Since our species started gathering around bonfires to tell stories, we’ve tried to figure out our true origins.
We experience something similar when faced with choosing an origin for our society at the start of a new Stellaris playthrough.
Whether your civilization is a lost colony of an advanced empire or a group of post-apocalyptic survivors can have major ramifications as the years go by.
The base game offers a fair amount of different options. But as any modding enthusiast knows, there are many ways to expand your horizons further – if you know where to look.
Alternatively, you can leave the research to me and dive into one of the mods on this list.
Fallen Empires are a staple of any good Stellaris run.
They might favor you or try to shun your primitive species, but whatever the case, they’re among the most critical players in galactic geopolitics.
But what if, instead of maneuvering around them, you could start as one of these superpowers?
The Elder Race mod enables you to start with every Fallen Empire tech, ship design, unique jobs, etc. It’s the perfect OP start for those of us who like steamrolling our opponents from time to time.
Fans of the classic sci-fi novel Dune (or the recent film adaptation) will love Children of Father Eternity, a Dune-inspired origin mod that’ll let you build a culture around Zro.
Your civilization will start on a planet with a Great Sandworm feature that provides jobs refining Zro – the Stellaris equivalent of Spice. In addition, you’ll be able to construct Zro Dispensaries to distribute this performance-enhancing dust to the population, raising unity, amenities, and happiness.
It’s a double-edged sword, though.
Thanks to the Worm-Marked trait your species invariably starts with, you’ll have to pursue Desert worlds or face a massive Consumer Goods and resource output penalty.
Andre Norton’s The Stars Are Ours! is a novel published in 1954 detailing the struggles of scientists who build a rocket in secret to escape the tyranny of a backward, anti-technology dictatorship that has overtaken the Earth.
This mod lets you start after the ending of the book. You have found a new home and rebuilt – and you get some nifty technologies like Genetic Healthcare, AI Colony Ships, and Cryo-Revitalization.
Could your ancient brethren still hide among the stars? Only time will tell…
One of the most bizarre mods I was able to find is the Living Planet origin, enabling players to start the game as a colossal sentient organism inspired by Star-Lord’s father J’son in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
As a living planet, your objective isn’t to expand your hive-mind species to other planets, but rather to consume celestial bodies to grow and gain new abilities.
Consuming other planets will increase planet size, allowing you to build more districts and absorb any beneficial features your planetary snack may have.
This is one of the most entertaining hive-mind mods I’ve come across, and I guarantee you’ll have a great time in this all-you-can-eat.
As far as I’m concerned, the more origins, the better.
The More Origins Mod is a fantastic add-on introducing seven new and unique starts for your civilization.
With this many, you could even start a playthrough where every empire has a custom origin.
Some of the best are Severance, which gives you two starting planets connected by an unstable wormhole, and Divine Guidance, which grants you a powerful immortal leader.
Some people like Stellaris for the civilization-building aspect, preferring to slowly develop their society without worrying about outside threats.
The Jovian League origin gives you a prolonged period of peace and development in isolation by starting out in a solar system disconnected from the hyperlane network except for an unstable wormhole.
This system is full of smaller habitable moons and planets for your people to conquer as they develop the technology needed to join the galactic playing field, including FTL travel and wormhole stabilization.
You’ll also find alternate versions of the Jovian League origin incorporating aspects from the Machinist, Necrophage, and Syncretic Evolution origins for extra customization.
In the realm of sci-fi, many societies and civilizations have turned technology – often granted by mysterious forefathers – into a deity rather than a tool.
One of the most famous (and badass) examples would be the Adeptus Mechanicus in the Warhammer 40K universe.
This mod features a Machine Cult origin based on the Adeptus Mechanicus. It’s perfect for playing a Spiritualist empire without renouncing science and technological supremacy.
It allows you to benefit from Spiritualist civics like Death Cult, Reanimated Armies, and Exalted Priesthood from an entirely new perspective.
Raising the dead as mechanized servitors is just too cool not to try out, and the new Tech Priest job will give your empire a decisive advantage for research, amenities, and pop assembly.
Despite how redundant “Original Origins” may sound, there’s nothing superfluous about this mod’s additions to your Stellaris game.
Along with 10 civics and 10 species traits, this add-on introduces two exciting origins: Absolute Zero, and Ancient Seekers.
As the name might imply, Ancient Seekers starts right after your society finds proof of a long-lost civilization on their planet, and tasks you with finding three pieces of the precursor puzzle to unlock your full potential.
On the other hand, Absolute Zero drops you into a Null star system with a 25% boost to all research and -30% food upkeep – but enormous challenges lie in wait.
Not every civilization needs a super-creative, never-before-seen origin story.
If you’re comfortable with overused sci-fi tropes, Basic Ordinary Origins is for you.
This mod features 20 fantastic origins that ring familiar to anyone who’s read a couple sci-fi novels, or picked up a world history book at least once in their lives.
For example, you can choose Chosen Revolutionary to build an independent society united under a revolutionary leader.
Or choose One With Nature to lead a self-sufficient eco-friendly agrarian society.
Other interesting starts include Subterranean Societies, Steampunk, and Post-Post-Apocalyptic.
Fans of the Star Wars or Warhammer 40K franchise might feel frustrated that they always have to build a society from the ground up, rather than assume control of an already established hegemony like the Imperium of Man or the Galactic Empire.
Galactic Imperium origins offers just that.
The mod drops you into the mid-game heading the Galactic Imperium, with many systems already under your control and an alliance of subject nations ready to fight alongside their leader.
It features some alternate origins related to this mechanic, such as an Imperium-backed mega-corp or a clone army species rewarded with a planet for their service.
One of the most in-depth expansions of the origin system comes from Wiirlak’s Additional Civics & Origins.
This add-on features a staggering 45 new civics designed to work in tandem with 21 custom origins, creating an all-new experience for those who take their time planning their empire.
For example, a species with the new Genetic Engineering civic is ideal for the Genetic Selection origin. Combined, they yield +3 modification points and long-lived, powerful leaders.
Other exciting origins include Overlord, Nanite Foundries, and Zro Manufacturers – all pretty self-explanatory.
The Zenith of Fallen Empires is a massive expansion to Stellaris gameplay and lore, all revolving around Fallen Empires.
The Origins module introduces two unique Fallen Empire starts, one for players who like to relax and enjoy the ride and another for the hardcore strategist who likes overcoming impossible odds.
First is the Ringworld Empire origin, which spawns you in one of eight custom Ringworld systems with powerful starting bonuses that should catapult you ahead of the competition.
Alternatively, you can start as the Original People, a species returning to the galactic stage 10,000 years after the Great Crusade destroyed you. Other Fallen Empires will try to oppose your return, so you better move fast to regain your past glory.
What makes the starts featured in the Even More Origins mod is how much they can impact your game.
It’s not just a couple of buffs or some unique features on your planet but flavorful challenges (and opportunities) you’ll have to grapple with to succeed.
Some examples are Out of Sight, Out of Mind, which spawns a subterranean civilization under your surface-dwelling society, and Eldest Sibling, which adds one or two primitives to your home system.
The most exciting start is Walking on Eggshells, which spawns your civilization on a giant Voidspawn egg, guaranteeing your starting world will be destroyed after some years.
I play Stellaris for the story, and for the opportunity to forge a truly unique society that can stand the test of time.
Origins Extended introduces 22 unique starts that’ll help you set yourself apart from your galactic neighbors.
For example, you could start the game as a Starless species who evolved in a Tomb World drowned in infinite darkness, or choose Xeno Livestock Farming, which uses the “Delicious” trait.
What makes this mod special is the thought and care put into building storylines extending far beyond your home planet.
Many dig sites, research projects, and special events are waiting to be discovered!
I’m the kind of guy who prefers to eat a bite of everything at a buffet rather than committing to a single dish.
In other words, variety is my top priority.
Origins Expanded will add incredible variety to your first few years of existence in Stellaris, with 31 custom starts ranging from the idyllic to post-apocalyptic.
It’s not all about numbers, though.
These origins give you the building blocks for epic stories of massive success or catastrophic failure.
Just as you can start on a Resort World or a Massive Homeworld that make your capital a paradise, an Overcrowded one can cause societal collapse if you don’t act quickly – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.
