diff --git a/src/StardewModdingAPI/StardewModdingAPI.csproj b/src/StardewModdingAPI/StardewModdingAPI.csproj
index 70502361..487bd952 100644
--- a/src/StardewModdingAPI/StardewModdingAPI.csproj
+++ b/src/StardewModdingAPI/StardewModdingAPI.csproj
@@ -11,18 +11,8 @@
     <AssemblyName>StardewModdingAPI</AssemblyName>
     <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.5</TargetFrameworkVersion>
     <FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
-    <SccProjectName>
-    </SccProjectName>
-    <SccLocalPath>
-    </SccLocalPath>
-    <SccAuxPath>
-    </SccAuxPath>
-    <SccProvider>
-    </SccProvider>
     <IsWebBootstrapper>false</IsWebBootstrapper>
     <TargetFrameworkProfile />
-    <NuGetPackageImportStamp>
-    </NuGetPackageImportStamp>
     <PublishUrl>publish\</PublishUrl>
     <Install>true</Install>
     <InstallFrom>Disk</InstallFrom>
@@ -38,18 +28,6 @@
     <UseApplicationTrust>false</UseApplicationTrust>
     <BootstrapperEnabled>true</BootstrapperEnabled>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <Choose>
-    <When Condition="'$(SteamInstallPath)' != ''">
-      <PropertyGroup>
-        <SteamPath>$(SteamInstallPath)</SteamPath>
-      </PropertyGroup>
-    </When>
-    <Otherwise>
-      <PropertyGroup>
-        <SteamPath>..\</SteamPath>
-      </PropertyGroup>
-    </Otherwise>
-  </Choose>
   <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
     <PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
     <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
@@ -100,6 +78,18 @@
   <PropertyGroup>
     <StartupObject>StardewModdingAPI.Program</StartupObject>
   </PropertyGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <!-- Linux paths -->
+    <GamePath Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')">$(HOME)/GOG Games/Stardew Valley/game</GamePath>
+    <GamePath Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')">$(HOME)/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Stardew Valley</GamePath>
+
+    <!-- Mac paths -->
+    <GamePath Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')">$(HOME)/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Stardew Valley/Contents/MacOS</GamePath>
+
+    <!-- Windows paths -->
+    <GamePath Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')">C:\Program Files (x86)\GalaxyClient\Games\Stardew Valley</GamePath>
+    <GamePath Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')">C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley</GamePath>
+  </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Reference Include="Microsoft.Xna.Framework, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=842cf8be1de50553, processorArchitecture=x86">
       <Private>False</Private>
@@ -119,7 +109,7 @@
     </Reference>
     <Reference Include="Stardew Valley, Version=1.0.5905.5747, Culture=neutral, processorArchitecture=x86">
       <SpecificVersion>False</SpecificVersion>
-      <HintPath>$(SteamPath)\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley\Stardew Valley.exe</HintPath>
+      <HintPath>$(GamePath)\Stardew Valley.exe</HintPath>
       <Private>False</Private>
     </Reference>
     <Reference Include="System" />
@@ -133,7 +123,7 @@
     <Reference Include="System.Xml" />
     <Reference Include="xTile, Version=2.0.4.0, Culture=neutral, processorArchitecture=x86">
       <SpecificVersion>False</SpecificVersion>
-      <HintPath>$(SteamPath)\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley\xTile.dll</HintPath>
+      <HintPath>$(GamePath)\xTile.dll</HintPath>
       <Private>False</Private>
     </Reference>
   </ItemGroup>
@@ -210,11 +200,8 @@
     </PropertyGroup>
     <Error Condition="!Exists('..\packages\Fody.1.29.4\build\dotnet\Fody.targets')" Text="$([System.String]::Format('$(ErrorText)', '..\packages\Fody.1.29.4\build\dotnet\Fody.targets'))" />
   </Target>
-  <!-- To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it. 
-       Other similar extension points exist, see Microsoft.Common.targets.
-  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
-  </Target>
-  <Target Name="AfterBuild">
-  </Target>
-  -->
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
+    <!-- if game path is invalid, show one user-friendly error instead of a slew of reference errors -->
+    <Error Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')" Text="Failed to find the game install path automatically; edit the *.csproj file and manually add a &lt;GamePath&gt; setting with the full directory path containing the Stardew Valley executable." />
+  </Target>
+</Project>
diff --git a/src/TrainerMod/TrainerMod.csproj b/src/TrainerMod/TrainerMod.csproj
index cc195e2a..a6955c68 100644
--- a/src/TrainerMod/TrainerMod.csproj
+++ b/src/TrainerMod/TrainerMod.csproj
@@ -40,18 +40,18 @@
     <CheckForOverflowUnderflow>true</CheckForOverflowUnderflow>
     <PlatformTarget>x86</PlatformTarget>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <Choose>
-    <When Condition="'$(SteamInstallPath)' != ''">
-      <PropertyGroup>
-        <SteamPath>$(SteamInstallPath)</SteamPath>
-      </PropertyGroup>
-    </When>
-    <Otherwise>
-      <PropertyGroup>
-        <SteamPath>..\</SteamPath>
-      </PropertyGroup>
-    </Otherwise>
-  </Choose>
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <!-- Linux paths -->
+    <GamePath Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')">$(HOME)/GOG Games/Stardew Valley/game</GamePath>
+    <GamePath Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')">$(HOME)/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Stardew Valley</GamePath>
+
+    <!-- Mac paths -->
+    <GamePath Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')">$(HOME)/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Stardew Valley/Contents/MacOS</GamePath>
+
+    <!-- Windows paths -->
+    <GamePath Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')">C:\Program Files (x86)\GalaxyClient\Games\Stardew Valley</GamePath>
+    <GamePath Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')">C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley</GamePath>
+  </PropertyGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Reference Include="Microsoft.Xna.Framework, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=842cf8be1de50553, processorArchitecture=x86">
       <Private>False</Private>
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
       <Private>True</Private>
     </Reference>
     <Reference Include="Stardew Valley">
-      <HintPath>..\..\..\..\Games\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley\Stardew Valley.exe</HintPath>
+      <HintPath>$(GamePath)\Stardew Valley.exe</HintPath>
     </Reference>
     <Reference Include="System" />
     <Reference Include="System.Core" />
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
     <Reference Include="System.Data" />
     <Reference Include="System.Xml" />
     <Reference Include="xTile">
-      <HintPath>..\..\..\..\Games\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Stardew Valley\xTile.dll</HintPath>
+      <HintPath>$(GamePath)\xTile.dll</HintPath>
     </Reference>
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
@@ -103,11 +103,8 @@
     <PostBuildEvent>
     </PostBuildEvent>
   </PropertyGroup>
-  <!-- To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it. 
-       Other similar extension points exist, see Microsoft.Common.targets.
   <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
+    <!-- if game path is invalid, show one user-friendly error instead of a slew of reference errors -->
+    <Error Condition="!Exists('$(GamePath)')" Text="Failed to find the game install path automatically; edit the *.csproj file and manually add a &lt;GamePath&gt; setting with the full directory path containing the Stardew Valley executable." />
   </Target>
-  <Target Name="AfterBuild">
-  </Target>
-  -->
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file