Enshrouded Dedicated Server Setup Guide 1.0: Complete Windows & Linux Tutorial

Enshrouded has always been the kind of survival game that gets better when you have a regular group of friends around. There is something satisfying about slowly turning a dangerous corner of Embervale into a proper home, then logging back in later to find that somebody has expanded the workshop, gathered materials, or started another questionable building project. That experience becomes much smoother with a dedicated server because the world no longer depends on one person’s game session being active.

With Enshrouded 1.0, setting up a persistent server is a particularly useful option for groups that want to play on their own schedule. A dedicated server can stay online while everyone is at work or asleep, allowing other players to enter, collect resources, work on construction, and continue exploring without waiting for the original host. I have played enough survival games to know that this small difference can completely change how a long-term multiplayer world feels.

The good news is that you do not need to be a server administrator to get started. Windows users have a relatively straightforward Steam-based method, while players running a VPS or dedicated Linux machine can use SteamCMD for a lightweight headless installation. This guide walks through the important hardware considerations, installation process, networking, configuration, server launching, and a few practical maintenance tips.

Enshrouded 1.0 Crossplay PC to PS5: Release Date, Multi-Platform Details, and Co-op Connectivity Guide

What Hardware Does an Enshrouded 1.0 Dedicated Server Need?

Before installing anything, it is worth looking at the machine that will actually host the world. Enshrouded is not a tiny survival game where an ancient office PC can effortlessly keep everything running. Its voxel world records player construction and terrain changes, while AI, physics, exploration, and multiplayer activity all create additional work for the server.

The exact experience will depend heavily on the number of players and how aggressively they modify the world. A server with two or three friends casually building a base is a very different workload from a busy world with many players, extensive terraforming, and large combat encounters. Personally, I would rather leave some hardware headroom than build a server that technically meets the minimum and then starts struggling whenever everyone is online.

Basic Hardware Target

A dedicated graphics card is generally not the concern for a headless server. CPU performance, available memory, storage speed, and network quality matter much more. An SSD is also strongly preferable to an old mechanical hard drive because the server constantly needs to handle world and save data.

Method 1: Installing the Dedicated Server Through Steam on Windows

If you are hosting from your own Windows PC or a Windows Server machine, the Steam method is probably the least intimidating route. You do not need to mess around with a complicated command-line environment just to get the server files installed. It is also convenient if Steam is already part of your normal gaming setup.

Start by opening Steam and signing into the account you normally use. Go to your Library and make sure Tools are visible in the library filter. Search for Enshrouded Dedicated Server, select the tool, and install it to an SSD with enough free space.

Once Steam finishes downloading the files, resist the temptation to immediately start changing random settings. Right-click the dedicated server entry, select Manage, then choose Browse local files. This gives you direct access to the server directory where the executable and configuration files are stored.

You should eventually find a file called enshrouded_server.json. If it has not been generated yet, start enshrouded_server.exe once and allow the initial setup process to finish. After the required files appear, shut the server down before editing the configuration.

Method 2: SteamCMD for Windows and Linux

If your server is running on a remote VPS or dedicated machine, I prefer the SteamCMD approach. It avoids installing the complete Steam graphical client and is much better suited to a machine that you access remotely. It is also the approach that makes the most sense when your server is intended to run continuously without anyone sitting at the machine.

Windows SteamCMD Installation

Download SteamCMD from Valve’s official distribution, extract it somewhere convenient such as C:\SteamCMD, and open Command Prompt. Navigate to that folder and launch SteamCMD.

cd C:\SteamCMD
steamcmd.exe

Once SteamCMD is running, use an anonymous login rather than putting your personal Steam credentials into a server installation. Then select a destination directory and download the Enshrouded server application.

login anonymous
force_install_dir C:\EnshroudedServer
app_update 2278520 validate
quit

The 2278520 AppID identifies the Enshrouded dedicated server application used by the installation process. The validate option is useful when you want SteamCMD to verify the downloaded files instead of simply assuming everything arrived correctly.

Linux Server Installation

Linux is an excellent choice if you are renting a VPS or using a spare machine exclusively for hosting. Ubuntu and Debian-based distributions are common choices, and the command-line setup is not as scary as it initially looks. The important thing is to keep the server separated from the root account and give it only the permissions it actually needs.

On a compatible Ubuntu or Debian installation, update the repositories first and install the packages required by SteamCMD and its dependencies. Depending on your exact distribution release, package names can differ, so check the package availability if one of the commands does not match your system.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install software-properties-common i386-libs lib32gcc-s1-amd64-cross -y
sudo add-apt-repository multiverse
sudo apt update
sudo apt install steamcmd -y

After SteamCMD is installed, create a dedicated account for the server rather than running the game process as root. That is one of those boring server-management habits that becomes very valuable later.

sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash enshrouded
su - enshrouded

You can then download the server files directly into the new user’s directory:

steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir ./server +app_update 2278520 validate +quit

If your distribution uses different SteamCMD dependency packages, do not blindly force the commands above. Linux server environments vary considerably, and fixing a package mismatch is much easier than trying to troubleshoot a server that was installed with an incompatible dependency setup.

Port Forwarding: The Part That Makes or Breaks Multiplayer Access

Getting the server files installed is only half the job. If your friends are connecting from outside your home network, your router and firewall need to allow the appropriate traffic through. This is probably the most common point where a perfectly installed dedicated server suddenly appears to be broken.

For the configuration described here, the relevant Enshrouded server ports are:

• 15636 UDP — Game Port
• 15637 UDP — Query Port

Your router needs to forward these UDP ports to the local IP address of the computer running the server. Ideally, give the hosting machine a reserved local IP address through your router so that the forwarding rule does not suddenly point at the wrong device after a DHCP lease changes.

Windows Firewall

Windows Defender Firewall can also block incoming traffic even when the router is configured correctly. Open PowerShell as Administrator and create an inbound rule for the required UDP range:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName 'Enshrouded Server UDP' -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 15636-15637 -Protocol UDP -Action Allow

If you are troubleshooting connectivity, check both sides of the connection rather than assuming the router is the culprit. A forwarded port, an incorrect local IP, Windows Firewall, carrier-grade NAT, or a VPS provider’s own firewall can all create similar symptoms.

Linux UFW

For a Linux machine protected by UFW, the equivalent rule is simple:

sudo ufw allow 15636:15637/udp
sudo ufw reload

If you are using a cloud VPS, remember that UFW may not be the only firewall involved. Many hosting providers have a separate network-level firewall or security-group system that must also permit the same traffic.

Editing enshrouded_server.json

The enshrouded_server.json file is where your server starts becoming your own rather than just a default installation. This is where you can define the server name, password, save location, ports, player capacity, and administrative access. Always stop the server before making configuration changes, because editing a live configuration can lead to confusion about which settings were actually loaded.

A configuration can look similar to this:

{
  'name': 'Your Custom Server Name',
  'password': 'YourSecurePassword Here',
  'saveDirectory': './savegame',
  'logDirectory': './logs',
  'ip': '0.0.0.0',
  'gamePort': 15636,
  'queryPort': 15637,
  'slotCount': 16,
  'managerPassword': 'AdminControlPassword',
  'roleConfig': './roles.json'
}

The name is the server’s visible name, while password lets you keep the world private. Setting the IP to 0.0.0.0 allows the server to listen across the available network interfaces, and slotCount controls the number of concurrent players for the configuration described above.

The managerPassword deserves extra attention because it provides administrative access. Do not reuse a password from your email, Steam account, or another important service. A dedicated server password should be unique, especially if you intend to make the world accessible beyond a small group of trusted friends.

Starting the Enshrouded Dedicated Server

On Windows, the simplest option is to launch enshrouded_server.exe directly. If you want something easier to restart, create a small batch file in the server directory.

@echo off
enshrouded_server.exe
pause

That is enough for a basic setup. For a more serious always-online server, though, you will probably want automatic startup and recovery rather than depending on someone remembering to launch the executable manually after every reboot.

Linux users can keep the process alive with tools such as systemd or a terminal multiplexer. A quick screen-based approach looks like this:

screen -S enshroudedServer ./enshrouded_server.exe

For a long-running production-style server, I would eventually move to systemd. It can start the server automatically when the machine boots and restart the process if something goes wrong. That is much more convenient than reconnecting through SSH every time the VPS restarts.

Common Enshrouded Dedicated Server Problems

One of the first things you may notice after starting the server is that it does not instantly appear in the community server browser. That does not necessarily mean the installation failed. Server listings can take some time to populate, so give the browser a little while before tearing the whole setup apart.

If the server remains invisible, work through the basics methodically. Check the server console for errors, verify that the configuration contains the intended ports, confirm that your router forwards traffic to the correct local machine, and make sure the operating-system firewall allows UDP traffic. If you are hosting from a VPS, check the provider’s external firewall as well.

It is also worth remembering that network latency and server performance are different problems. A powerful machine cannot compensate for a poor connection, while a fantastic internet connection will not magically fix a server that is running out of RAM or struggling with storage operations. Looking at CPU, memory, disk activity, and network behavior together is usually more productive than changing random settings.

Back Up Your Enshrouded Save Regularly

This is the part I would not skip. In a survival game, your save is not just a collection of numbers in a folder; it can represent dozens or hundreds of hours of building, exploration, resource gathering, and progression. Make regular copies of the savegame directory and keep at least one backup somewhere separate from the server itself.

A sensible routine is to make automated backups and retain several previous versions rather than overwriting a single backup forever. That gives you a recovery point if something becomes corrupted or a mistake is made during server maintenance. Before major updates, configuration changes, or migrations to another machine, making an additional manual backup is also a very cheap form of insurance.

My Take on Running an Enshrouded Dedicated Server

After playing a lot of survival and co-op games, I think dedicated servers are one of those features that seem optional until you actually have one. With a locally hosted world, the group tends to play whenever the host is available. With a persistent Enshrouded server, the world becomes something everyone can gradually contribute to throughout the week.

The Windows Steam installation is the easiest route for casual groups, while SteamCMD makes considerably more sense for a VPS or a machine that exists primarily to host the game. Linux takes a little more patience at the beginning, but once the server is configured and managed as a service, it can be remarkably hands-off.

The most important advice is not to rush the networking and configuration stages. Give the server a stable IP, open only the required ports, use strong passwords, keep the operating system maintained, and back up the world. Once those boring jobs are out of the way, you can get back to the fun part: building ridiculous bases in Embervale and wondering why your friends spent two hours collecting materials for something that looks like a shed.

Enshrouded 1.0 Dedicated Server Checklist

• Install the Enshrouded Dedicated Server through Steam or SteamCMD.
• Use an SSD, preferably an NVMe drive for larger groups.
• Give the server enough RAM for the expected player count.
• Configure UDP ports 15636 and 15637.
• Forward the ports to the correct local server IP.
• Allow the ports through the operating-system firewall.
• Set a unique server password and administrative password.
• Start the server and confirm that the configuration loads correctly.
• Back up the savegame directory regularly.

Once all of those boxes are checked, your Enshrouded 1.0 world should be ready for a proper long-term multiplayer campaign. The setup may look technical at first, but most of the work is a one-time investment. After that, a dedicated server gives a co-op group the freedom to treat Embervale as a persistent shared world instead of a place that only exists while one particular player is online.