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Download the free Core Keeper Dedicated Server from Steam’s Tools section, or install it with SteamCMD, and run it on a computer that can stay online. For the normal relay-based setup, give friends the server’s Game ID; do not set a direct port or configure router port forwarding. Direct IP hosting is optional and requires a reachable port. Back up the world before moving it or publishing the connection details.
The quickest decision: self-host or rent a managed server?
A dedicated server keeps the shared world available when the original player is offline. You can run the server application on a spare PC, a small always-on computer, or a rented virtual machine. The software itself is available through Steam’s library tools. A managed host is an alternative when you do not want to maintain a machine, updates, backups, or network settings.
| Consideration | Self-hosting | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Install the dedicated-server application from Steam Tools or SteamCMD. | The provider installs the server package for you. |
| Up-front cost | No separate dedicated-server purchase is identified; you supply a computer and its operating costs. | Recurring rental price varies by provider and current plan; no universal 2026 price is established. |
| Availability | Your machine must remain powered on, connected, and running the server process. | The host supplies the always-on machine, subject to its service terms. |
| Setup effort | You handle installation, launch arguments, updates, backups, and troubleshooting. | Initial setup is usually simpler, but you still need to choose settings and manage the world. |
| Backups | You control when and where world files are copied. | Backup frequency, retention, and download access depend on the provider; verify them before subscribing. |
| Network path | Steam relay avoids router port forwarding in the standard configuration. Direct IP is available if you expose a port. | The provider normally supplies the reachable service endpoint, but latency and allowed connection methods vary. |
| Location and latency | Players connect through the location of your machine and, in relay mode, Steam’s relay path. | You can often select a data-center region; check the actual locations offered. |
| Capacity | The argument reference lists eight players as the default. Larger values are not a performance guarantee. | Higher limits may be configurable, but the provider must still support the game version and the required resources. |
| Storefront compatibility | Confirm the current server and game versions before inviting players from another storefront or platform. | Do not assume cross-platform support; ask for a current compatibility statement. |
Choose self-hosting when you already have a machine that can stay online and you want complete control of files and backups. Choose managed hosting when avoiding operating-system maintenance is worth a recurring fee. A rental listing alone is not evidence of a particular provider’s quality, uptime, price, or compatibility.
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What you need before installing
- A Steam account and access to the Core Keeper dedicated-server application.
- A computer or virtual machine that can remain powered on for the hours your group expects to play.
- A stable internet connection. Relay mode avoids inbound router configuration, but the machine still needs normal outbound connectivity to Steam services.
- A world you are willing to move, or a plan to create a new dedicated-server world.
- A backup destination separate from the live world directory.
- The same current game/server version for the server and every joining player. The available evidence does not provide a 2026 operating-system, CPU, memory, bandwidth, or storefront compatibility matrix, so verify the package instructions and the game’s current release notes for your environment.
Do not buy a particular PC, router, or cable solely for this setup. No authoritative hardware benchmark or minimum specification is established here. Start with the machine you have, observe its behavior with your intended player count, and reduce the limit if the session becomes unstable.
Install the dedicated server from Steam Tools
Pugstorm’s official Steam announcement, Update 1 – Coming in June! (2022), states that the dedicated-server application is available from the Tools menu in the Steam Library. The announcement also explains that port forwarding used during experimental testing is no longer required for the standard setup.
- Open the Steam desktop client and select Library.
- Use the library filter or drop-down that shows games and switch it to Tools.
- Search for the Core Keeper dedicated-server application.
- Select Install and choose a location with enough free space for the application and your world backups.
- Open the installed application’s folder when you need to inspect its included instructions or launch files. Keep the package’s version information; it is useful when diagnosing a mismatch after an update.
- Start the server application once without changing advanced arguments. Allow it to finish its initial setup, then create or load a world according to the prompts and included documentation.
The exact executable name and configuration files can change between releases. Use the files shipped with the version you installed rather than copying a launch command from an older guide.
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A community setup guide documents SteamCMD installation with application ID 1963720. A commonly documented command sequence is:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 1963720 validate +quitRun that command from the directory where SteamCMD is installed, then locate the downloaded dedicated-server package and follow its included launch instructions. Treat the command as a guide for the current package, not a guarantee that every operating system or future release will accept the same syntax. If SteamCMD reports an error, check the package documentation, confirm that the application ID has not changed, and make sure SteamCMD itself is current.
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Why keep the SteamCMD and Steam Tools choices separate?
Both routes obtain the server software, but they suit different administration styles. Steam Tools is easiest when you already use the Steam client and want a visible library entry. SteamCMD is convenient for a headless machine, scripted updates, or a server that does not need the full Steam interface. Neither route changes the relay-versus-direct networking decision.
Make the first launch and create a safe baseline
- Launch the dedicated server and wait for it to finish loading before inviting anyone.
- Create a new world or identify the world you intend to migrate. Do not overwrite the only copy of an existing world.
- Let the server complete at least one save. The setup guide notes that the dedicated-server worlds folder may not appear until after the first save.
- Stop the server cleanly using the package’s documented shutdown method. A forced power-off can leave the latest world state unwritten.
- Copy the entire world data to a separate backup location. Add the date and server version to the backup name.
- Start the server again and confirm that the expected world loads before sharing its Game ID.
Back up again before migrating a world between installations, changing major server versions, or publishing connection details to a large group. Keep at least one untouched backup until every invited player has confirmed that the migrated world is correct.
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The server argument reference describes two modes. If you leave the direct port unset, the server uses Steam relay. If you set -port, the server enables direct connections and that port must be reachable. The -ip argument matters only when a port is set.
| Mode | Arguments | Router requirement | What friends use | When it fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam relay | Do not set -port; do not add -ip. |
No inbound port forwarding in the standard flow. | The server’s Game ID. | The simplest choice for a private group and the default starting point. |
| Direct IP | Set -port to a reachable port. Use -ip only with that port when the package requires a specific local address. |
The selected port must be reachable through the machine and network firewall; router configuration may be necessary. | The direct address and port, as supported by the current client. | Use only when you have a reason to avoid relay and can administer network exposure. |
Recommended relay configuration
Start with no -port argument. This is the path covered by the official announcement’s statement that port forwarding is no longer necessary. Once the server is running, use the Game ID it reports. Copy it exactly, including capitalization or separators if shown, and send it privately to the people who should join.
When direct IP is appropriate
Direct mode can be useful in a controlled network or when relay connectivity is unsuitable, but it adds failure points. You must select a port, permit the server through the host firewall, make the port reachable from the internet or the relevant private network, and give players the address in the format the current game client expects. Never set -ip by itself and assume it will create a direct server; the reference says it is relevant only when -port is set.
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If a direct setup stops working after a network change, remove the direct arguments and return to relay mode for diagnosis. That separates a server or world problem from a port-reachability problem.
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- Start the dedicated server and wait until the world is fully loaded.
- Copy the Game ID shown by the server or its current connection screen.
- Send the ID through a private group message rather than posting it on a public page.
- Tell friends which game version they should run and whether the server is already online.
- Have each player enter the Game ID through the game’s multiplayer join flow.
- Keep the server process running while players connect. A Game ID cannot help if the host machine or server application is offline.
Sharing a Game ID is not the same as publishing an open public server. Limit the code to the people you trust, rotate the code or change access according to the current server controls if unwanted players appear, and restore a known-good backup if the world is damaged.
Move an existing world to the dedicated server
World-file locations and naming can differ by operating system and package version, so use the dedicated server’s included instructions to identify the source and destination folders. The safe migration pattern is:
- Ask every player to leave the world.
- Stop the original host and the dedicated server, if it is already running.
- Make two copies of the original world: one working copy for migration and one untouched archive.
- Copy the working world into the dedicated server’s worlds directory using the package’s documented layout.
- Start the dedicated server, select or load the migrated world, and allow it to save.
- Join with one test account first. Check buildings, inventories, progress, and player access before inviting the whole group.
- Back up the migrated world after the test succeeds.
Do not run the same world simultaneously from the original host and the dedicated server. Two processes writing the same files can produce conflicting saves or irreversible loss.
Set player capacity without assuming performance
The argument reference lists a default maximum of eight players. It also warns that increasing the limit may require more resources or make the session unstable. Eight is a configuration default, not a laboratory performance result or a promise that every eight-player group will behave identically.
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- Leave the default while validating the installation.
- Invite the number of players your machine and connection can handle reliably.
- If you raise the limit, change one variable at a time and test during normal gameplay rather than during an empty server.
- Watch for delayed world updates, disconnects, or crashes. If instability appears, return to eight or a lower value.
- Do not advertise a larger number as guaranteed capacity without measurements from your own environment.
Keep the server online and maintain it
Use a repeatable start and stop routine
Keep the server process in a dedicated folder and record the launch arguments in a script or written note. Start it before the group’s scheduled play time, wait for the world to load, and stop it through the application’s documented command or control rather than closing the window abruptly.
Schedule backups around play sessions
Copy the world after important building sessions and before updates. Keep backups outside the live server directory so an update, accidental deletion, or disk failure does not remove every copy. Periodically test opening a backup on a separate installation; a file that has never been restored is only an assumption.
Update deliberately
Before updating the dedicated-server package, record the current version, stop the process, and make a fresh world backup. Update the server and the game clients to compatible versions, then start the server alone and verify the world. If players report a version mismatch, have everyone close the game, confirm the versions shown by their launchers, and compare them with the server package.
Control access
Send the Game ID only to the intended group. Avoid placing it in a public forum, stream overlay, or searchable document. On a machine shared with other services, use the operating system’s normal account and firewall controls to limit who can access the server files and any direct port you enabled.
Troubleshooting by symptom
Friends cannot join a relay server
- Confirm the dedicated-server process is still running and the world finished loading.
- Copy the Game ID again directly from the server; a single missing character can point players to the wrong session.
- Check that the server and clients are on compatible current versions.
- Verify that the host machine has normal internet access and that security software did not block the server application.
- Restart the server after saving a backup, then issue a new Game ID if the package generates one at launch.
The worlds folder is missing
Allow the server to create and save a world once, then stop it cleanly and check the package’s documented data location. The setup guide specifically warns that the worlds folder may not appear before the first save.
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A direct-IP server is unreachable
- Confirm that
-portis present and that the selected port is allowed by the host firewall. - Check the router or upstream firewall if players are connecting from outside the local network.
- Make sure the address points to the machine running the server.
- Remove
-ipunless the current package requires it together with-port. - For a fast comparison, remove the direct arguments and test Steam relay with a Game ID.
The server becomes unstable after adding players
Return to the default eight-player limit, stop unnecessary workloads on the machine, and test again with a smaller group. The available argument reference does not establish a safe hardware threshold, so treat observed stability in your own environment as the deciding evidence.
A migrated world appears empty or incorrect
Stop the server immediately, preserve the current files, and restore the untouched pre-migration backup to a separate test location. Recheck the package’s required world-folder layout and version compatibility before attempting the migration again. Never overwrite the only backup while troubleshooting.
What to verify before choosing managed hosting
Managed hosting can remove the need to leave your own computer on, but it does not remove every decision. Ask the provider for the current game and server version, supported storefronts, player-limit controls, data-center regions, backup schedule, retention period, downloadable-backup method, update timing, cancellation policy, and access to logs. Confirm whether relay or direct connections are used and whether you receive a Game ID or another endpoint.
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Compare the total recurring cost with the electricity, hardware, storage, and administration time of self-hosting. Treat advertised player counts as configuration options until the provider explains the resources and conditions behind them. No current price list, uptime comparison, or independent provider ranking is established here, so select on documented features and your group’s location rather than a headline claim.
2026 compatibility cautions
The original official announcement supports the Steam Tools route and the removal of mandatory port forwarding, but it dates from 2022. The technical argument reference identifies values taken from server package 1.2.1.5, and it is maintained separately from the announcement. In 2026, verify the version of the package you actually download, read its included instructions, and check the game client’s current release information before relying on an older argument name or launch behavior.
No authoritative 2026 matrix establishes which PC storefronts, consoles, or other platforms can join a dedicated server. Confirm compatibility for the exact edition each friend owns; do not promise cross-store or console access based only on the existence of a Game ID.
Quick Recap
Final pre-invite checklist
- Dedicated-server application installed from Steam Tools or SteamCMD.
- Server package version recorded and checked against the clients.
- World created or migrated, then saved at least once.
- Untouched backup stored outside the live world directory.
- Relay mode selected by leaving
-portunset, unless direct IP is an intentional requirement. - Game ID copied from the running server and shared privately.
- Player limit left at eight until the installation is stable.
- Shutdown, backup, and update procedures written down for the person who will administer the server.
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