sense of excitement to play the game but this time with a whole set of new powers unbelievable ever before. If you’re going to try one mod and no more else, we’d recommend that you consider this mod.

Pretty Combat Animations

While swiping at your enemies with all your strength is cool and all, it not that attractive, it lacks flow and does not look graceful. This mod gives each character combat animations that make melee attacks more fun.

No longer will you just have to sneak around by just crouching, you will have a new set of controls that lets you bring style to melee attacks. Pretty Combat Animations is all about flaunting how good you are in combat with animations that do justice to it.

Towns and Villages Enhanced

As you’ve already figured out by now that there’s a huge part of the game that will take you to different cities with quests that take you from one corner to the other. This is when you’ll wish you had a way to make everything look visually updates, this mod does that for you.

The Towns and Villages Enhanced mod will give each building, tree, and river inside the towns and villages a more modernistic graphical image. This completely takes out the blurry edged walls, the low poly count archways, and everything that can be an eyesore. The Towns never looked this good before.

Monster Mount

Horse riding is a huge thing in Skyrim but what’s cooler is the ability to mount on any creature that you can see in Skyrim. Take a ride on a werewolf or a frost troll with the monster mount and change travel forever.

There’s no coming back from this mod, this makes horse riding looks like a joke. You get more than 80 monsters that you can call for a ride whenever you want. The Monster Mount is peak insanity and that’s why it is one of our favourites.

Become High King of Skyrim

What are your ambitions in Skyrim don’t end with just being the leader of the Thieves Guild? What if you want to become royalty in the game? Now, you can become the High King of Skyrim with the mod and take total control of the land in your hands.

You can have players executed, call on anyone to follow you around and do your work for you. It pays to be a king but in Skyrim, you can be one with a few clicks of a button.

These are the best mods that we’ve come across in Skyrim. Make sure to check out Best Games Like Skyrim right here on Gamer Tweak.