Getting started

Overview

RustTD6's own mod format: plain files, built on your computer, loaded by the native client.

Mods are authored in files, not an in-game editor. You describe what you want in a Python script (or any language that writes JSON), build it once into a mod.json manifest, and RustTD6 compiles that into its native simulation. Optional event scripts written in Rhai add real running code and custom in-match UI.

Quick startYour first tower, bloon and mode in five minutes. Content operationsClone, patch, copy and rearrange the game's data. Event scriptsRhai callbacks that react to rounds, pops and towers. Custom UINative panels, buttons and popups owned by your script. Entities & hooksInspect and edit live towers, bloons and projectiles. Custom modelsImport OBJ meshes or bake rigged Blender animation.

How a mod runs

Author. Write mods/<id>/mod.py using the SDK (tools/modsdk.py).
Build. python tools/modsdk.py build mods/<id>/mod.py writes mod.json. Your script runs only when you build it.
Load. In the client, open Mods, press Reload Mods and enable it. The manifest is validated and compiled into native data.
Play. Start a new local game. Edit, rebuild and reload as often as you like, with no client restart.

What you can change

New towers cloned from existing ones, with their own stats, projectiles, upgrades, shop position and models
New bloons, edits to rounds and round groups, and new or changed modes
Any existing native field through JSON Pointer paths (set, copy, insert, remove)
Text and visibility of existing menu nodes
Event scripts: cash, lives, spawning, popups, custom UI, entity queries and behaviour interceptors

Note

This is not a MelonLoader compatibility layer: BTD6 MelonLoader mods do not run in RustTD6, and no DLLs are injected. Never bundle or redistribute extracted BTD6 content in a mod.

Where mods apply

Content mods apply to every local game. Official events bypass local content mods. In private co-op rooms the host's room mod set replaces each player's local selection.