ENCReload is a comprehensive gameplay overhaul for Humankind that expands the game with hundreds of historical technologies, units, districts, and mechanics while preserving the feel of the original game.
Originally focused on naval warfare, ENCReload has grown into a complete historical expansion that extends every era — from the Ancient World to the near future — with new strategic choices, deeper military progression, and a more authentic technological timeline.
Unlike many overhaul mods, ENCReload emphasizes historical continuity rather than simply adding more content. Technologies unlock logical military and civilian developments, strategic resources remain relevant throughout the game, and new unit classes fill historical gaps instead of replacing existing ones.
ENCReload significantly expands the vanilla technology tree with dozens of additional technologies.
Examples include:
- Early Gunpowder Warfare
- Naval Expeditions
- Military Reforms
- Ballistics
- Cellular Networks
- Drone Technology
- Nanotechnology
The additional technologies create a smoother historical progression and allow important inventions to appear when they actually became influential.
ENCReload introduces an extensive roster of new units covering every era.
Examples include:
- Great Galley
- Fire Ship
- Bomb Ketch
- Steam Frigate
- Guided Missile Destroyer
- Stealth Missile Cruiser
- Recon Zeppelin
- Recon Helicopter
- Recon Drone
- Cruiser Submarine
- FPV Drone Team
- Expeditionary Infantry
- Augmented Infantry
Many new unit classes introduce entirely new tactical roles instead of simply increasing combat strength.
Naval gameplay has been redesigned from the ground up.
The mod adds entirely new ship classes, smoother upgrade paths, and more specialized fleets.
Examples include:
- Light coastal vessels
- Ocean-going escorts
- Capital ships
- Commerce raiders
- Cruiser submarines
- Missile warships
- Stealth vessels
Every era now offers meaningful naval choices.
Rather than compressing centuries of military development into a handful of technologies, ENCReload introduces intermediate technologies and units to better represent historical evolution.
Examples include:
- Gradual development of firearms
- Specialized artillery
- Naval logistics
- Industrialization
- Electronic warfare
- Drone warfare
Strategic resources are no longer simple build requirements.
Resources such as Iron, Coal, Oil, Uranium, and Horses become long-term strategic assets that influence military production and support throughout the game.
Managing your economy is just as important as winning battles.
ENCReload introduces numerous new mechanics, including:
- Enhanced naval combat
- Expanded reconnaissance
- Stealth detection
- Improved bombardment
- New unit abilities
- Additional strategic resources
- Redesigned military progression
Many existing mechanics have also been rebalanced to create more interesting strategic decisions.
ENCReload is the reference implementation of the Humankind Asset Framework (HAF).
HAF enables features that were previously impossible in Humankind modding, including:
- Custom 3D unit models
- Animated characters (state-driven idle / run / combat stance / attack fire)
- Custom districts
- Custom weapons and props (down to a rifle in a soldier's hands)
- Custom projectiles
- Runtime textures
- Custom sounds (engine, movement, creature voices: idle growl, attack roar, death rattle, battle war cry)
- Multi-mod asset packs
While ENCReload is fully playable on its own, it also serves as a showcase of what HAF makes possible for the Humankind modding community.
ENCReload follows several core principles:
- Expand rather than replace vanilla gameplay.
- Preserve historical authenticity where practical.
- Give every era meaningful military and technological choices.
- Reduce abrupt technological jumps.
- Encourage strategic planning over simple unit upgrades.
- Introduce new mechanics only when they add interesting gameplay.
ENCReload is under active development and continues to receive major updates.
Recent development includes:
- Humankind Asset Framework integration
- Custom animated units
- Custom district models
- Custom hand-held weapon props
- Projectile replacement system
- Expanded naval roster
- New technology branches
- Additional historical unit lines
- Humankind
- BepInEx
- Humankind Asset Framework (included)
This repo holds the Unity project that authors ENCReload's content: the game databases (tech tree, units, mechanics) and the HAF Authoring Tools — the editor windows (Model Factory, Animation Lab, District Factory, Prop Lab, Projectile Lab, Unit Retexture / Sound) that turn an ordinary 3D model into a working in-game asset with no per-model code. The runtime half lives in HumankindAssetFramework.
➡ Full technical documentation: AUTHORING.md — the bake pipeline, every authoring window, the registry contract, and the technology stack.
Created by FreeThinker (sswelm).
Special thanks to the Humankind modding community and the creators who have released 3D assets under open licenses.