Getting Started
New to running a server? Start here to connect for the first time, find your way around the panel and get your friends playing.
7 Days to Die
All 7 Days to Die guidesARK: Survival Ascended
All ARK: Survival Ascended guidesARK: Survival Evolved
All ARK: Survival Evolved guidesEnshrouded
All Enshrouded guidesEnshrouded 1.0 server: update, saves and world settings
Enshrouded 1.0 is out. Update your server with one restart, keep your Early Access world, see how 1.0 saves, and find its new settings in Server Settings.
How to make an Enshrouded server
Start your Enshrouded server, share the right password for each role, find it in the server list, and keep your world saved and backed up.
Enshrouded (PS5)
All Enshrouded (PS5) guidesEnshrouded PS5 dedicated server: how to set one up
Set up an Enshrouded dedicated server for PS5, let friends join from the server list or by address, and see what PlayStation Plus and no crossplay mean.
Enshrouded PS5 server hosting in North America
Yes, PS5 players can join an Enshrouded dedicated server. Ours run in Dallas for North America: PS Plus, no crossplay, how to join and what plans cost.
Garry's Mod
All Garry's Mod guidesGenerate a GSLT for Your GMod Server
Make a Steam login token for App ID 4000, save it in the Startup tab's Steam token card, restart, and fix the usual token problems.
How to make a Garry's Mod (GMod) server
Host a Garry's Mod server for your friends: join by address, set the name and password in server.cfg, mount a Workshop collection and switch gamemodes.
Open the In-Game Console in Garry's Mod
Open Garry's Mod's developer console on your own computer, join your server with connect, and read the errors when a join fails.
Minecraft
All Minecraft guidesAternos alternative: a 24/7 Minecraft server
Why an Aternos server stops when it's empty, what Aternos gives you for free, and when a paid Minecraft server that stays online makes sense.
How to set up a Minecraft server, step by step
Pick the server software and a plan, start the server, invite your players and add plugins, mods or a modpack: every step of a new Minecraft server.
Join a modded Minecraft server from your launcher
Match the server's Minecraft version, loader and mods in the CurseForge app, Modrinth App or Prism Launcher, then connect and fix a failed join.
Join Minecraft from Xbox, PlayStation or Switch
Consoles cannot type a server address. Show your Minecraft server in the Friends list with MCXboxBroadcast, or reach it through BedrockConnect's server list.
Join your Minecraft server (and fix errors)
Copy your Minecraft server address, join from Multiplayer, and fix Connection refused, Connection timed out and Incompatible client errors.
Minecraft multiplayer safety for parents
How to keep a private Minecraft server safe for children: Mojang's account controls, the whitelist, who gets console access, rules and reporting.
Palworld
All Palworld guidesProject Zomboid
All Project Zomboid guidesRuneScape: Dragonwilds
All RuneScape: Dragonwilds guidesRust
All Rust guidesAdd a Custom Map to Your Rust Server
Host a Rust .map file at a direct link, paste it into Custom Map URL on the Startup tab, restart and wipe, or go back to procedural.
How to make a Rust server: admin and wipes
Join your Rust server, make yourself admin with ownerid, edit server.cfg, run your first wipe and load Oxide or Carbon, all from the panel.
Satisfactory
All Satisfactory guidesTerraria
All Terraria guidesCreate a Skyblock Terraria Server
Make a Skyblock world on your Terraria server from the Worlds tab, combine it with other seeds on your PC, and see why it needs TShock.
How to join your Terraria server
Join your Terraria server by IP and port from Terraria or tModLoader, see which versions can play together, and fix a friend who can't connect.
Terraria server: tModLoader, tShock and joining by IP
Join your new server, upload your own world, claim tShock admin and switch to tModLoader - all from the panel.
Use Special Seeds on Your Terraria Server
Make a Terraria world from a special seed in your server's Worlds tab, or upload one with a secret or combined seed made on your PC.
Valheim
All Valheim guidesHow to make a Valheim dedicated server
Set up your Valheim 1.0 server: share the join code so friends on Steam, Xbox, PS5 and Switch 2 can crossplay, bring your world across and add mods.
Play Valheim Ashlands on your server
Restart to pull the latest Valheim build, then decide whether your old world can host the Ashlands or needs a fresh start. Includes mod notes.
Valheim dedicated server for PS5 and Xbox
No PC needed: run a crossplay Valheim server for PS5 and Xbox players, share the join code, and learn the three jobs that still need a PC.
General guides
A tour of your server panel
Find your way around the server panel: what the left rail shows, what each tab does, and which tabs appear for your game.
Add your server to Steam favorites
Save your server in the Steam client's Favorites tab: which games it works for and which port to enter for each.
Home server vs rented game server
Hosting a game server for free on your own PC: what it costs in power, upload speed and uptime, why port forwarding fails behind CGNAT, and when to rent.
How to choose a game server host
Twelve things to check before you pay any game server host: location and ping, CPU speed, RAM headroom, backups, the panel, refunds and support.
Use your server console and send commands
Read your server's live log, send commands without joining the game, download the last hour of output and know which power button to press.