You can host a Craftopia dedicated server on a Windows PC or Linux VPS by installing the SteamCMD server files (Steam app ID 1670340), generating and editing ServerSetting.ini, launching the server executable, and opening the configured network port. The default dedicated-server port is generally UDP 6587. Once the server is running, players connect in Multiplayer → Join via IP, adding :port if you changed the default. This guide covers installation, configuration, home-router and VPS networking, save migration, joining, troubleshooting, and the limitations to expect while Craftopia remains in development.
What do you need before creating a Craftopia server?
A dedicated server needs a computer or VPS that can remain online, the SteamCMD command-line installer, a stable network address, and enough storage for the game and growing world saves. The commonly quoted baseline is about 30 GB of disk space and 4 GB of RAM, but that figure comes from a 2021 community guide rather than a current official minimum. Treat it as a starting point and leave additional disk space for updates, logs, backups, and world growth.
| Requirement | Windows home server | Linux VPS |
|---|---|---|
| Installer | Valve SteamCMD | Valve SteamCMD plus the distribution’s 32-bit dependencies |
| Server files | Steam app 1670340 | Steam app 1670340, installed with the public branch command |
| Launch executable | Craftopia.exe |
Craftopia.x86_64 |
| Typical starting resources | About 30 GB storage and 4 GB RAM, based on a 2021 community estimate | About 30 GB storage and 4 GB RAM, based on a 2021 community estimate |
| Network work | Reserve a LAN address, forward the selected port, and allow it through the host firewall | Allow the selected port through the VPS firewall and bind the server address correctly |
If SteamCMD refuses an anonymous login, some installations require a Steam account that owns the base game. The dedicated server’s current availability and behavior can change with Craftopia updates, so keep the game branch consistent for the server and every client.
How do you install a Craftopia dedicated server on Windows?
On Windows, SteamCMD downloads the dedicated-server files into a folder you choose. You then run the executable once to create the configuration file, stop it, edit the settings, and start it again.
1. Install SteamCMD and create a server folder
Download and extract Valve’s SteamCMD, then create a dedicated directory such as C:GameServersCraftopia. Keeping the server in its own folder makes updates, backups, and save migration easier.
2. Download the Craftopia server files
Open a command prompt in the SteamCMD directory and run the following commands at the SteamCMD prompt:
force_install_dir "C:GameServersCraftopia"
login anonymous
app_update 1670340 validate
quitforce_install_dir selects the installation path. app_update 1670340 validate downloads the Craftopia dedicated-server app and checks the installed files. If the anonymous login is rejected, sign in with an eligible Steam account instead of repeatedly retrying the anonymous command.
3. Create a launch batch file
In the downloaded directory, create a file such as start-craftopia.bat containing:
@echo off
cd /d "%~dp0"
Craftopia.exe -batchmode -showlogsThe cd /d "%~dp0" line makes the working directory the folder containing the batch file, so the executable can find its settings and saves even when the batch file is launched from another location. A shorter documented form is start Craftopia.exe -batchmode -showlogs.
4. Generate the initial configuration
Run the batch file once. Let the server finish its initial startup, then stop it cleanly. This first run creates ServerSetting.ini beside the executable. Do not edit the file while the server is running; changes can be overwritten or ignored.
5. Edit and relaunch
Open ServerSetting.ini in a plain-text editor, set the server name, password behavior, player limit, port, game mode, and save/world options, then save the file. Run the batch file again and watch the console output for startup errors before giving the address to players.
Which Craftopia settings should you change in ServerSetting.ini?
The exact layout can change between game versions, but the first-run file is the control center for identity, access, capacity, networking, and world behavior. Change one group of settings at a time and keep a backup of the original file.
| Setting | What it controls | Practical guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Server name | The name players see in the server list or connection flow | Use a recognizable name that identifies the community or world without publishing a password. |
usePassword |
Whether password protection is enabled | The community Windows documentation uses usePassword=1 to enable protection. Verify the behavior after major updates. |
serverPassword |
The password required to enter | Use a strong, private value. Do not post it alongside the address in a public channel. |
maxPlayerNumber |
Maximum simultaneous players | HyperDC reports a default of 7 in its 2026 documentation. Lower it if your hardware or connection struggles. |
port |
The network port on which the server listens | The repeatedly documented default is 6587. If you choose another value, update every firewall and forwarding rule and make players append that port to the address. |
autoSaveSec |
Automatic-save interval in seconds | HyperDC reports a default of 300 seconds in 2026 documentation. Keep regular external backups as well; autosave is not a substitute for a copy of the world. |
gameMode |
The ruleset used by the world | PocketPair’s official announcement documents 1 as Normal, 2 as Free Build, and 3 as Playable. |
| World/save name | Which world directory the server loads | When migrating a save, make this name match the copied world exactly. |
Leave unfamiliar keys at their generated values until you have confirmed their meaning for your current build. A setting documented by a community guide may not behave identically after an update, especially while the dedicated server is still described as a trial release.
How do you host Craftopia on a Linux VPS?
A Linux VPS is useful when the world must stay online without leaving a home computer running. The Linux setup follows the same sequence as Windows, but it uses the Linux executable and requires the distribution’s 32-bit SteamCMD dependencies.
1. Install SteamCMD and required libraries
Install SteamCMD using your distribution’s package instructions, then install its 32-bit compatibility dependencies. The exact package names differ between distributions, so use the packages recommended for the Linux version running on your VPS.
2. Download the public server branch
Choose an installation directory and, at the SteamCMD prompt, install app 1670340 with the public branch:
force_install_dir /path/to/craftopia
login anonymous
app_update 1670340 -beta public
quitIf anonymous authentication is not accepted, use an eligible Steam account. Keep the server and clients on the same public or alpha branch; a branch mismatch is a common reason a connection fails after an update.
3. Start once and generate settings
Change to the installation directory and run Craftopia.x86_64. Stop the process after it has created ServerSetting.ini, then edit the file with the same settings described for Windows. The Linux guide also calls for binding the server address correctly and allowing the selected Craftopia port through the VPS firewall.
4. Start it from the VPS console
Launch Craftopia.x86_64 from the installation directory after the configuration and firewall rules are in place. Keep the process output available while testing: it helps distinguish a server-startup problem from a network problem. If you use a VPS control panel or process manager, configure it to start the same executable with the same working directory so the server continues to find its settings and saves.
What port does Craftopia use, and how do you forward it?
The default dedicated-server game port is generally UDP 6587. Community documentation is not fully consistent about additional Steam-related ports: one Windows guide lists a wider TCP and UDP set, while another lists TCP and UDP 6587. The safe approach is to open the protocol required by your configured mode, verify that the server is listening on the value in ServerSetting.ini, and test from outside the local network.
Home-server forwarding checklist
- Give the host computer a reserved or static LAN address through the router, such as a DHCP reservation. A changing private address can silently invalidate a forwarding rule.
- Create an incoming router rule for the configured Craftopia port and protocol, pointing to that reserved LAN address.
- Create a matching inbound rule in Windows Firewall or the host operating system’s firewall.
- Confirm that the server is running and listening on the same port shown in
ServerSetting.ini. - Test from a different internet connection, such as a friend’s network or a mobile hotspot. A test from the same LAN can succeed even when internet forwarding is wrong.
For a non-default port, every player must enter the host address followed by a colon and the port, for example 203.0.113.10:7000. The example address is illustrative; give remote players your actual public address, not the host computer’s private LAN address.
VPS firewall checklist
- Allow the configured Craftopia port in the VPS provider’s network firewall, if one exists.
- Allow the same port in the operating-system firewall.
- Make sure the server binds to the intended network interface rather than only to localhost.
- Retest after every port change; an old firewall rule does not follow the new value automatically.
How do players join a Craftopia server by IP?
Players connect from Craftopia’s multiplayer menu rather than from Steam’s ordinary game-server browser. The host must provide an address that is reachable from the player’s network and, when applicable, the non-default port.
- Start the dedicated server and wait until it has completed startup.
- Open Craftopia and choose Multiplayer.
- Select Join via IP.
- Enter the host’s reachable address. Add
:portwhen the server does not use 6587. - Enter the password if protection is enabled, then connect.
Players on the same home network may use the host’s private LAN address, while players elsewhere generally need the home’s public address or the VPS address. If the address works locally but not remotely, return to the forwarding and firewall checks rather than changing the world settings.
Can you move a single-player Craftopia world to a dedicated server?
Yes, but stop the server first, preserve the original save, and make the server’s configured world name match the copied save. Save compatibility depends on the current game build, so keep an untouched backup until the migrated world has loaded successfully.
- Exit Craftopia and stop the dedicated server so no process is writing to the world.
- Back up the complete single-player save and the server’s existing save directory to separate locations.
- Locate the server save directory beside
Craftopia.exe(or besideCraftopia.x86_64on Linux). PocketPair’s December 15, 2021 update moved dedicated-server saves and settings from the old AppData location into the directory beside the executable. - Copy the single-player save contents into the server’s save location. An older Windows guide says to omit
steam_autocloud.vdf; confirm the exact file layout after current updates rather than copying cloud metadata blindly. - Set the world name in
ServerSetting.inito exactly match the copied world. - Start the server and check its console for a successful world load before allowing players to join.
- If the world is missing or the server creates a new one, stop immediately, restore the backup, and recheck the folder level and world-name spelling.
Do not assume a save copied from a newer or different branch will load cleanly. Keep the source backup until every player has verified inventories, structures, and progression in the hosted world.
How do you troubleshoot a Craftopia server that friends cannot join?
Work from the game version outward: a branch mismatch can look like a network failure, while a router or firewall problem can look like a server problem. Change one variable at a time and test from a separate network.
1. Match the server and client branches
Confirm that the server and every client use the same public or alpha branch. Update all sides before changing ports or save files.
2. Verify the listening port
Read the port value in ServerSetting.ini and compare it with the address players enter. A server configured for a custom port will not answer on 6587 unless you change it back.
3. Check both layers of firewall
For a home host, inspect the operating-system firewall and router forwarding rule. For a VPS, inspect both the provider-level firewall and the Linux firewall. The rule must use the same protocol and port as the server configuration.
4. Test from outside the LAN
Have a player connect from another internet connection. A successful connection from the host’s own network does not prove that inbound traffic is forwarded correctly.
5. Temporarily isolate security software
Antivirus software or an ISP filter can block the process or port. Temporarily test whether either is responsible, then restore protection and create a narrow allow rule instead of leaving security disabled.
6. Interpret the error
- Timeout: the client did not reach the server. Check the public address, forwarding, firewall, listening port, and ISP filtering.
- Connection refused: the client reached the host, but the service denied the connection. Check that the executable is running, the port is correct, and the server is not full or rejecting the password.
Should you self-host Craftopia or use managed hosting?
Self-hosting costs less when you already have suitable hardware and bandwidth, while a VPS or managed service is easier for a world that must remain online when your home PC is off. The trade-off is control versus maintenance.
| Decision factor | Self-hosted Windows or Linux | Managed or VPS hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Direct access to files, settings, console output, and backups | A provider supplies a control panel or server access, with some options abstracted |
| Availability | Depends on your computer, power, and home internet connection staying online | Designed to remain online independently of your personal PC |
| Network setup | Requires LAN addressing, router forwarding, and host-firewall rules | Usually provides a reachable address; you still must configure the game and any provider firewall |
| Maintenance | You handle SteamCMD updates, backups, branch matching, and diagnosis | The provider may automate parts of updates, backups, and monitoring, depending on the service |
| Cost | Uses existing hardware and bandwidth, with electricity and connection limits | Adds a recurring VPS or hosting charge |
Choose self-hosting when you want file-level control and already have a reliable always-on machine. Choose a VPS or managed plan when 24/7 availability and simpler inbound networking matter more than avoiding a monthly fee. Whichever option you choose, keep an independent copy of the world and configuration.
What should you maintain after the server is working?
A working launch is only the beginning. Treat the server folder as production data: update deliberately, back up before changes, and record the port, branch, and world name so recovery does not depend on memory.
- Back up the save directory and
ServerSetting.inibefore SteamCMD validation, game updates, or migration work. - Record the current branch and make clients update to the same branch before troubleshooting.
- Keep the router reservation or VPS address unchanged unless you are intentionally moving the server.
- After changing
port, update the router, operating-system firewall, VPS firewall, and the address distributed to players. - Periodically verify that autosave is operating, while retaining separate backups because
autoSaveSecdoes not protect against file corruption or accidental deletion. - Read the console after updates for new errors and test a client connection before announcing the server available.
What could change in future Craftopia updates?
PocketPair announced in December 2023 that the dedicated server had been released on a trial basis. A September 2026 announcement says Craftopia is scheduled to leave Early Access and release version 1.0 in 2027. That roadmap means settings, networking behavior, and save compatibility should be rechecked after major updates rather than assumed to remain identical.
The December 2021 save-location change is a useful warning: a server update can move or reinterpret files even when the executable still launches. Keep dated backups, note the previous working configuration, and test updates on a copy of the world when practical.
Frequently Asked Questions
What address should I give players who live in my house?
Players on the same home network can usually try the host computer’s private LAN address, while players connecting over the internet need the home’s public address or the VPS address. If local players connect but remote players cannot, focus on router forwarding and firewall rules rather than reinstalling the game.
Can I change Craftopia’s server port after players have joined?
Yes, but everyone must use the new port after you edit ServerSetting.ini. Update the router or VPS rule and the operating-system firewall before distributing the new address, then test from an outside network.
Why did my migrated world load as a new, empty world?
The copied files may be one directory too high or too low, or the world name in ServerSetting.ini may not exactly match the save directory. Stop the server, restore your backup, and verify the folder layout beside the executable before trying again.
Do I need to leave Craftopia open on the host computer?
The game client does not need to remain open, but the dedicated-server process does. If that process exits, players lose the connection; a VPS or an always-on home machine is therefore better suited to continuous availability.