How to Set Up an Enshrouded Dedicated Server

Enshrouded's survival-RPG world is built for co-op, and a dedicated server keeps it persistent for up to 16 players. Here's how to run one on Linux.

Sizing your server

Enshrouded is fairly demanding thanks to its voxel building and shroud simulation:

• 2–4 players: 6 GB RAM.
• 8–16 players: 12–16 GB RAM.
• Fast cores and NVMe help with the large world streaming.

Step 1: Install SteamCMD

sudo add-apt-repository multiverse -y
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install steamcmd screen -y

Step 2: Download the server

sudo adduser --disabled-password enshrouded
sudo su - enshrouded
steamcmd +force_install_dir ./enshrouded +login anonymous +app_update 2278520 validate +quit

App ID 2278520 is the Enshrouded dedicated server. It's a Windows binary that runs on Linux through a Proton/Wine layer, which one-click hosts handle for you.

Step 3: First launch to generate the config

cd enshrouded
screen -S enshrouded
./enshrouded_server.exe

This creates enshrouded_server.json. Stop the server to edit it.

Step 4: Edit enshrouded_server.json

Set the key fields:

• name — the server name in the browser.
• password — required to join.
• saveDirectory and logDirectory — usually leave default.
• gameSettingsPreset — Default, Relaxed, Hard, or Custom.
• slotCount — up to 16.

Save the file and restart the server. Keep a backup copy of a working config, since a malformed JSON file will stop the server from starting cleanly.

Step 5: Open the ports

Enshrouded uses UDP ports 15636 and 15637:

sudo ufw allow 15636:15637/udp

Step 6: Connect

In game, choose Play → Join and enter your-ip:15637 (the query port) with your password. If one port doesn't work in your build, try the other — Enshrouded has shifted its default query port across updates.

Backups

Your world saves live in the savegame folder inside the server directory. Back it up before each restart — Enshrouded builds represent serious time investment:

cp -r enshrouded/savegame ~/backups/enshrouded-$(date +%F)

Keeping up with updates

Enshrouded is still evolving with frequent content patches. After a game update, re-run the SteamCMD app_update command before players reconnect, since server and client versions must match.

Tuning difficulty with game settings

If you set gameSettingsPreset to Custom in the JSON, a large block of individual settings unlocks. You can adjust combat difficulty, mining and resource yields, stamina and hunger rates, day length, and how punishing the shroud is. This is how you shape the server for your group — a relaxed building server dials up resources and softens survival pressure, while a hardcore run does the opposite. Change these before players invest heavily, as some settings are most meaningful on a fresh world.

Running it as a service

Because Enshrouded runs through a Proton layer, wrap the launch command in a systemd service so it restarts cleanly after a crash or reboot. Combined with a nightly restart, this keeps the server fresh and self-healing without you babysitting it.

Common issues

• Can't connect: Enshrouded has shifted its default query port between updates — try both 15636 and 15637, and make sure both UDP ports are open.
• Config changes ignored: edit enshrouded_server.json in the server root, not a copy, and restart fully.
• Version mismatch: re-run the SteamCMD update after each patch.

The practical route

Between voxel terrain editing, the shroud simulation and up to 16 players streaming a large world, Enshrouded rewards generous RAM and NVMe storage. Nxeon's VPS provides both plus full root to manage the Proton layer, edit the JSON config and script backups. A one-click Enshrouded deploy runs SteamCMD and sets up the config so your group can get exploring the Embervale sooner.