return {
  -- Treesitter: syntax highlighting + code understanding
  {
    "nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter",
    opts = {
      ensure_installed = {
        "vim", "lua", "vimdoc",
        "go", "gomod", "gowork", "gosum",
        "c_sharp",
        "yaml",
        "bash",
        "json", "jsonc",
        "toml",
        "markdown", "markdown_inline",
      },
    },
  },

  -- LSP servers
  {
    "neovim/nvim-lspconfig",
    config = function()
      require "configs.lspconfig"
    end,
  },

  -- Formatting (with format-on-save)
  {
    "stevearc/conform.nvim",
    event = "BufWritePre",
    opts = require "configs.conform",
  },

  -- Mason: auto-install LSPs, formatters, and DAP adapters
  {
    "williamboman/mason.nvim",
    opts = {
      ensure_installed = {
        -- LSPs
        "gopls",
        "omnisharp",
        "yaml-language-server",
        "bash-language-server",
        -- Formatters / linters
        "goimports",
        "csharpier",
        "prettier",
        "shfmt",
        "stylua",
        -- DAP adapters
        "delve",       -- Go debugger
        "netcoredbg",  -- .NET debugger
      },
    },
  },

  -- Diagnostics panel
  {
    "folke/trouble.nvim",
    cmd = "Trouble",
    opts = { use_diagnostic_signs = true },
  },

  -- Floating terminal
  {
    "akinsho/toggleterm.nvim",
    version = "*",
    cmd = "ToggleTerm",
    keys = { [[<C-\>]] },
    opts = {
      open_mapping = [[<C-\>]],
      direction = "float",
      float_opts = { border = "curved" },
    },
  },

  -- Lazygit inside Neovim
  {
    "kdheepak/lazygit.nvim",
    cmd = "LazyGit",
    dependencies = { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" },
  },

  -- DAP core + UI
  {
    "mfussenegger/nvim-dap",
    dependencies = {
      "rcarriga/nvim-dap-ui",
      "nvim-neotest/nvim-nio",  -- required by dap-ui
      "leoluz/nvim-dap-go",
    },
    config = function()
      require "configs.dap"
    end,
  },

  -- Highlight TODO/FIXME/HACK/NOTE comments
  {
    "folke/todo-comments.nvim",
    dependencies = { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" },
    event = "BufReadPost",
    opts = {},
  },

  -- Harpoon2: quick-jump between pinned files per project
  {
    "ThePrimeagen/harpoon",
    branch = "harpoon2",
    dependencies = { "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim" },
    opts = {},
  },

  -- Oil: edit the filesystem like a buffer
  {
    "stevearc/oil.nvim",
    lazy = false,
    dependencies = { "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons" },
    opts = {
      -- Keep nvim-tree as the default explorer; oil opens on demand via `-`
      default_file_explorer = false,
      columns = { "icon", "permissions", "size", "mtime" },
      view_options = { show_hidden = true },
      -- Don't clobber window-navigation keys
      keymaps = {
        ["<C-h>"] = false,
        ["<C-l>"] = false,
      },
    },
  },
}