Modding

Notice: This page is written for aspiring modders. For installing mods, see the page How to install mods.

Modding Noita is quite straightforward and fun, but can still hide many implementation details in itself. These pages hope to lower the barrier of entry and address any common pitfalls.

All the tools you need to get started are:

1. a proper text editor (eg. VSCode, Notepad++, Sublime, Vim)
2. a proper image editor (eg. Aseprite, Gimp, Paint.net, Photoshop)

Noita gameplay logic is mostly implemented in Lua and XML, as an Entity Component system (ECS). Every separate "thing" in the game (enemies, bullets, wands, items, even the player) are just entities, composed of different components. A good understanding of Lua is recommended, but a lot can be done without any programming knowledge at all, simply by editing the entity XMLs or associated spritesheets.

Getting Started

First step before moving on, is to find the Noita base folder (most likely in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Noita) then go and read the tools_modding\READ_ME_FIRST.txt.

Extracting data files

All of Noita's base assets (spritesheets, scripts, entity definitions) are packed inside Noita\data\data.wak. It is not technically required to have these extracted, but seeing the file structure and any example code is immensely helpful.

On Windows

To access Noita's data files, do the following:

1. Copy all of the files inside of the tools_modding\ folder into Noita's root folder.
2. Run data_wak_unpack.bat. A terminal window should open.
3. A File Explorer window opened to Noita's resources should appear: (%UserProfile%\AppData\LocalLow\Nolla_Games_Noita).
4. Bookmark or copy this folder somewhere for easy later access.
5. Many of the resources might be hidden. Click the "View" button and check "Hidden items" to see all them.

Now you have plain access to all of Noita's Lua code, entity XML definitions and spritesheets. You can now literally go and check out any gameplay secrets, so keep a spoiler alert in mind aswell.

On Linux

1. Start Noita on Steam, once, using -wizard_unpak as a launch parameter. (I.e. Right-click, Properties, General, Launch options)
2. This will extract the data files into .steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/881100/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Nolla_Games_Noita/
3. Remove the launch parameter again.
4. Bookmark or copy this folder somewhere for easy later access.

Next steps

Good starting points and further reading:

• Go through Modding basics, debugging & best practices
• Make a copy of the mod mods\example and make some changes to it, familiarize yourself with the file structure.
• Familiarize yourself with the documentation under tools_modding\:
  • component_documentation.txt
  • lua_api_documentation.txt
  • These are always the most up-to-date documentation you can find. They are your best friends now.
• Download and see what other modders have done, edit their mods, get a feeling for what is going on.
  • https://modworkshop.net/game/noita
  • https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/browse/?appid=881100&

Need help?

Noita Discord server has an active and friendly modding community on #modding-general and #modding-support. Don't be afraid to join and ask questions!

Related

• How to install mods
• data.wak