5 best Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 mods (and 5 that are cheating)
19
Jun 25
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is nothing short of a masterpiece all on its own, being a surreal, oil-painted dance of death with brooding narrative weight. I, personally, couldn't help but start a new game practically the moment I finished my first playthrough, but with all mysteries solved and twists straightened out, I craved something different. Fortunately, the sheer popularity of Sandfall Interactive's RPG invites plenty of mods that transform your experience from the ground up.
Whether you're chasing the perfect screenshot, tweaking your way to a smoother experience, or unleashing carnage with no sense of self-control, the modding scene has something for you. just keep in mind that mods can affect game performance and your mileage may vary depending on how many you throw into the blender. Always read each mod’s description and back up your saves, especially if all you're doing is giving the Expeditioners a Keanu Reeves-shaped facelift.
We’ve rounded up five of the best mods that enhance the core experience without derailing it entirely, followed by five more that basically throw the rulebook in the bin and a handful just for fun. And don't worry, we'll walk you through how to install them, too.
Best Mods
- No HUD, No Effects
- Alternative Camera
- Photo Mode Mod
- Co-op mod
- ClairObscurFix
Basically Cheats
- Easier or harder parry and dodge
- 999,999 Damage Cap
- More Upgrade Materials
- Everything Unlocked at the Start of the Game
- Full heal after combat
Just for Fun
- Appa Esquie
- Gustave Keanu Reeves
No HUD, No Effects
There's a metric ton of mechanics to learn in Clair Obscur, and the UI does its best to convey as much information as possible. Sadly, this obscures the gorgeous world around you.
For players who want full immersion and zero distractions, this mod strips away the clutter. No health bars. No ability icons. No damage numbers. Just you, your reflexes, and a whole lot of existential dread.
It’s a bold move, and a gorgeous one at that. Clair Obscur’s painterly presentation shines even brighter when you remove all modern UI trappings. You’ll feel like you’ve fallen into a living painting.
Alternative Camera
This one’s a game-changer for the way you see the game. Offering several new camera angles, including over-the-shoulder and wide cinematic views, it’s perfect for players who want something a little more stylised or cinematic.
It also pairs well with Photo Mode mods for those with a penchant for screenshotting every sunset, sword swing, or emotionally devastating monologue.
In particular, this is a godsend during Gestral Beach challenges, helping you jump, climb, and grapple your way to the finish line without feeling overly weighted to the right side of your character. It won't make you better at parkour, but you probably will fall in the water a lot less.
PhotoMode Mod
A must-have for every in-game photographer. Unlocks a free camera, depth of field tools, filters, and character posing options. If you’ve ever wanted to capture Esquie mid-somersault with a rain of brushstroke sparks behind him, now’s your time.
Whether you’re showing off your aesthetic taste or just want to pause mid-combat for a dramatic freeze-frame, this one’s both fun and functional.
Co-op Mod
Still in early development, but already impressive. The co-op mod allows up to three players to tackle battles together. It’s not always seamless, as you'll need to use either Remote Play-Together in Steam or RemotePlayWhatever as a workaround and need controllers plugged in even if you're running mouse and keyboard, but when it works, it absolutely sings.
The way it plays is by letting each player control one of the characters. If it's just you and one other friend, whoever's player one will control the third character by default. As for the real-time parry system, you'll all need to dodge at once.
It’s especially great for those who find the game’s turn-based timing systems a bit intimidating solo. There’s nothing quite like having a mate scream "dodge now!" as a Nevron teases its attack.
ClairObscurFix
Less flashy and more essential. This patch corrects several minor bugs, UI glitches, and performance hiccups that somehow slipped through post-launch patches. My favourite part of it is that it removes that pesky 30fps cap that makes cutscenes more jarring than the fluid gameplay. It also makes using ultrawide gaming monitors a bit more palatable.
I recommend this as a baseline mod before layering anything else on top, especially if you’re planning a replay or first-time dive. It’s the unofficial hotfix for players who want the most polished experience.
Sandfall Interactive is hot on the trail of many fixes, so the usefulness of Lyall's mod will diminish over time. For now, though, it's frequently updated, as you'll see in the top-left corner when you click through.
Easier or Harder Parry and Dodge
Let’s be honest: the combat system in Clair Obscur is precise. Some might even say it's particularly punishing. This mod lets you widen or tighten the timing window for parries and dodges. You can make the game more forgiving... or completely unforgiving.
It’s a blessing for accessibility, but also dangerously close to robbing the challenge that gives the combat its bite. On the other side of the fence, you can make sure your friends never hear the end of it if you beat the game on something even harder than the hardest difficulty. Use it wisely.
999,999 Damage Cap
Why settle for hitting hard when you can obliterate? This mod removes the built-in damage ceiling, letting overpowered builds truly flex. Entire boss fights vanish in a single turn.
It’s fun for about five minutes, then you realise you’ve basically installed a “Win Game” button. Still, great for stress relief or enforcing a Story Mode difficulty setting so you can experience the heartwrenching narrative without restarting the battle every few minutes.
More Upgrade Materials
If we're honest with ourselves, no one likes farming. This mod doubles the number of all materials you receive from defeating Nevrons, and triples it from Petanks. That means fewer fights to get where you need to be.
It’s less about cheating and more about time-saving, but it does undercut the game's sense of scarcity and reward. Proceed if you're on New Game++ and tired of picking flowers.
Everything Unlocked at the Start
Skip the progression curve entirely. This mod starts you off with all abilities, upgrades, and gear unlocked at level 99 with 1,730 Lumina Points for each character. You'll even have every outfit, haircut, Picto, and Monoco skill.
On one hand, it’s a dream playground. On the other, it ruins the sense of discovery. Great for testing builds or showing off to friends, but don’t use this on your first playthrough unless you hate surprises.
Full Heal After Combat
Every fight ends with your health bar magically restored. It’s the RPG equivalent of having a hotel minibar restock itself every night.
It definitely makes things breezier, but also nullifies one of the game’s core tension points: attrition between encounters. Plus, there's wonder in visiting your camp and talking to your peers that's worth respawning the Nevrons that block your pathway. Use only if you're here for the story, not the survival.
Appa Esquie
Turns Esquie’s mount into Appa from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Do we need to say more? It’s a giant flying bison in a dreamscape. It somehow fits, although I'll forever miss the wheeee of Esquie himself.
Utterly ridiculous, slightly majestic, and 100% worth the download even if just for a five-minute giggle.
Gustave Keanu Reeves
What if Gustave was played by Keanu Reeves? This mod swaps his model with a lovingly recreated likeness from back in his Matrix days - so, sans the John Wick beard. The cast unsurprisingly remains the same, so you'll still hear Charlie Cox's wonderfully evocative performance if you're running the English audio.
It's a little jarring, but weirdly works during monologues about sacrifice. You won’t take him seriously ever again, but maybe that’s the point. If nothing else, you'll let out a "woah" that'll make Ted Logan proud.
How to Install Clair Obscur Mods
Some mods, such as PhotoMode, have their own installation instructions that require downloading a DML Modloader. Otherwise, here's what you'll usually go through:
Download a mod manager – Vortex from Nexus Mods is easiest for beginners. Mod Organizer 2 works if you want more control.
1. Find your game directory – Typically in Steam’s \steamapps\common\Clair Obscur Expedition 33\
2. Back up your saves – Always. No exceptions.
3. Install mods via Vortex or drag-and-drop – Follow the mod’s instructions. Some require overwriting .pak files or adding DLLs.
4. Load the game and test – Launch and confirm the mod is active. If things break, disable and reintroduce one mod at a time.
Otherwise, there are manual methods:
1. Download a mod
2. Unzip the folder into:
Steam\steamapps\common\Clair Obscur Expedition 33\~mods
or
\XboxGames\Clair Obscur- Expedition 33\Content\Sandfall\Content\Paks\~mods
Make sure to create the folder if you don't see it in that directory
3. Load the game and test – Launch and confirm the mod is active. If things break, disable and reintroduce one mod at a time.
Modding Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can elevate an already compelling game into something uniquely yours, whether that means purist immersion or total chaos. Just remember: with great power comes great screenshot potential. Use it wisely.
