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To set up a private server for a co-op survival game, first choose the exact game, edition, and platform: installation steps, hardware needs, crossplay support, and network ports differ by title. Then choose between an in-game session, a self-hosted dedicated server, or managed hosting. If you want friends to play while you are offline, a dedicated server is usually the relevant option—but it requires game-specific setup and ongoing maintenance.
What to decide before setting up a server
Before choosing software or changing router settings, pin down the details that determine whether your group can connect and who will maintain the world.
- Game and edition: identify the exact game, platform, and server version. A Steam PC server may not support every console or storefront edition.
- Crossplay: confirm that the server supports the platforms your friends use, and whether crossplay uses a different connection method.
- Group size and uptime: estimate the number of players and decide whether the world must be available when the host is not playing.
- Mods: check that the dedicated server supports your desired mods and that players can use compatible versions.
- Budget and equipment: decide whether you can provide a computer that stays on, or would rather pay a hosting provider.
- Network administration: consider whether you can configure a firewall and, if necessary, your router. Some connection methods avoid router forwarding; others require it.
Choose how to host the world
| Option | Best fit | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| In-game co-op or listen session | A small group that plays when the host is online | The host’s session determines availability; behavior and player limits depend on the game. |
| Self-hosted dedicated server | Players who want an independently running world and have a suitable computer | You control the machine and settings, but must install and update the server, protect saves, and handle firewall or router configuration when required. |
| Managed game-server hosting | Groups that prefer not to administer a home server | Features, supported games, crossplay, player capacity, locations, backups, and total price vary by provider. Verify these details before choosing. |
A dedicated server runs separately from a player’s in-game session, so the world can remain available while that player is offline. Iron Gate describes this as a persistent world for friends to play in its Valheim dedicated-server guide. That does not mean the world is available if the server computer or service is stopped.
Check the chosen game’s actual requirements
Use the official server documentation for the game and version you intend to run. Do not treat another game’s RAM, CPU, port, or startup instructions as a general standard.
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Example: Palworld
Pocketpair’s deployment guide describes server installation through Steam or SteamCMD on Windows, and SteamCMD on Linux. Its separate requirements page (version 0.5.0) recommends 4 CPU cores and 16 GB of memory; it says 8 GB can boot but carries a higher risk of out-of-memory crashes. It also recommends faster SSD storage, warns that low-performance storage may corrupt saved data, and lists UDP 8211 as the default, changeable network port. Those figures apply to Palworld as described on that requirements page, not to other games.
Example: Valheim
Iron Gate’s Valheim dedicated-server guide covers the Steam version and gives its own startup, networking, and save configuration. Linux operators also need the packages libatomic1, libpulse-dev, and libpulse0, according to the guide. Check the official instructions for the game version you are installing rather than copying commands from a different game or platform.
Install and launch the official server software
Install only the server files documented for your game. Keep server and client versions aligned, and read the current official guide for your OS before launch.
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Valheim on Steam
- In Steam, open Library and enable the Tools filter, then install Valheim Dedicated Server.
- Copy the supplied startup script before editing it. Iron Gate notes that Steam updates reset the original script.
- Edit the copy with your server name, world, password, and other required launch arguments as described in the official guide.
- Run the script and wait for the log message
Game server connectedbefore trying to join.
Palworld on Windows or Linux
Pocketpair documents Steam installation and SteamCMD deployment. For a SteamCMD installation, its guide gives this anonymous download/update command:
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For startup, the guide directs Windows users to run PalServer.exe and Linux users to run ./PalServer.sh. Follow the page’s current platform-specific steps and configuration details; these commands are Palworld-specific.
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Configure the world and restrict access
Set the world name and save location, then use the game’s available access controls. Configuration formats and feature names vary, so consult that game’s guide rather than assuming it has the same options as Valheim.
Valheim’s dedicated-server setup supports a server name, selected world, password, browser visibility, save directory, save interval, backup settings, and admin, banned, and permitted-player lists. Its guide says that enabling the permitted list excludes everyone who is not on it. Keep the password private and do not put it in a public server name.
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Make the server reachable without opening the wrong ports
Network settings are specific to the game, backend, and connection route. A server that launches successfully on your computer may still be unreachable to friends until the local firewall and, where required, router are configured.
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Valheim: Steam backend versus Crossplay
For Valheim’s Steam backend, Iron Gate documents ports 2456 and 2457 as the default range; the server uses the selected port and the next port. Forward the configured port and its next port to the server computer, and allow the server through that computer’s firewall. If you use a different port, apply the guide’s port-and-port-plus-one rule to the chosen value.
Valheim’s Crossplay backend uses a relay and does not require router port forwarding, according to Iron Gate. Choose the connection method that matches the players’ platforms and follow its connection instructions; the two backends are not interchangeable port recipes.
Palworld
Pocketpair lists UDP 8211 as Palworld’s default changeable port and calls for router configuration. Apply the instructions to the actual port and machine used by your server, and allow the relevant traffic through the host firewall. Do not forward Valheim’s ports for Palworld or assume Palworld’s port applies to another game.
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Router menus, firewall software, and home-network layouts differ. If the server remains unreachable after you follow the game’s official steps, check whether your router forwards traffic to the computer currently running the server and whether the local firewall permits it.
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- Start the server and confirm its log indicates it is ready.
- Join from another device or ask a friend on a different network to connect. This checks external reachability more realistically than joining from the host computer alone.
- Verify that the intended world loads, the password works, and players are using a supported platform and connection backend.
- Make a backup of the world, then verify that you know how to restore it. A backup that has never been tested may not be useful when a save fails.
Valheim’s guide documents a default save interval of 1,800 seconds (30 minutes) and a default automatic-backup schedule that keeps four backups: one two hours old and three spaced twelve hours apart. These are Valheim settings, not recommended defaults for every game. Adjust and verify backups for your own risk tolerance and save location.
Quick Recap
Keep the server running safely
- Update the server software and players’ clients in a coordinated window; announce restarts to the group.
- Back up the world before updates or configuration changes, and retain copies somewhere separate from the live save when practical.
- Review logs, access lists, and passwords periodically. Remove access that is no longer needed.
- Keep the host computer and storage reliable. For Palworld specifically, Pocketpair warns that low-performance storage may corrupt saved data.
- For a managed service, confirm how to download and restore backups, change settings, update the server, and reach support before committing.
Troubleshoot common connection failures
- Server does not start: check the game’s current install instructions, OS prerequisites, and startup command or script.
- Clients cannot join after an update: compare server and client versions and update them as required.
- Friends cannot reach the server: check the host firewall, the forwarded port and target computer where forwarding is needed, and whether the server process is still running.
- Only some players cannot connect: verify platform compatibility, crossplay support, and the selected backend for those players.
- Authentication fails: confirm the password and, if applicable, that the player is on the permitted list.
- World or save problems appear: stop making changes to the affected save and use a verified backup if recovery is needed.
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