---
title: "Getting started with your Enshrouded server"
description: "Complete your first server boot, apply gameSettingsPreset difficulty rules, manage saves, and secure backups to protect player data."
url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/enshrouded/getting-started-with-your-server/"
category: "Enshrouded"
category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/enshrouded/"
published: "2026-07-02T03:39:56.184Z"
updated: "2026-08-19T11:25:38.708Z"
source_format: "markdown"
site: "GameServerKings"
---

# Getting started with your Enshrouded server

Enshrouded is a co-op survival action RPG with voxel building. Dedicated server support is built in and well-supported.

## First Boot

1. Open your [hosted Enshrouded server](/games/enshrouded/) in the panel.

2. Click **Start**.

3. First boot downloads the dedicated server (about 3 GB), which takes 5 to 10 minutes.

4. The server is up when the console prints `[Session] 'HostOnline' (up)!` and the
   `finished transition from 'Lobby' to 'Host_Online'` line after it.

To connect: in Enshrouded, **Multiplayer** > **Join** > enter the IP and port from the **Address** at the top left of your panel.

## Game Difficulty Settings

Difficulty is set with `gameSettingsPreset` in `enshrouded_server.json`, which takes `Default`, `Relaxed`, `Hard`, `Survival` or `Custom`. Custom values only apply when the preset is `Custom`, and they live in a `gameSettings` block.

See [Enshrouded Server Settings and Config File](/knowledge-base/enshrouded/configuration-overview/) for every value, the permission groups, and the nanosecond duration format.

## Mods

> [!NOTE] No official mod support yet
> Enshrouded does not have official mod support yet. Some community tools exist for save editing and inventory management, but no plugin-style mods load into the running server.

Keen Games have not committed to adding it. Their own FAQ answers the question directly: mods are "something we would love to implement in the future", but "at this stage, we cannot make promises that the game will be moddable". Treat any guide announcing a modding SDK, Steam Workshop support or a date for either as speculation.

## World Management

The save is at `savegame/`. To move an existing singleplayer or co-op world into it instead, see [transferring your Enshrouded world](/knowledge-base/enshrouded/transfer-your-world/). To wipe:

1. Stop the server.

2. Delete the contents of `savegame/` (or rename it to keep as a backup).

3. Start. The server generates a fresh save on first boot.

To restore a save, replace `savegame/` contents with the backup files.

## Backups

The save folder is the only critical data. The panel **Backups** tab covers it. Take daily snapshots; long sessions with lots of building benefit from more frequent backups (every 6-12 hours).

## Common Issues

- **Cannot connect**: Connect to the **Address** shown at the top of your panel, not to the `queryPort` value inside the config. There is no `gamePort` key — Enshrouded uses a single `queryPort`, and the panel rewrites it to your allocated port every time the server boots, so editing it by hand achieves nothing. Also confirm the player has one of the four group passwords from the **Startup** tab.
- **Server lags after extended play**: Daily restarts help. The voxel world accumulates entity state.
- **Save corruption**: Restore from backup. Enshrouded writes saves continuously; mid-write crashes can corrupt the save file.
- **Player gets disconnected on chunk load**: Slot count is too high for the available RAM. Lower the slot count or upgrade the plan.

## What to Read Next

- [Enshrouded Configuration](/knowledge-base/enshrouded/configuration-overview/)
- [Enshrouded Admin Commands](/knowledge-base/enshrouded/how-to-add-admins-and-commands/)
- [How to Transfer Your Enshrouded World to Your Dedicated Server](/knowledge-base/enshrouded/transfer-your-world/)

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