Don’t Starve Together Server Configuration Guide

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To host a reliable Don’t Starve Together (DST) dedicated server, install the free Dedicated Server app (Steam app ID 343050), create one cluster directory with Master and optional Caves shard folders, add a valid cluster token, configure cluster.ini and each shard’s server.ini, then open the exact UDP ports shown by your installed files. The Master shard runs the surface world; Caves runs the underground world.

File names and defaults can change between DST server builds. Treat the option names below as a working map, then compare them with the files generated by your installed version before opening the firewall or publishing the server.

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What a DST dedicated server contains

DST uses a cluster to represent one world and its settings. The cluster root holds settings that apply to every shard and account-control files. Each shard then has its own directory and server.ini.

• Master: the surface shard. Its server.ini must identify it with is_master = true.
• Caves: the underground shard. It is a secondary shard and must not be marked as master.
• Cluster root: contains cluster.ini, cluster_token.txt, and optional adminlist.txt, whitelist.txt, and blocklist.txt.

Both shards use the same cluster_key. Each shard needs its own server and communication ports, even when Master and Caves run on one computer.

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Requirements and installation choices

Install the free dedicated-server app

Install Steam app ID 343050, named Don’t Starve Together Dedicated Server. In the Steam client, open Library, change the game filter to Tools, locate the dedicated-server tool, and install it. SteamCMD is the alternative for a headless Windows or Linux machine.

A typical SteamCMD update command is:

app_update 343050 validate

Run that command from SteamCMD after selecting the installation directory. Keep the server files separate from your personal DST save files so updates and backups are easier to manage.

Choose where the cluster data lives

The executable installation directory and the cluster-data directory are different concepts. The server reads cluster data from the Klei documents location unless you deliberately configure another location. Excerpts from current setup guides identify these common locations:

Your installed build may use a different subdirectory. If the server starts without your settings, inspect its log for the path it actually loaded.

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Create the cluster and shard folders

1. Open the dedicated-server data location and create one folder for the cluster. A descriptive name such as MyDediServer makes it easy to identify in backups.
2. Inside that folder, create Master and Caves subfolders. You can run a surface-only world with Master alone; create and enable Caves when you want an underground shard.
3. Place cluster.ini and cluster_token.txt at the cluster root, not inside either shard folder.
4. Place a separate server.ini in Master and Caves. Never reuse one shard’s file for the other without changing its role and ports.

The resulting layout is:

MyDediServer/  (cluster root)
  cluster.ini
  cluster_token.txt
  adminlist.txt       (optional)
  whitelist.txt       (optional)
  blocklist.txt       (optional)
  Master/
    server.ini
  Caves/
    server.ini

Generate and install the cluster token

An online server needs a cluster token. Without one, the process may launch locally but will not authenticate as an online DST cluster.

Method 1: Klei account site

1. Sign in to the Klei account service associated with your DST entitlement.
2. Use the account page’s cluster-token control to generate or copy a token.
3. Create a plain-text file named cluster_token.txt at the cluster root.
4. Paste the token as the file content. Do not add a filename extension such as .txt.txt, extra spaces, or explanatory text.

Method 2: in-game console

1. Start DST with a character that can access the in-game console.
2. Open the console and run TheNet:GenerateClusterToken().
3. Exit the game cleanly and locate the generated cluster_token.txt in the Klei documents folder.
4. Copy that file into the dedicated cluster root. Keep only one intended token in the root so you do not troubleshoot the wrong file.

Do not publish the token or commit it to a public repository. If you regenerate it, replace the root file and restart both shards.

Configure cluster.ini

cluster.ini controls values shared by Master and Caves. The main sections are [GAMEPLAY], [NETWORK], [MISC], and [SHARD]. Option names and defaults have changed over time, so remove settings your installed server does not recognize rather than assuming an older wiki is current.

[GAMEPLAY]: world rules

Set capacity before opening the server to friends. Raising max_players increases connection and simulation load; it does not improve the host machine’s network capacity.

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[NETWORK]: browser identity and access

[MISC]: console and rollback snapshots

• max_snapshots controls saved rollback snapshots. The 2016 Klei settings guide documents a default of 6. Snapshots are created on saves and appear in the Rollback tab of the Host Game screen.
• console_enabled controls Lua-console access. The documented default is true, which allows commands in the server console.

Snapshots consume disk space. Keep enough room for the number you select and back up the cluster before performing a rollback.

[SHARD]: enable and authenticate Caves

• shard_enabled must be true for a multi-shard cluster. Its documented default is false.
• cluster_key is the shared password that authenticates a secondary shard to the Master. Klei’s settings guide states that it is required when shard_enabled = true. Use the identical value on every machine running a shard in this cluster.
• bind_ip, master_ip, and master_port are version-sensitive. The older guide describes bind_ip in a way that resembles a port rather than an address, so verify the meaning in your generated files. For shards on one host, third-party examples use loopback such as 127.0.0.1, but that value and the associated master port must match your installed version.

Configure each server.ini

Each shard’s server.ini combines its role, local server port, shard-link settings, and Steam networking settings. Use the file generated by your server version as the template, then edit only the values you need.

Master server.ini

• Set is_master = true.
• Assign the Master’s server port and its Steam-related ports.
• Enable the shard-link section when Caves is used.
• Use the same cluster_key as the Caves file.

Caves server.ini

• Do not mark Caves as master.
• Assign ports different from every Master port on the same host.
• Set master_ip and master_port to the address and port where Master listens. On one computer, loopback is commonly used, but confirm the current syntax.
• Use the exact same cluster_key as Master.

Do not copy port numbers from an old tutorial. One recent guide mentions UDP 10999, while other guides use 10998 for a Master server port and 11001 for master_port. These discrepancies are unresolved across versions. The authoritative value for your installation is the value in each active server.ini.

Firewall and router configuration

1. Read every server and shard port from the files you will actually launch.
2. Create inbound firewall rules for those ports using UDP, not a copied list from a different guide.
3. If friends connect over the internet and the host is behind a router, forward the same UDP ports to the host’s private IP address.
4. Keep administrative interfaces and unrelated TCP services closed; DST’s game traffic does not require exposing your entire machine.
5. After a server update, recheck the files and firewall rules because defaults or generated ports can change.

For a LAN-only cluster, set lan_only_cluster = true and test from another device on the same network. Internet players will not be able to join a LAN-restricted cluster.

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Admin, whitelist, and blocklist files

These files belong at the cluster root and therefore apply to both shards:

• adminlist.txt grants administrative privileges to the listed Klei UserIds.
• whitelist.txt contains Klei UserIds allowed to occupy reserved whitelist slots.
• blocklist.txt contains Klei UserIds that should be prevented from joining.

Use one UserId per line and keep a backup before editing. A whitelist entry does not create a player account; it must match the player’s actual Klei UserId.

Start the cluster in the correct order

1. Stop any older DST server processes using the same cluster directory.
2. Confirm that cluster_token.txt is present at the root and that both shard folders contain their own server.ini.
3. Start the Master process using the launch method supplied with the Dedicated Server app.
4. Start Caves after Master is listening. The secondary shard needs to reach Master using the configured address, port, and matching cluster_key.
5. Watch the console or log output for successful shard registration, world generation, and network binding.
6. Search for cluster_name in Browse Games from a separate DST client. Test a local connection first, then an external connection.

Do not start two copies against the same cluster directory. Concurrent writers can corrupt world data and make rollback recovery unreliable.

Verify that the setup is working

• Browser visibility: the cluster name and description appear as configured, and a password prompt appears only when you set a password.
• Shard travel: a player can use a cave entrance and load into Caves without a disconnect.
• Capacity rules: the server refuses additional players after the configured limit, while reserved whitelist slots behave as intended.
• Persistence: stopping and restarting both shards returns you to the same world rather than generating a new one.
• Rollback: saved snapshots are visible in the Host Game rollback interface when snapshots are enabled.

Troubleshooting by symptom

The server does not appear in Browse Games

• Confirm that the token file is named exactly cluster_token.txt and is at the cluster root.
• Check that the process is using the cluster directory you edited, not a second default directory.
• Verify inbound UDP rules and router forwarding for the ports listed in the active files.
• Ensure lan_only_cluster is not set to true when internet players need access.

Master starts but Caves fails to connect

• Confirm shard_enabled = true in cluster.ini.
• Compare cluster_key character-for-character in both shard configurations.
• Check that Caves points to the Master’s current master_ip and master_port.
• Give Caves distinct local ports and start it only after Master is listening.

Players receive a connection timeout

• Check the host’s local firewall before changing game settings.
• Verify that port forwarding targets the host’s current private IP address.
• Make sure the router rule is UDP and covers every port used by the running shards.
• Test from the same LAN. If LAN works but internet access fails, the fault is usually routing, firewall, or carrier-grade NAT rather than cluster.ini.

Settings appear to be ignored

• Stop both shards before editing; many values are read only at startup.
• Check spelling, section headers, and duplicate keys.
• Remove options copied from obsolete guides if the current server log reports them as unknown.
• Confirm that the account launching the server can read and write the selected cluster directory.

Rollback snapshots are missing

• Check that max_snapshots is present and greater than zero.
• Allow the world to save after changing the setting; snapshots are created on saves.
• Verify free disk space and permissions in the cluster directory.

Backups, updates, and safe maintenance

Back up the entire cluster root, including both shard folders, before changing settings or updating the Dedicated Server app. A useful backup contains cluster.ini, the shard server.ini files, player-control lists, and the world save data. Store cluster_token.txt separately with restricted permissions rather than in a public backup.

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For updates, stop Master and Caves, update app ID 343050, compare newly generated configuration files with your working copies, and start the shards again. Do not overwrite a functioning cluster blindly: newer builds can add, rename, or remove options. Keep a dated copy of the prior configuration so you can revert a bad change.

Single-machine versus multi-machine clusters

Both shards on one computer

Use loopback communication where the installed configuration specifies it, give Master and Caves different ports, and open only the externally reachable game ports. This is the simplest arrangement, but CPU, memory, storage, and network load all share one machine.

Master and Caves on different computers

Give each machine a reachable address, permit the shard-link traffic between them, and use the same cluster token and cluster_key on both. Do not use 127.0.0.1 for a remote machine; loopback always means the local host. Keep clocks, server builds, and configuration versions aligned.

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Configuration checklist

• Dedicated Server app 343050 installed and updated.
• One cluster root with Master and optional Caves subfolders.
• cluster_token.txt at the root and kept private.
• cluster.ini sections reviewed against the installed version.
• Master has is_master = true; Caves does not.
• shard_enabled and matching cluster_key set for multi-shard play.
• Distinct, verified UDP ports assigned to each shard.
• Firewall and router rules match those exact ports.
• Optional admin, whitelist, and blocklist files use correct Klei UserIds.
• Both shards tested for browser visibility, joining, persistence, and cave travel.

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