Enshrouded Dedicated Server Setup: SteamCMD, Config, Ports and 1.0

An Enshrouded dedicated server is a free Windows program, Enshrouded Dedicated Server (Steam app 2278520), that you get from the Tools section of your Steam library or with SteamCMD. You start enshrouded_server.exe once, it writes enshrouded_server.json next to itself, and from then on that one file holds the server's name, its single port (queryPort, 15637 by default), the player cap and the join passwords. Players find it in the in-game browser under Join once "Show dedicated server" is ticked in the filter.

This page walks through a self-hosted setup step by step, then covers what changes on a GameServerKings server, where the panel writes part of that file for you on every start.

Checked against Enshrouded 1.0 (released 15 October 2026) and Hotfix 1.0.0.3 (21 October 2026)

The dedicated server's public build on Steam was 26083076 on 27 October 2026. 1.0 moved worlds to a new save format. Keen's changelog says older saves are backed up first and then converted automatically on first load. See Enshrouded 1.0 server update before you update an existing world.

What You Need

Keen Games' own figures, from their Recommended Server Specifications and Dedicated Server FAQ (both updated 27 October 2026):

The server process itself sits at about 4.4 GB of RAM idle, adds up to 100 MB per player, and Keen say it "should not use more than 6GB". Saves are small: 1 MB to about 100 MB per world. Enshrouded server requirements goes through what each number really limits.

Operating system. Keen ship a Windows server only. Their installation guide says: "For now, only Windows is supported. Linux support is planned for later." People run it on Linux through Wine, which is also how our servers run it, but that is a compatibility layer, not an official build.

Step 1: Install the Server Files

Pick one of the two routes. Both give you the same files.

Steam client (the PC you play on, or any Windows PC with Steam). Owning Enshrouded unlocks the server tool.

1. In your Steam library, tick Tools in the filter so tools are listed.
2. Install Enshrouded Dedicated Server.
3. Right-click it → Properties → Installed Files → Browse.

Keen recommend starting the .exe from that folder rather than with Steam's Launch button.

SteamCMD (a server or VPS without the Steam client). The app installs with an anonymous login, which is how our own servers install it:

steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\enshrouded-server +login anonymous +app_update 2278520 validate +quit

Run the same command again to update. On a Linux machine, SteamCMD only downloads the Windows build if you force the platform, so add +@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows before +app_update.

Step 2: First Start and enshrouded_server.json

Start enshrouded_server.exe. A console window opens. There is no other UI, and Keen's FAQ says the server can run headless, "but there is a DOS window". When it is ready, the log prints:

[Session] 'HostOnline' (up)!
[Session] finished transition from 'Lobby' to 'Host_Online' (current='Host_Online')!

That first run creates enshrouded_server.json in the same folder as the .exe. By default the world is saved to savegame/ and logs go to logs/, both next to it. Stop the server before you edit the file. The top of it looks like this (values are Keen's documented defaults):

{
  "name": "Enshrouded Server",
  "saveDirectory": "./savegame",
  "logDirectory": "./logs",
  "ip": "0.0.0.0",
  "queryPort": 15637,
  "slotCount": 16,
  "voiceChatMode": "Proximity",
  "enableVoiceChat": false,
  "enableTextChat": false,
  "gameSettingsPreset": "Default"
}

Keen's published sample is missing a comma

The example on Keen's Dedicated Server Configuration page has no comma after "slotCount": 16 and a trailing comma after the last line. Copied as-is, it is invalid JSON. Edit the file the server generated instead of pasting the sample.

Passwords and roles live in a userGroups list in the same file. Each group has a password and its own permissions (kick and ban, editing bases, opening chests, editing the world), and the password a player types decides which group they join as. A freshly generated file starts with random passwords, so nobody gets in until you set them. 1.0 lets hosts promote players in-game in peer-to-peer sessions, but Keen's 1.0 changelog says that on dedicated servers "promoting and demoting is not possible while playing on the server". Roles stay password-based. Enshrouded server settings and config file covers every group flag, reservedSlots and the Custom difficulty values, and Enshrouded admin commands and roles covers what an admin can do in game.

Step 3: Open the Port

Keen's FAQ lists one port: "queryPort": 15637, plus the ports Steam needs for itself. The server is IPv4 only.

• Home router: forward the queryPort (15637 unless you changed it) to the server PC's LAN address. Forward UDP. Keen don't name a protocol, so if your router offers "both", that is fine too.
• Windows Firewall: allow enshrouded_server.exe, or the port, for inbound traffic.
• Two servers on one machine: give each its own queryPort and its own folder.

Older guides mention a second gamePort (15636). Current builds don't have one, so you only need the one port.

Step 4: Join Your Server

1. In Enshrouded, choose Join.
2. In the server filter, enable Show dedicated servers. Dedicated servers are hidden until you do.
3. Find your server by name, enter the password for the role you want, and join.

If it isn't listed, add it as a Steam favourite: Steam → View → Game Servers → Favorites → +, and enter IP:queryPort. Keen recommend this route when a server doesn't show in the in-game list, and favourites are sorted to the top of it. Enshrouded server connection troubleshooting covers the rest.

Moving an existing world over. Your character never lives on the server. Keen: "Character progression is stored only on clients. The world progression is stored on the dedicated servers." To take a world you started in single player onto the server, follow moving your world to a server.

Running It on a GameServerKings Server

On your Enshrouded server steps 1 to 3 are already done. We install app 2278520 with SteamCMD, run enshrouded_server.exe under Wine, and allocate the port for you. A few things work differently from a self-hosted install:

The panel writes part of enshrouded_server.json on every start. These keys come from the Startup tab, so edit them there, not in the file:

Everything else in the file is yours: the difficulty preset, gameSettings, chat toggles and the permission flags of each group. Edit it in the File Manager while the server is stopped.

Passwords have rules. The panel rejects a group password that is only digits, and the four passwords can't all be the same or empty. A new server starts with placeholder passwords (ChangeMe1 and so on). Change all four before you share the address.

Updates. [SYSTEM] Auto Update is on by default, so SteamCMD checks for a new server build every time the server starts. A restart is all a hotfix needs. [SYSTEM] Validate re-checks every file and is only worth turning on if files are damaged. Enshrouded 1.0 server update has the details.

Connect with the Address. Use the IP and port shown at the top left of the panel, not 15637. Your server's port is the allocated one, and the panel writes it into queryPort at each boot.

Saves are in savegame/, and the panel's Backups tab snapshots them. Enshrouded server backups covers restoring and rollbacks.

FAQ

Is the Enshrouded dedicated server free?

Yes. It comes with the game: buying Enshrouded unlocks it in Steam's Tools section, and SteamCMD can download it with an anonymous login. Hosting at home costs you only the hardware and bandwidth.

Can I run an Enshrouded dedicated server on Linux?

Not natively. Keen only ship a Windows build and say Linux support "is planned for later". It does run under Wine (our servers run it that way), but Keen don't support that setup.

What port does an Enshrouded server use?

One: the queryPort, 15637 by default, set in enshrouded_server.json. Steam uses its own standard ports alongside it.

How many players can an Enshrouded server hold?

16. slotCount accepts 1 to 16. Keen's specs step up the CPU recommendation for a full 16-player server.

Does my character transfer to a dedicated server?

Your character does, because it is stored on your PC and goes wherever you play. The world doesn't move on its own. Only worlds live on the server, so moving a single-player world means uploading its save files (moving your world).

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