# ARK: Survival Evolved — Mod Reference Top 20 server mods. All are Steam Workshop mods loaded via `GAME_MOD_IDS` in the compose file. > **Load order matters.** Mods are loaded in the order their IDs appear in `GAME_MOD_IDS`. Content-heavy mods like Primal Fear must go first. --- ## Quick Reference Table | # | Mod Name | Workshop ID | Category | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Super Structures | 1999447172 | Building | Use instead of S+. More polished fork. | | 2 | Structures Plus (S+) | 731604991 | Building | Original. Superseded by Super Structures — pick one. | | 3 | Dino Storage v2 | 1609138312 | Creature Mgmt | Pokéball-style creature storage | | 4 | Death Recovery Mod | 751991809 | QoL | Gravestone on death; recover lost items | | 5 | Awesome Spyglass! | 1404697612 | QoL | Shows dino stats, player info, loot, eggs at range | | 6 | Awesome Teleporters! | 889745138 | QoL | Fast travel network; personal teleporter remote | | 7 | Auto Engrams! | 1428596566 | QoL | Auto-unlocks engrams on level up | | 8 | Lethals Reusables | 1967741708 | QoL | Reusable parachutes/tools; removes durability from hazmat/scuba | | 9 | Upgrade Station v1.8i | 821530042 | QoL | Upgrade armor, weapons, and tools beyond base tier | | 10 | Primal Fear | 839162288 | Content | Adds tiered dino variants (Toxic → Elemental). PvE focused. | | 11 | Improved Dinos | 479929837 | Content | Rare dino spawns with better loot and harder fights | | 12 | Shiny! Dinos | 2016338122 | Content | Rare color-variant dinos to hunt and tame | | 13 | Immersive Taming | 1251632107 | Content | Hand-feed and interact with creatures to tame; more natural feel | | 14 | Higher Difficulty | 687208953 | Content | Raises dino level cap up to 9600 | | 15 | Marniimods: Wildlife | 1984936918 | Content | Adds non-dino animals (owls, etc.) with saddles | | 16 | The World Turtle | 936959483 | Content | Massive tameable turtle; functions as a mobile base | | 17 | Dino Tracker | 924933745 | Utility | GPS device to locate tamed dinos on the map | | 18 | More Turrets and Turret Tools | 771785590 | Defense | New turret types with auto-refill capability | | 19 | Survivor Chronicles | 3582903552 | Map Expansion | Expands Lost Island with 14 biomes and 31 caves (WIP, ~36% complete) | | 20 | Rideable Dodos | 502202937 | Fun | Makes dodos mountable. Important. | --- ## Mod Details ### Building **Super Structures** `1999447172` Fork of S+ from 2019 with a cleaner codebase and fewer bugs. Adds snapping, auto-doors/gates, item collectors, auto-crafter, silent structures, fuel-free torches. The recommended choice over the original S+. **Structures Plus (S+)** `731604991` The original building overhaul that S+ forked from. Avoid using both simultaneously. Listed here for reference — Super Structures is preferred. --- ### Quality of Life **Dino Storage v2** `1609138312` Capture tamed creatures into a glass sphere (effectively a Pokéball). No debuffs on release. Fast-capture feature makes it practical for large collections. Reduces server strain from keeping hundreds of dinos loaded in the world. **Death Recovery Mod** `751991809` Places a gravestone at your death location. You can retrieve all lost items from it. Eliminates the most frustrating part of ARK for casual servers. **Awesome Spyglass!** `1404697612` Replaces the vanilla spyglass. Points at dinos to see HP, torpor, level, and stats. Works on players, structures, eggs, and supply drops too. Essential for evaluating tame candidates. **Awesome Teleporters!** `889745138` Places teleporter pads around the map for fast travel between bases and farming spots. Includes a personal teleporter remote that doubles as an item recovery tool on death. > Note: As of early 2026, the Steam Workshop page for this mod may be restricted. Verify availability before adding. **Auto Engrams!** `1428596566` Automatically unlocks all available engrams as you level up. Eliminates the tedious engram point management that clutters early-game progression on private servers. **Lethals Reusables** `1967741708` Makes parachutes, grappling hooks, and tools reusable. Removes durability from hazmat suits and scuba gear. Significantly reduces the grind around utility items. **Upgrade Station v1.8i** `821530042` Adds an upgrade workbench that lets you push armor, weapons, and tools to higher quality tiers. Gives purpose to otherwise-marginal blueprints. --- ### Content & Creatures **Primal Fear** `839162288` Massive content mod. Adds tiered dino variants: Toxic, Alpha, Apex, Fabled, Buffoon, Celestial, Demonic, Elder, and Elemental. Each tier is harder to tame but stronger. Boss dinos included. **PvE only — not designed for PvP.** Must be first in mod load order. Incompatible with mods that override vanilla creatures (e.g. Classic Flyers). **Improved Dinos** `479929837` Spawns rare dino variants with increased difficulty and guaranteed high-quality blueprint drops on kill. Makes the world feel more alive and rewards exploration. **Shiny! Dinos** `2016338122` Rare, distinctively-colored dino spawns. Inspired by Pokémon shinies. Adds a collectible hunt layer to taming without changing core mechanics. **Immersive Taming** `1251632107` Replaces the traditional knockout/force-feed taming loop with a trust-based approach — feeding and interacting with creatures over time. More natural feel on PvE servers. Can coexist with standard taming methods. **Higher Difficulty** `687208953` Raises the server-side dino level cap. Vanilla max is 150; this mod pushes it up to 9600. Pairs well with Primal Fear since tiered dinos need room to scale. **Marniimods: Wildlife** `1984936918` Adds non-dinosaur animals to the world — owls and others, many with saddles. Fills out the ecosystem beyond the vanilla creature roster. **The World Turtle** `936959483` A massive tameable turtle that functions as a mobile base platform. More a novelty than a meta choice, but a strong server centerpiece. --- ### Utility & Defense **Dino Tracker** `924933745` A GPS-style device that lets you locate any of your tamed dinos on the map. Useful once your collection grows and dinos wander or get left at outposts. **More Turrets and Turret Tools** `771785590` Adds new defensive turret types beyond vanilla and a tool for auto-refilling ammo. Useful even on PvE servers for base defense against wild dinos. --- ### Map Expansion **Survivor Chronicles** `3582903552` Work-in-progress expansion for the Lost Island DLC map. Adds 14 new biomes and 31 caves. ~36% complete as of early 2026. Only relevant if playing on Lost Island. --- ### Fun **Rideable Dodos** `502202937` Exactly what it says. --- ## Suggested Load Order If using multiple mods, prioritize content mods before QoL mods: ``` GAME_MOD_IDS=839162288,1999447172,1609138312,751991809,1404697612,479929837,2016338122,1251632107,687208953,1984936918,936959483,889745138,1428596566,1967741708,821530042,924933745,771785590,502202937 ``` > Primal Fear (839162288) first. Super Structures (1999447172) second. Adjust order if mod conflicts arise.