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Godlike.Host offers hosted Space Engineers servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
Install the Space Engineers Dedicated Server, add each Workshop or Mod.io ID in the server manager’s Active Mods or Subscribed Mods list, save the instance, and verify the world under World Settings > Mods. Use Steam Workshop IDs for Steam PC servers; use Mod.io IDs for Xbox and mixed PC/Xbox servers.
Choose the correct mod service first
Space Engineers supports different mod sources depending on the players who must join. A Steam PC server can use mods published on the Steam Workshop. Xbox players cannot use Steam Workshop content, so an Xbox-only or mixed PC/Xbox server should use mods hosted through Mod.io. This platform decision must be made before you build the mod list because a server configured with the wrong service will not provide usable content to every player.
| Server audience | Use this service | ID format in the server manager |
|---|---|---|
| Steam PC players only | Steam Workshop | Steam:123456789 (or the numeric ID where the field accepts one) |
| Xbox players only | Mod.io | mod.io:123456789 |
| Mixed PC and Xbox players | Mod.io | mod.io:123456789 |
Keen Software House’s administrator guidance specifically says that servers for Xbox players, including mixed PC/Xbox servers, should use only mods hosted through Mod.io. Steam Workshop is therefore a Steam-PC workflow, not a cross-platform substitute.
What you need before installing a mod
- A Windows machine or host on which the Space Engineers Dedicated Server can run.
- The dedicated-server software installed through Steam’s Tools library or through SteamCMD.
- A server instance and at least one world created in the dedicated-server configuration utility.
- The numeric ID for every mod you intend to add.
- A clear decision about whether the world is for Steam PC, Xbox, or mixed PC/Xbox players.
Workshop mods are downloaded and managed by the dedicated server; they are not normally installed by copying files into the installation folder’s general Mods directory. The Space Engineers modding guidance states that this directory is not used for Workshop server mods.
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Install the Space Engineers Dedicated Server
Install from Steam
- Open the Steam client and select Library.
- Change the library filter to Tools.
- Find Space Engineers Dedicated Server and install it.
- Open the installed server program,
SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe.
The dedicated-server package is separate from launching the normal game. Installing the game alone does not create the dedicated-server configuration utility.
Install with SteamCMD
For a machine without the Steam desktop client, install SteamCMD and run the following command, replacing <folder> with the directory where you want the server files:
steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir <folder> +app_update 298740 +quitApp ID 298740 is the Space Engineers Dedicated Server package. After SteamCMD finishes, launch SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe from the installation directory.
Create the server instance and world
The first launch opens the dedicated-server setup flow. The labels can vary slightly between releases, but the official quick setup follows this sequence:
- Run
SpaceEngineersDedicated.exe. - Choose the local or console server entry presented by the utility.
- Continue to the server configuration screen.
- Enter a server name and a world name.
- Create a new world or select an existing world for that instance.
- Save the configuration, then start the server.
Do not add mods until you know which world the server instance will load. Mods belong to a world, so changing the active world can change the effective mod list even when the server executable and instance remain the same.
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Add Workshop or Mod.io mods in the server manager
Find a Steam Workshop ID
Open the mod’s Steam Workshop page and copy the numeric value in its URL. For example, a Workshop address ending in ?id=123456789 has the ID 123456789. The number, not the mod’s display name, is what the dedicated-server manager uses.
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Open the published mod page on Mod.io and copy the mod’s numeric ID shown on that page. Use the ID for the published item, not a collection, author profile, or search-result position.
Enter the IDs
- Open the server instance in the dedicated-server configuration utility.
- Open the Active Mods or Subscribed Mods control. The exact label depends on the utility version and configuration view.
- Add each mod using its numeric ID. When the field supports an explicit service prefix, use
Steam:123456789for Workshop content ormod.io:123456789for Mod.io content. - Review the list for duplicate IDs, missing prefixes, and accidental spaces or punctuation.
- Save the server configuration.
- Start or restart the server so it can resolve and download the selected content.
Use one service consistently for a cross-platform server. Adding a Steam ID to a server intended for Xbox players does not convert the Workshop item into a Mod.io mod.
Verify that the mods are attached to the loaded world
Adding an ID to the server manager is not the final check. Because mods are associated with individual worlds, verify the list in the world itself:
- Open the server’s world settings.
- Select World Settings > Mods.
- Confirm that every intended mod appears in the list.
- Check the order, especially if one mod depends on another or changes the same definitions.
- Save the world settings and restart the server if you changed the list.
The dedicated-server GUI and save files can display load order differently. Treat the world’s saved mod list and the order shown by the active configuration as separate views; after editing, check both rather than assuming that a visual reorder in one place is identical in the other.
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Steam Workshop versus Mod.io in practice
| Consideration | Steam Workshop | Mod.io |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Steam PC servers | Xbox-only and mixed PC/Xbox servers |
| Identifier | Numeric ID from the Workshop URL | Numeric ID shown on the published Mod.io page |
| Entry example | Steam:123456789 |
mod.io:123456789 |
| Xbox compatibility | Not suitable for Xbox players | Required for Xbox players |
| Where the server gets content | Steam Workshop service | Mod.io service |
If a creator publishes separate versions of a mod, select the version on the service that matches your server audience. A similarly named Workshop and Mod.io item can have different IDs and may not contain identical files.
Where downloaded files and logs matter
You normally manage Workshop server mods by their IDs, not by manually placing extracted files in the installation directory. The general Mods folder is not the normal location for Workshop server content. Manual copying can leave the server unable to track updates or associate the content with the world.
When a download fails, the most useful evidence is the server’s workshop_log.txt. Open that file in the dedicated-server logs directory and read the final failure reason. Earlier lines may show attempted IDs, but the last error usually identifies whether the problem is authentication, a missing item, a network failure, or a damaged local manifest.
Troubleshoot a mod that will not download
1. Confirm the ID and service prefix
- Check that a Steam ID came from the Workshop URL and is numeric.
- Check that a Mod.io ID came from the published mod page.
- Use
Steam:ormod.io:when the control accepts the platform-qualified syntax. - Remove quotation marks, URL text, commas, and trailing spaces.
An incorrect ID can look like a download problem even when the server’s network connection is working.
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2. Read workshop_log.txt
Stop the server or wait until the failed attempt has completed, then inspect the final entries in workshop_log.txt. Record the mod ID and exact failure reason before changing files. This prevents replacing a working configuration when the actual issue is an unavailable or incorrectly entered item.
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3. Refresh Steam runtime DLLs
For Steam Workshop download failures, the official setup guidance recommends copying these files from the Steam client or SteamCMD directory into the server’s DedicatedServer64 directory:
steamclient64.dlltier0_s64.dllvstdlib_s64.dll
Stop the server before replacing the files. Copy only the named DLLs, preserve the originals in a backup location, and then restart the dedicated server and test the same mod again.
4. Reset a corrupted Workshop manifest
If the log indicates a damaged or inconsistent Workshop cache, stop the server and delete appworkshop_244850.acf. This manifest belongs to the Space Engineers Workshop subscription state. Removing it forces the server to rebuild the manifest and download its configured mods again on the next start.
Do not delete the world save or the entire server directory as a first response. Resetting the manifest targets the subscription cache while leaving the world and server configuration intact. If you use several Steam applications on the same machine, verify that you are deleting the manifest associated with the Space Engineers server installation.
5. Check the world, not only the instance list
After a successful download, open World Settings > Mods. If the ID appears in the server manager but not in the world, the server may be loading a different world or the configuration was not saved. Select the intended world, save its settings, and restart the instance.
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6. Check load order after every edit
Two mods that alter the same game definitions can produce errors when loaded in the wrong sequence. The official Mods documentation notes that the dedicated-server GUI and save files represent order differently. Compare the order in the active configuration with the order stored in the world after saving, then test the server with the smallest useful set of mods.
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Common mistakes and their fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The server starts without a listed Workshop mod | The ID was entered in the wrong field, was not saved, or belongs to another service | Reopen Active Mods/Subscribed Mods, verify the ID and prefix, save, and check World Settings > Mods. |
| An Xbox player cannot use the server’s mods | The server uses Steam Workshop items | Replace them with Mod.io-hosted versions and enter mod.io: IDs. |
| Download errors appear after a server update or move | Steam runtime DLLs are missing or outdated | Copy the three recommended 64-bit DLLs into DedicatedServer64, then retry. |
| The same mod repeatedly fails after the ID is corrected | The Workshop manifest is corrupted | Stop the server, remove appworkshop_244850.acf, and let the server rebuild its cache. |
| Mods work in one save but not another | Mods are assigned per world | Open the active world’s settings and verify its own Mods list. |
| Changes seem to apply in a different order than expected | GUI and save-file load-order views differ | Inspect both representations and retest after saving. |
Updating or removing a mod safely
Update a mod
- Stop the server cleanly.
- Check the mod’s current page on its source service for an updated item or replacement ID.
- Keep the existing ID if the publisher updated the same item; replace it only when the publisher explicitly moved or split the mod.
- Start the server and watch
workshop_log.txtfor the download result. - Open World Settings > Mods and verify that the updated item is still attached to the intended world.
Remove a mod
- Stop the server.
- Remove the mod ID from Active Mods or Subscribed Mods.
- Open the world’s Mods settings and remove the same item there if it remains listed.
- Save the configuration and world, then restart the server.
Before removing a mod from an established world, make a backup of the world save. A mod may add blocks, scripts, or definitions that existing builds rely on; the server can start while the world still contains unsupported content.
Self-hosting versus managed hosting
Running the dedicated server yourself gives you direct access to the configuration utility, world files, Workshop logs, DLLs, and the appworkshop_244850.acf manifest. That access is valuable when a mod download fails because you can apply the official recovery steps directly.
A managed host removes much of the Windows and SteamCMD administration, but you still need to provide the correct platform-specific mod IDs and understand the host’s interface for active mods, world settings, logs, and load order. Keen Software House’s dedicated-server documentation identifies GTX Gaming as the official host for the PC version and Nitrado as the official host for the Xbox version; availability, pricing, and current terms can change, so verify those details before purchasing. Hosting does not remove the Steam-versus-Mod.io compatibility rule.
Final pre-start checklist
- The dedicated server is installed from Steam Tools or with SteamCMD app ID
298740. SpaceEngineersDedicated.exeopens the server configuration utility.- The intended server instance and world are selected.
- Steam PC servers use Workshop IDs; Xbox and mixed servers use Mod.io IDs.
- Every entry in Active Mods or Subscribed Mods has the correct numeric ID and, where supported, the correct service prefix.
- The world’s World Settings > Mods page contains the same intended list.
- Load order has been checked in both the GUI and the saved world representation.
- If a download failed,
workshop_log.txtwas checked before changing files. - For Steam download failures, the three recommended DLLs and the Workshop manifest were considered only when the log supported those recovery steps.
Once these checks pass, save the configuration and start the server. The decisive verification is the active world’s Mods list, not merely a mod ID typed into the server manager.
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