Initial Setup

Modding might sound complicated, but it’s much easier if you start with the right mindset and a simple mod.

Note

Pirated versions of the game don’t and never will support modding.

Install the Requirements

Before you can start modding PEAK, you’ll need to install two essential tools:

• .NET SDK 8.0 or 9.0 – This is needed so you can compile C# code.
  • Download .NET here
• IDE – This is where you’ll write and build your code. Choosing one can depend on your preferences and system.
  • Rider (The best all-in-one)
  • Visual Studio Code (Lightweight and customizable)
  • Visual Studio (Widely used in tutorials)

Now that you have .NET and an IDE, we can move on to creating your first mod.

Caution

This guide will not cover setting up your IDE. If you’re stuck at this point, try watching a video tutorial.

Installing BepInEx

Mod Manager (Recommended)

1. Windows

   Download Gale from Thunderstore. Open the ZIP file and launch Gale_1.x.x_x64_en-US.msi and follow the standard installation steps.

   Linux

   Install Gale by downloading the correct package for your system from the GitHub releases. Then install the package.

2. Open Gale and select “Peak” as the game from the top left, and then you can install Thunderstore mods for the game. Select BepInExPack PEAK (pin on top on the list) and install it. You can now launch the game from the button on the top left with BepInEx!

Manual

Install the PEAK-specific version of BepInEx from Thunderstore.
You can download it from here.

Unzip the BepInEx download, then copy all of its contents into PEAK’s game directory. You can find the game folder by going to:
Steam > Library > PEAK > Manage > Browse local files

After copying the files, launch the game once so BepInEx can generate the necessary configuration files. You can then safely close the game.

Note

If you’ve used BepInEx before, you may notice the console window doesn’t appear — this is normal.
PEAK can be unstable with the console enabled, and the reason is still unknown.

You can re-enable the console by opening BepInEx/config/BepInEx.cfg and setting HideManagerGameObject = false

Installing a Decompiler

Note

This step is optional but highly recommended if you want to understand or debug PEAK’s code.

A decompiler allows you to inspect the game’s internal code. This helps you discover useful classes and methods that can be modified using Harmony.

You only need one decompiler. Recommended options:

• ILSpy
• dnSpy
• dotPeek

You’re now ready to move on:

Creating a Project Create a new C# BepInEx 5 project based on a template made for PEAK modding