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Ore Factory Squad Mods: Install, Uninstall & Compatibility

Choose a useful Ore Factory Squad mod, back up your save, follow the correct loader, avoid duplicate DLLs, and remove a broken mod safely.

By Ore Factory Guide Team · Updated 2026-09-04

Quick answer

Use mods only to solve a problem you can name. Our first pick for a cramped factory is OFS Machine Access; for players who already own the Mini Excavator and want a deeper vehicle overhaul, Advanced Excavator is the stronger but more invasive choice. Back up your save, close the game, follow the loader required by that exact mod, and test one mod at a time.

Do not mix BepInEx and MelonLoader instructions, do not keep two versions of the same DLL, and do not take cheat or admin tools into somebody else's multiplayer save.

Best first mod for most factories

Choose OFS Machine Access when the real problem is reaching a machine panel in a tight layout. It adds another access side to supported machines, so it fixes a practical factory problem without changing money, XP, production speed, or progression.

That is the kind of mod we like: narrow job, obvious result, easy decision to undo.

Use the vanilla automation guide first when the machine is reachable but the production route is blocked. A mod cannot repair a wrong filter, full output, or bad pallet handoff.

When Advanced Excavator is worth it

Choose Advanced Excavator only if you already use the Mini Excavator and specifically want its transport, digging, recovery, or cargo changes. Version 2.1 was updated on August 23, 2026 and requires BepInEx 6 IL2CPP according to its Nexus page.

The mod author warns that the old ImprovedExcavatorControls.dll and the newer AdvancedExcavator.dll share a plugin identity and should not remain installed together. Remove the old copy before installing the new one.

If your question is whether the unmodified vehicle is useful, read the Mini Excavator guide first. Our vanilla verdict is simple: it is a situational surface and shallow-trench tool, not the main way to mine deep sites.

Safe installation order

  1. Close Ore Factory Squad completely.
  2. Copy %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\threeW\Ore Factory Squad\Saves to a separate dated backup folder.
  3. Open the selected mod's Requirements and Files sections.
  4. Install the exact loader named by that mod. If it says BepInEx, do not substitute MelonLoader instructions; if it says MelonLoader, do not put the DLL into a BepInEx folder.
  5. Install one mod only and keep its downloaded archive until the test is finished.
  6. Start the game, open a disposable or backed-up save, and test the single feature you installed it for.
  7. Add a second mod only after the first one works through a restart.

Use the save backup guide before touching loader or plugin files.

How to uninstall cleanly

  1. Close the game.
  2. Read the mod page again and identify every file supplied by that archive.
  3. Remove only those mod files; do not delete the whole game folder or your Saves folder.
  4. If the mod replaced an older version, make sure only one current plugin DLL remains.
  5. Launch the game without the mod and test the same backed-up save.
  6. If the game still fails, use Steam's file verification for official game files before restoring save data.

Keep loader removal separate from mod removal. Deleting a shared loader while other installed mods still depend on it creates a second problem.

What to do after a game update

Our rule is strict: disable gameplay-changing mods after a new Ore Factory Squad patch until the author confirms or updates compatibility. A mod loading successfully does not mean every changed system is safe.

Check, in this order:

  1. the current game version in the official Steam announcements;
  2. the mod's latest update date and changelog;
  3. recent Posts or Bugs on the mod page;
  4. one backed-up local test.

Do not solve a version mismatch by installing random DLLs from repost sites. Use the author's Nexus page and the loader source linked by that author.

Mods we do not recommend for a normal playthrough

Skip money, XP, instant-contract, unlimited-item, ore-respawn, and admin-menu mods when your goal is normal progression. They erase the decisions the factory is built around and can damage a shared session even when they technically run.

If you are hosting a private experimental save, make that a separate backup and tell every player what is installed. Never assume a client-side tool is harmless in co-op.

Sources