The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Running a modpack with friends? Godlike.Host offers modded Minecraft server hosting with one-click modpacks (CurseForge, FTB, Technic) and free DDoS protection.
For a few friends, use Essential to invite them into a hosted singleplayer world. For a persistent world or more players, run the exact Cursed Walking server pack on a dedicated machine or managed host. Every player must use the same Cursed Walking release, Minecraft version and Forge branch as the server. Most current setup guidance targets the 1.20.1 Forge branch with Java 17, but the pack’s exact release changes, so verify the file selected on the official Cursed Walking CurseForge project before installing.
Choose the right way to host
Cursed Walking is a Minecraft modpack, not a standalone server application. Hosting therefore means running the server files for one specific pack release while each player runs a matching client installation. Your choice of hosting method mainly depends on player count, whether the world must stay online, and how much network administration you want to do.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Minecraft | Java & Bedrock Deluxe Collection | Windows Digital Code | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Minecraft | Java & Bedrock Ultimate Collection | Windows Digital Code | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Minecraft | Standard Edition | XBOX Digital Code | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Minecraft | $6.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Minecraft - Bedrock Edition PS4 | $42.98 | Buy on Amazon |
Essential: easiest for a very small group
The Cursed Walking Wiki documents Essential as a way to invite friends into a singleplayer world. It is intended for only a few players—the fewer, the better—because the host computer must run the game, load the world and serve every connected player at the same time. The host’s upload speed and internet stability also determine whether others can play smoothly.
Essential is a good fit when the same friends play occasionally and you do not need the world available while the host is offline. It avoids port forwarding and separate server installation, but the host must launch the world before friends can join. A dedicated server is more appropriate for a persistent world, regular sessions, or a group large enough to make the host’s game client struggle.
#1 Best Overall
- DELUXE COLLECTION — Includes Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition, three Bedrock add-ons, three exclusive Character Creator items, and 700 Minecoins.
- CREATE YOUR WORLD — Build whatever you imagine in an infinite world that’s unique in every playthrough.
- EXPLORE AND CRAFT — Discover biomes, resources, and mobs, then craft your way through a sandbox world filled with surprises.
- SURVIVE THE ADVENTURE — Face mysterious foes, travel across exciting landscapes, and venture into perilous dimensions.
- PLAY TOGETHER — Play cross-platform with friends in Bedrock Edition on console, mobile, and PC, or join community servers in Java Edition on PC, Mac, and Linux. Online console multiplayer requires a platform-specific subscription (sold separately).
Self-hosted dedicated server: maximum control
A self-hosted server runs separately from a player’s Minecraft client. You control the files, backups, Java runtime, resource limits, firewall and update schedule. A spare desktop, home server or rented virtual machine can work, provided it has a fast CPU, SSD storage and enough memory.
Home hosting requires an inbound network path. You normally forward TCP port 25565 from the router to the server computer and allow the server through the operating system firewall. Carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT) at your internet provider can prevent inbound connections even when your router is configured correctly; in that case, use a managed host, a network service that provides an inbound tunnel, or a machine on a network with a public address.
Managed hosting: less administration
A managed provider supplies a control panel, server storage and a public address. Depending on the provider, installation may be a one-click pack selection or an upload of the supplied server files. The trade-off is a recurring charge and less control over the underlying machine, so compare the allocated CPU, memory, storage, backup controls, geographic location, support response and billing model before ordering.
| Method | Best for | Main advantages | Main limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential hosted world | Two or a few friends playing at the same time | Fastest setup; no separate server machine or port forwarding | Host must be online; depends heavily on the host PC and upload connection |
| Self-hosted dedicated server | Persistent worlds and groups comfortable with administration | Full file, configuration, backup and hardware control | You must install Java and Forge, secure the machine, configure networking and troubleshoot it |
| Managed server | Groups that want a persistent world without maintaining hardware | Panel tools, public connectivity and provider-managed infrastructure | Recurring cost, provider limits and possible restrictions on files or mod versions |
Confirm versions and requirements before installing
Match all three version identifiers
Write down the exact Cursed Walking file you intend to use. Then confirm its required Minecraft version and Forge branch. A server on one pack release cannot reliably accept a client on another, even when both appear to be “Cursed Walking.” Registry and handshake errors commonly result from a different pack build, Minecraft version, Forge version or mod list.
Rank #2
- ULTIMATE COLLECTION — Includes Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition, five Bedrock add-ons, five exclusive Character Creator items, and 1000 Minecoins.
- CREATE YOUR WORLD — Build whatever you imagine in an infinite world that’s unique in every playthrough.
- EXPLORE AND CRAFT — Discover biomes, resources, and mobs, then craft your way through a sandbox world filled with surprises.
- SURVIVE THE ADVENTURE — Face mysterious foes, travel across exciting landscapes, and venture into perilous dimensions.
- PLAY TOGETHER — Play cross-platform with friends in Bedrock Edition on console, mobile, and PC, or join community servers in Java Edition on PC, Mac, and Linux. Online console multiplayer requires a platform-specific subscription (sold separately).
Current setup guides generally describe Cursed Walking on Minecraft 1.20.1 with Forge and Java 17. The guides do not agree on the exact current pack release, so treat 1.20.1 and Java 17 as a branch to verify, not as permission to mix files. Select one release in the official CurseForge project, download its corresponding server pack, and have every player install that same release through the pack launcher.
Use the server pack, not a blank Forge installation
The server download is usually labelled “server files” or “additional server pack.” It contains the mod and configuration set intended for a dedicated server. Do not upload the ordinary client pack into an empty Forge server and assume the result is equivalent. Missing server-side files, wrong configuration and client-only mods can cause startup failures or connection mismatches.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Provide practical hardware
Modded Minecraft benefits more from strong individual CPU cores and fast storage than from a large number of slow cores. Cursed Walking’s city exploration and first-time terrain generation can create short, heavy CPU and disk workloads. An SSD reduces the pauses caused by loading and generating chunks. Leave memory for the operating system and other services instead of assigning every available gigabyte to Java.
| Group or workload | Published memory guidance | How to use the figure |
|---|---|---|
| 2–4 players | 6 GB, according to ModReady’s 2026 scenario guidance | Use as a starting allocation for a lightly loaded server, then watch performance during exploration and events |
| Typical group | 8 GB recommended baseline, according to ModReady (2026) | Provides more room for simultaneous chunk loading and mod activity than the minimum |
| Heavy server | 10 GB or more, according to ModReady’s 2026 table | Relevant when more players, larger render distances or demanding events increase memory pressure |
| Absolute minimum | 6 GB, according to Physgun’s 2026 guidance | Do not treat this as a guarantee of smooth play; CPU speed, storage and settings still matter |
| Comfortable cushion | 8–10 GB, according to Physgun (2026) | A practical range for many small-to-medium groups when the host has adequate CPU headroom |
These are published starting points, not a promise for every world. A server that is constantly swapping, stopping for garbage collection or falling behind during blood moons needs lower load, more CPU capacity, more memory, or a smaller player count.
Rank #3
- CREATE YOUR WORLD — Build whatever you imagine in an infinite world that is unique in every playthrough.
- EXPLORE AND CRAFT — Discover biomes, resources, and mobs, then craft your way through a sandbox world full of surprises.
- SURVIVAL ADVENTURES — Face mysterious foes, travel across varied landscapes, and venture into perilous dimensions.
- PLAY TOGETHER — Play solo or join friends in local split-screen and cross-platform play across console, mobile, and PC. Online multiplayer supports up to 8 players.
- COMMUNITY PLAY — Connect with players on community servers, or subscribe to Realms Plus (sold separately) to play with up to 10 friends on a private server.
Install a self-hosted Cursed Walking server
The following process applies to a clean server directory. Use a new folder rather than mixing the pack with files from another modpack or an earlier release.
- Select one release. On the official Cursed Walking CurseForge project, choose the exact pack file your group will use. Record the displayed Minecraft and Forge requirements. Download the matching server files or additional server pack, not only the client download.
- Prepare Java. Install the Java major version required by that pack. Current guides for the 1.20.1 Forge branch specify Java 17. On a machine with multiple Java installations, verify that the supplied start script uses the intended Java executable rather than an older system default.
- Extract to a clean directory. Unpack the server archive into a folder dedicated to this world. Keep the directory path simple and make sure the account running the server can read and write it. Do not extract over a different modpack’s files.
- Run the supplied start script once. Use the script included with the server pack for your operating system. The first run creates files such as
eula.txtand may stop before the server can start fully. If the script closes immediately, launch it from a terminal so that the error remains visible; Java-version and missing-file errors are easier to diagnose there. - Accept the Minecraft EULA. Open the generated
eula.txt, read the license, and change the setting toeula=trueif you agree. Save the file in the same server directory. This is a one-time prerequisite for the normal startup. - Start the server again. Run the supplied script a second time and wait for the console message indicating that the server has finished loading. The first startup can take longer while Forge and the pack create configuration and world data. Do not interrupt it merely because the console pauses during generation.
- Set an initial load conservatively. Before inviting everyone, keep the player limit modest and use view-distance around 6–8 chunks with simulation-distance around 4–5. These settings reduce loaded chunks and mob-AI work, especially during blood moons or horde events. Increase them only after the world remains responsive.
- Make the server reachable. On a home network, allow the Java server through the host firewall and forward TCP port 25565 from the router to the server computer’s local address. Test from outside the home network; a connection that works only from the same LAN does not prove that internet players can join.
- Give players the correct address. Share the public address and port when the default port is used. Never publish private credentials or expose unrelated administration ports. Players should connect only after they have installed the identical pack, Minecraft version and Forge branch.
What a successful first launch looks like
The console should remain open, show Forge and the Cursed Walking mod set loading, and eventually report that the server is ready for players. If it repeatedly stops before that point, inspect the last error in the console and the generated log. A Java incompatibility, incomplete server pack or damaged extraction is more likely than a network problem when the process cannot reach the loaded-server message.
Configure performance before inviting a full group
Start with view and simulation distance
View-distance controls how many chunks the server sends and keeps available around each player. Simulation-distance controls active game processing, including many mob and block updates. Lowering both reduces CPU, memory and network work. The 6–8 and 4–5 starting ranges above are deliberately conservative; test one change at a time and watch whether tick delays improve before raising them.
Limit concurrent players during demanding events
Cursed Walking’s horde and blood-moon events can create much more entity and AI activity than ordinary building. Keep the maximum player count modest until you have exercised the world with the settings you intend to use. If performance collapses only during those events, reduce distances first, then review CPU and memory headroom before adding more hardware.
Rank #4
- Skins! We have biome settlers, city folk, town folk, and more!
- The Nether and all its inhabitants. Fight Ghasts and make friends with Pigmen
- Cross platform play for up to five players between Pocket Edition and Windows 10
- Revamped touch controls, controller support, and a controller mapping screen
- Enhanced Weather effects! Accumulating snow and more
Protect the world with backups
Back up the complete world and server configuration before changing the pack version, dimensions, structures, mob behavior or world-generation settings. Keep at least one copy outside the live server directory. Test restoration on a copy so you know the backup is usable before an update or corruption incident occurs.
Avoid arbitrary mod additions
Adding a client-only or server-only mod without checking its compatibility can break the handshake. If you add anything, install the correct side and version on every machine that requires it, and test in a copied world. Do not alter world-generation settings after a world already exists unless the mod documentation explicitly supports that change; existing chunks and newly generated chunks can otherwise behave differently.
Recommended Free Tools
Use a managed host when you do not want to run infrastructure
Managed services differ in how much they automate. The important question is not whether a panel has a Cursed Walking button, but whether it installs the exact pack release and Forge branch your group uses and lets you recover the world safely.
| Provider documentation | Documented setup or capability | Questions to verify before purchase |
|---|---|---|
| ModReady | Documents Java 17, Forge, server files, backups and an 8 GB Standard-or-higher path for Cursed Walking. | Confirm the selected release, CPU allocation, storage type, backup retention and server location. |
| Physgun | Documents a panel installer; recommends 6 GB minimum and 8–10 GB for additional headroom. | Check whether the panel exposes the required Forge branch and whether you can upload or replace files. |
| Apex Hosting | Documents selecting Cursed Walking in its Game File panel and installing the matching client through CurseForge. | Verify the pack version installed by the panel, available backups and the process for changing versions safely. |
| Campfire Hosting | States that Cursed Walking installs when the server starts and that billing is calculated by the minute while the server is running. | Confirm idle-server behavior, storage persistence, backup options and the exact Java/Forge version offered. |
Promotional prices and availability change, so evaluate the current control panel and terms rather than relying on an old price. A provider that cannot install your chosen release or does not let you retrieve backups is a poor fit regardless of its advertised memory amount.
Best Value
- Play and share with friends on console, mobile and Windows 10
- discover community creations in the new in-game store
- access new mini games and game modes through servers
Connect players without version errors
- Have every player install the same Cursed Walking release selected for the server.
- Confirm that the launcher reports the same Minecraft version and Forge branch as the server.
- Remove unapproved extra mods from the client unless the server administrator has deliberately added and tested them.
- Start the server fully before launching multiplayer from the client.
- Enter the server address exactly as provided. Players on the same home network may use the server’s local address; internet players normally need the public address and forwarded port.
An immediate disconnect with a registry or handshake message is usually a version or mod-list mismatch, not a bad password. Compare the exact file names and versions on one working client and the server, then make the other clients identical.
Troubleshoot the problems that occur most often
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate disconnect, registry mismatch or handshake failure | Different Cursed Walking release, Minecraft version, Forge branch or mod files | Reinstall the exact server release on every client; remove unsanctioned additions and compare the installed file lists. |
| Server crashes or stalls during hordes or blood moons | Too many loaded chunks or entities; insufficient CPU or memory headroom | Lower view-distance and simulation-distance, cap simultaneous players, then reassess CPU and memory allocation. |
| Friends cannot see or join a home server | Firewall block, missing TCP 25565 forwarding or CGNAT | Allow Java through the firewall, forward TCP 25565 to the correct local machine, test from an external network and ask the ISP whether CGNAT is in use. |
| World generation behaves incorrectly or new terrain crashes | Client pack used as a server pack, or world-generation settings changed after creation | Restore the supplied server pack, stop changing generation settings on the existing world, and test changes on a copied world. |
| Progress disappears after a pack update | No pre-update backup or an update applied directly to the live world | Stop the server, restore the backup made before the update, and test the new release on a copy before trying again. |
| Server window closes during startup | Wrong Java major version, incomplete extraction, missing files or an unaccepted EULA | Run the script from a terminal, read the final error, verify Java 17 where required, confirm eula=true, and re-extract the matching server pack into a clean folder. |
Update Cursed Walking without losing the world
- Announce a maintenance window and stop the server normally.
- Copy the world, configuration and server files to a separate backup location. Label the backup with the old pack version and date.
- Install the new server release in a separate directory or make a complete duplicate of the old directory. Do not overwrite the only working copy.
- Read the release notes for changed dimensions, structures, mobs or required Forge and Java versions.
- Start the new version against the duplicate world, join with one matching client, and check terrain, inventories, dimensions and event behavior.
- Only after the test succeeds, schedule the live update. Keep the old directory and backup until the group has played successfully on the new release.
Rollback is straightforward only when the old world and files remain intact. If an update changes world data in a way the earlier release cannot read, restore the pre-update copy rather than repeatedly switching versions on the same live files.
Which setup should you choose?
- Choose Essential if only a few friends play together, the host is always present, and you want the shortest setup.
- Choose self-hosting if you need complete control, already have a suitable machine and can manage Java, firewalls, port forwarding and backups.
- Choose managed hosting if the world should stay online and you prefer a panel and provider network over maintaining home infrastructure.
Whichever method you choose, reliability comes from the same fundamentals: install the exact server pack, keep every client on the same Minecraft and Forge versions, start with conservative distances and player limits, and back up before every pack or world-generation change.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
