How to Install Mods on a Core Keeper Server

Install Core Keeper server mods by downloading each archive, placing it in the dedicated server’s CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/ folder, and keeping the server and players on the same mod files and versions. Dedicated servers do not subscribe to mod.io, so subscribing on an account will not install a server mod. Each mod needs its own folder with ModManifest.json at the top level, and Linux servers also require Linux asset bundles for mods that add bundled game content.

What is the correct Core Keeper server Mods folder?

The load location for dedicated-server mod files is:

<server-install-folder>/CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/

A new server installation may not contain the final Mods directory. Create it exactly under CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/. Do not confuse this install-directory location with the save-data mods directory. The latter stores mod settings and is not where the server discovers mod files.

Purpose	Path	What belongs there
Dedicated-server mod files	CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/	Extracted mod folders and their manifests
Windows client manual mods	CoreKeeper_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/	The same manually distributed mod folders used by players
Dedicated-server settings	/Save/mods or the host’s save-data mods directory	Configuration created or changed by mods, not the mod binaries
Dedicated-server logs	Server root; hosting guides identify CoreKeeperServerLog.txt	Discovery, load, dependency, and asset errors

What should I do before changing server mods?

Stop the server and back up the world before adding, replacing, or removing a mod. A mod can change a world permanently, so a current backup is the practical recovery point if a new version behaves badly.

• Record the current mod list and versions, if you already have a modded world.
• Stop the dedicated-server process before copying over or deleting files.
• Keep the backup outside the live save directory so a cleanup operation cannot remove both copies.
• Confirm that you can access the server’s installation directory, not only its save-data directory.

For a new installation, the backup is still worth making as soon as the world exists. Mod installation is a file-management operation; the game cannot protect a world from every incompatibility introduced by a mod.

How do I install mods on a Core Keeper dedicated server?

Use the mod author’s downloadable archive, create the server’s manual-mod directory, extract one mod per folder, install dependencies, and then verify the server log. The server does not use an account subscription to fetch files.

1. Download the archive. Open the mod’s mod.io page and use its Download File control, or use another download supplied by the author. Download every dependency listed on the mod page as well.
2. Open the server installation folder. Locate the directory containing the dedicated-server executable and the CoreKeeperServer_Data directory.
3. Create the load directory. Inside CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/, create a folder named Mods if it is missing. The resulting path must be CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/.
4. Extract each archive separately. Place every mod in its own uniquely named subfolder inside Mods. Folder names are administrative labels, so they can be chosen for clarity; uniqueness is what matters.
5. Check the manifest level. Open each extracted folder and make sure ModManifest.json is directly inside that folder. If the archive created an extra wrapper directory, move the contents up one level or extract again so the manifest is not hidden deeper.
6. Add dependencies as separate folders. A client integration may download a dependency automatically, but a dedicated server only sees files you manually upload. Give every dependency its own folder and verify its own manifest.
7. Check the server platform. On Linux, inspect content-bearing mods for a Linux asset bundle. Items, enemies, tiles, scenes, and similar bundled content require an asset bundle the Linux server can load.
8. Start the server. Launch it only after the folder layout is complete. Starting and stopping between individual file copies makes it harder to tell which change caused a problem.
9. Read the log. Inspect CoreKeeperServerLog.txt in the server root when available. A loaded-mod entry confirms discovery; failed-load or asset-bundle errors identify a later stage of the process.

What should the finished folder look like?

A simple installation has one directory per mod, with the manifest at each directory’s top level:

CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/
├── ExampleMod/
│   ├── ModManifest.json
│   └── ...
└── ExampleLibrary/
    └── ModManifest.json

Do not put all files from several archives directly into one shared folder. That makes manifests, updates, and troubleshooting ambiguous and can cause files from one mod to overwrite another.

How do dependencies work on a dedicated server?

Install every dependency named by the mod author, even if players normally receive it automatically through a client integration. The dedicated server has no subscription process that can silently retrieve a missing library.

Read the dependency list on each mod’s page before starting the server. Treat a dependency as a separate installation: download its archive, create a uniquely named directory for it, extract the archive, and confirm that its ModManifest.json is at the top level. If a mod page lists a particular release or version relationship, preserve that relationship on the server and on every client.

When a dependency is missing, a primary mod may appear in the directory yet fail during loading. The server log is more useful than the file browser in that case because it can distinguish discovery from successful initialization.

What is different about installing mods on a Linux server?

Linux dedicated servers need Linux-compatible asset bundles for mods that add bundled content. A Windows-only bundle can be skipped while the mod’s scripts continue to load, producing a deceptively partial installation: code runs, but new items, enemies, tiles, scenes, or other bundled content is absent.

How to check an archive

1. Open the mod archive before uploading it.
2. Look for an asset-bundle file or folder identified by the author as the Linux build.
3. Compare the archive’s platform notes with the server’s operating system and the mod’s release notes.
4. If only a Windows bundle is supplied, do not assume that a Linux server can substitute it. Request a Linux build from the author or select a release that includes one.

A script-only mod may not need a platform-specific bundle, but the absence of a Linux bundle matters for any mod whose features are packaged as game assets. If the log shows the mod being discovered while its content is missing, platform assets are one of the first things to check.

How do I make every player use the same mods?

The most predictable multiplayer setup is a shared manual copy. Finish and validate the server’s Mods directory, compress that directory into a ZIP, and distribute the same ZIP to every player.

1. Stop making changes to the server’s mod folder while preparing the package.
2. ZIP the validated CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/ contents while preserving each mod’s subfolder and manifest placement.
3. Have players unsubscribe from their mod.io subscriptions for this group. An automatic copy can update independently and create a second version of a file you intended to control manually.
4. Have each player extract the ZIP into the client’s manual-mod directory: CoreKeeper_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/.
5. Ask everyone to use that package rather than combining it with an older personal collection.

In general, the server and all players should have the same mods and versions. If a mod’s application-type metadata explicitly marks it client-only or server-only, follow that metadata. When the scope is unclear, consult the author and assume all sides need the mod until its role is confirmed.

Why a shared ZIP is preferable for a reproducible group

Workshop and mod.io subscriptions are convenient, but they can update while the server remains on an older file. A manually distributed ZIP gives the host one auditable set of folders, manifests, and versions. An optional USB flash drive can carry the ZIP when players need to transfer it offline; no physical device is required if the archive can be sent securely.

Which client installation method should players use?

Players can use Steam Workshop, mod.io, or a manual copy. Choose based on whether convenience or exact file control matters more for the server group.

Method	How it works	Updates	Best fit
Steam Workshop	Subscribe to the mod and restart the game.	Workshop updates while the game is closed.	Players who want automatic distribution and are willing to monitor version changes.
mod.io	Subscribe on the website or in the game’s Mods screen, then review the mod page for dependencies.	Automatic through the integration.	Convenient client-side setup when the server can tolerate independently changing files.
Manual	Extract the archive into CoreKeeper_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/.	No automatic updates.	Groups that need a reproducible server-and-client package.

For a server that must remain reproducible, use the manual ZIP for everyone, even if an individual player normally prefers Workshop or mod.io. Mixing methods is the easiest way for one player to receive an update that the server does not have.

How can I verify that the server actually loaded a mod?

Start the server after the files are in place and inspect CoreKeeperServerLog.txt in the server root when the file is available. Verification has two stages:

• Discovery: a loaded-mod line shows that the server found the folder and manifest.
• Initialization: failed-load, dependency, version, or asset-bundle errors show that discovery did not lead to a usable mod.

If there are no loaded-mod lines at all, check the path first. The usual causes are a missing Mods directory under CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/ or a manifest nested one directory too deep. If the log names a mod but reports an error afterward, inspect dependencies, game-version support, and platform assets instead of moving the folder again.

Run this check before inviting players. It separates a server-side installation problem from a client synchronization problem and gives you a known-good package to distribute.

Why does the server say “Game version mismatch”?

The message usually means that the server and at least one client do not have the same effective mod set or versions. Compare the actual files on the server and every client, not just the names shown in a launcher or subscription list.

Fix the mismatch systematically

1. Ask every player to stop the game so automatic integrations cannot update files during the comparison.
2. Compare the server’s validated ZIP with each player’s manual CoreKeeper_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/ directory.
3. Remove old or duplicate copies and extract the shared ZIP again.
4. Check the server and client logs for a mod that failed to load on only one side.
5. Keep the group on the same release until the session is stable.

Automatic mod.io updates are a common source of drift. Having the group unsubscribe and use one manually distributed archive removes that variable. A mod marked client-only or server-only is an exception, but ambiguous metadata should be resolved with the author rather than guessed.

Why do mods appear installed but do nothing?

First check that the game was not launched in “No Mods” mode. Then confirm that the mod supports the current Core Keeper version, that its manifest is directly inside its folder, and that the relevant log contains no load error.

Also check whether the feature you expect is bundled content. On Linux, scripts can load even when a Windows-only asset bundle is ignored, so the mod may be present without its items, enemies, tiles, or scenes. A missing dependency can produce a similar symptom, especially when the main mod’s folder is present but its required library is not.

What should I do if the server crashes after adding a mod?

Broken or outdated mods are a common cause of crashes after a change. Stop the server, preserve the backup, and remove or disable additions in a controlled sequence rather than deleting the entire installation at once.

1. Return to the last known-good backup if the world will not start safely.
2. Review the server log for the last mod or dependency mentioned before the crash.
3. Temporarily remove the most recently added or updated mod, keeping its folder outside the live Mods directory.
4. Restart and observe whether the failure disappears.
5. Repeat one change at a time, then consult the mod author’s documentation for known issues and supported game versions.

Do not overwrite a working package while diagnosing the problem. Keep the removed archive and its version information so you can restore the exact prior state or report a reproducible failure.

How do I fix missing content on a Linux server?

Inspect the mod archive for a Linux asset bundle and compare it with the author’s platform notes. If only a Windows bundle exists, scripts may continue to run while bundled content does not appear.

• Confirm that the server itself is Linux, rather than assuming the client’s operating system determines the required bundle.
• Check the log for asset-bundle load or platform errors.
• Replace the archive with a release that includes Linux assets, if one exists.
• Ask the author for a Linux build when no compatible release is available.

Do not copy a Windows bundle into a Linux installation and expect it to become compatible. The platform-specific build is part of the mod release, not a setting in the server’s folder.

How do I avoid putting files in the wrong “mods” folder?

Use the directory name and its parent folders as a quick check. Mod files belong under the install directory’s CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/; settings belong in the save-data mods directory.

If a host exposes several folders named mods, open the one whose full path contains CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/. The save-data directory can contain configuration after a mod has run, but placing an archive there will not make the server discover it. Conversely, deleting settings while trying to remove a mod can change configuration without removing the actual mod files.

How should I update or remove a server mod?

Treat an update as a controlled replacement, not as an in-place download while the server is running. Stop the server, back up the world, preserve the old archive, and replace the mod folder with the new release while maintaining the same one-folder-per-mod layout.

1. Announce a maintenance window so players do not join with the old package.
2. Stop the server and back up the world.
3. Save the current mod ZIP and note the version being replaced.
4. Remove or move the old mod folder from the live Mods directory.
5. Extract the new archive into its own folder and verify ModManifest.json placement and dependencies.
6. For a removal, leave the mod folder out of the live directory rather than deleting the backup copy.
7. Start the server, inspect the log, and create a new shared ZIP for players.

If a mod has already changed the world, removing its files may not undo those changes. That is why the pre-change world backup matters even when the replacement itself appears uneventful.

Does the Core Keeper version matter when installing mods?

Yes. A mod can be correctly placed and still fail if it does not support the game build running on the server and clients. Check the mod page and its documentation for supported versions before packaging it.

One hosting guide records Core Keeper 1.3.0.2 in a 2026 version check; that is a version context, not a guarantee that every mod supports that build. Keep the server executable, client game, and mod releases aligned rather than treating the folder structure as proof of compatibility.

What is the shortest reliable operating checklist?

• Back up the world and stop the server.
• Download the mod and every listed dependency from the author’s distribution.
• Create CoreKeeperServer_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/ if needed.
• Extract one mod per uniquely named folder.
• Verify ModManifest.json is directly inside every folder.
• Confirm Linux asset bundles for content-bearing mods on Linux servers.
• Start the server and inspect CoreKeeperServerLog.txt.
• ZIP the validated folder and distribute it to players.
• Have players use CoreKeeper_Data/StreamingAssets/Mods/ and avoid automatic subscriptions for the shared group.
• Compare files whenever “Game version mismatch” appears.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I let players keep their normal Workshop subscriptions while joining the server?

They can, but it makes the files harder to audit because Workshop may update a mod while the server stays on an older release. For a controlled group, have players use the host’s manual package instead and reserve subscriptions for unrelated single-player profiles.

Do I need to upload a mod’s settings to the server with its files?

No. The executable mod files are discovered under the install-directory StreamingAssets/Mods path, while settings are stored in the save-data mods location. Copying a settings directory does not substitute for installing the mod folder and manifest.

What if a mod page does not clearly say whether it is client-only or server-only?

Ask the author before finalizing the multiplayer package. Until the scope is confirmed, plan for the mod to be present on the server and every client so an omitted side does not create a mismatch.

Can a dedicated server download dependencies automatically after it starts?

No. A dedicated server only loads the files available in its installation directory. Download and upload each dependency as its own mod folder before launching the server.