Spore Galore

Spore Galore - Mushroom Cultivation Mod
A mushroom cultivation mod that adds realistic mechanics to Stardew Valley. Instead of Demetrius's one-time cave choice, you get a full cultivation system with actual mycology concepts - substrate types, contamination risk, multi-flush harvesting, and temperature optimization.
This is based on how mushroom cultivation actually works (I grow mushrooms IRL), so the mechanics reflect real-world substrate requirements, contamination patterns, and fruiting cycles. Made this for my wife Rose, who loves Stardew Valley.
What This Mod Actually Does
Realistic Cultivation Mechanics:

• Each mushroom species requires specific substrate types (straw, sawdust, hardwood logs, pine logs)
• Multi-flush harvesting: substrates produce 2-5 harvests over multiple weeks, yielding 1-3 mushrooms per flush
• Contamination is checked once at inoculation - sterilization is optional (0% vs 30% risk)
• Temperature and location affect growth speed (basement bonus for Enoki, outdoor seasonal modifiers)
• Matsutake requires pine trees nearby and has 65% contamination even when sterilized
  

The Cultivation Cycle:

• Craft substrate (7 types available, recipes unlock via quests)
• Optionally sterilize it (safe but slower) or skip sterilization (risky but faster)
• Propagate liquid culture in Culture Incubator (works like Crystallarium)
• Inoculate substrate with culture
• Wait 7-18 days depending on species
• Harvest 1-3 mushrooms, wait 3-7 days, harvest again (repeat 2-5 times per substrate)
• Compost spent substrate into fertilizer
  

Nothing revolutionary - just a complete system that follows actual mushroom biology.
Species & Progression
8 Cultivatable Mushrooms:

• Oyster (Level 0): Beginner-friendly, 7 days to first flush, 5 harvests, 56g each
• Enoki (Level 0): Cold-preferring, grows 25% faster in winter/basement, 69g each
• Turkey Tail (Level 0): Medicinal, consecutive consumption buff (+1 Speed, +40 Max Energy permanent), 81g each
• King Oyster (Level 4): Requires supplemented substrate, 94g each
• Lion's Mane (Level 4): Medicinal/cognitive benefits, 113g each
• Shiitake (Level 4): Traditional log cultivation, 5 flushes, 75g each
• Maitake (Level 7): Expensive substrate, long growth time, 131g each
• Matsutake (Level 10): Endgame challenge - 1,100g per mushroom but 65-80% contamination rate
  

3 Wild-Only Species:

• Chicken of the Woods (500g), Giant Puffball (375g), Black Trumpet (750g)
• Seasonal spawns with 3x rate day after rain
  

20 Rare Mutations:

• 0.75% chance per mushroom to discover variants (2% with power book)
• Variants sell for 15-50% premium and get +3 bonus harvests when cultivated
• Examples: Pink Oyster (80g), Golden Lion's Mane (196g), Pure White Matsutake (1,600g)
  

Machines & Processing
7 Custom Machines:

• Substrate Mixer: Decorative (substrates craft anywhere via normal menu)
• Sterilizer: 0% contamination, 2-4 hours + coal
• Culture Incubator: Continuous liquid culture production (10 days first batch, 4 days subsequent), auto-outputs to chests
• Mushroom Dryer: 5 mushrooms → 1 dried mushroom (6x value), 2 hours
• Tincture Brewery: 2 dried mushrooms + 1 mead → medicinal tincture, 5 days, high-value buffs
• Composting Bin: Spent/contaminated substrate → mushroom compost (fertilizer)
• Mealworm Bin: Produces mealworms (bait/chicken feed) and frass (fertilizer)
  

All machines compatible with Automate via PFMAutomate.
Quest Chain & Power Books
"The Mycelium Method" - 7 Educational Quests:
Given by Demetrius. Teaches the full cultivation cycle, introduces contamination mechanics, unlocks substrate recipes and machine recipes. Quest 7 is the Matsutake mastery challenge.
3 Permanent Upgrade Books:

• The Forager's Handbook: +1 mushroom per flush forever (33-50% yield increase)
• Sterile Techniques: -10% contamination (50,000g from Robin)
• Mushroom Foraging Book: 0.75% → 2% mutation rate
  

Unintended Feature List (AKA Known Bugs)
Mealworms can be fed to chickens any amount of times - INSTANT FRIENDSHIP BOOST!
Sometimes in multiplayer, other players can't get in their door - TROLL YOUR FRIENDS!
Rain foraging bonus doesn't apply if you log out after saving on a rainy day - LOSE YOUR BONUS SHROOMS!
Substrate mixer is cosmetic only for the time being - CRAFT SUSBTRATE ANYWHERE!?
Sometimes placement tries to place it directly in front of you if you're too far from the placement location - IT'S... a dead joke, I'll stop

Technical Details
Requirements:

• SMAPI 4.0.0+
• Producer Framework Mod (required)
• Automate + PFMAutomate (optional, for machine automation)
• UI Info Suite 2 (optional, shows processing times)
  

Features:

• 108+ custom items
• 31 mushroom types (11 base + 20 variants)
• 7 machines via Producer Framework Mod
• Full multiplayer support (host needs mod installed)
• Automate compatibility for substrate auto-harvesting
• ~11,500 lines of C# code
  

Compatibility:

• Works with most content mods
• May conflict with other mushroom cultivation mods
• Fully multiplayer compatible
  

Installation

• Install SMAPI and Producer Framework Mod
• Download and extract Spore Galore
• Copy both SporeGalore and [PFM]SporeGalore folders to Stardew Valley/Mods/
• Launch via SMAPI
  

Quick Start:

• Buy Oyster Culture from Pierre (150g)
• Complete Quest 1: "First Flush" to unlock substrate recipes
• Craft Straw Substrate (1 Hay)
• Optionally sterilize it or risk 30% contamination
• Inoculate with culture, wait 7 days, harvest
  

Debug command sg_teach_recipes unlocks all recipes immediately for testing.
Credits
HomesteadyEddy - Development, design, real-world mycology knowledge
Rose - Inspiration and playtesting
Paradigmnomad - Producer Framework Mod
Pathoschild - SMAPI and Automate
ConcernedApe - Stardew Valley
Substrate types, contamination patterns, and multi-flush mechanics are based on actual mushroom cultivation. Matsutake's difficulty reflects real-world cultivation challenges. If you're into farming mods with depth and don't mind some failures along the way, this might be for you.

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/c/ImmortalEddy