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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.
If a Space Engineers dedicated server will not start, first launch a fresh default world with every mod disabled and no custom launch options. That single test separates world or mod problems from installation, process, port and host problems. If the clean server starts, restore your content in small batches. If it does not, check port conflicts, update the game and dedicated-server files, verify the tool files in Steam, inspect storage and read the final log lines. A server that stays running but cannot be joined is a network-reachability problem rather than a startup problem.
Identify exactly where startup fails
Write down the observable failure before changing anything. The remedy depends on whether the executable closes, the control panel remains on Starting, one world fails to load, or the server reaches a usable state but players cannot connect. Change one variable at a time so a successful or failed test has a clear meaning.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute| What you see | Likely branch | First useful test |
|---|---|---|
| The process closes immediately or never creates a usable console | Installation files, a duplicate process, a bad port or host permissions | Stop other instances, check the configured port, update files and verify the dedicated-server tool in Steam |
| The server remains on Starting | A world, mod download, dependency, storage or initialization failure | Start a new default world with no mods and compare the logs |
| Only one existing world fails | Save data or a mod used by that world | Back up the save and test a clean world |
| A clean world starts, but adding content makes it fail | Broken, obsolete, circular-reference or unavailable workshop content | Re-enable mods incrementally and inspect workshop_log.txt |
| The console stays running, but nobody outside the host can join | UDP forwarding, firewall or an incorrect advertised port/IP | Test locally, then check the configured UDP port, router forwarding and firewall rule |
Run the clean baseline test first
Keen Software House support repeatedly asks administrators to start once without mods and without custom launch options on the server or client. This is the fastest way to determine whether the failure follows the installation or follows your content.
- Stop the server completely. Confirm that no second dedicated-server process remains.
- Make a copy of the affected save and configuration before editing or deleting anything.
- Create or select a fresh default world. Do not use the failing save for this test.
- Disable every mod and remove custom launch options for the test. Keep the server’s normal port and intended IP configuration.
- Start the server and wait for the console to reach its normal usable state rather than judging it from a brief pause.
- Record whether the clean world starts, how long initialization takes and the final lines in the server and game logs.
A successful clean launch proves that the executable and basic host environment can work; it does not prove that the original save or its mods are healthy. A failed clean launch points you toward the process, files, port, permissions, storage or host rather than toward a particular workshop item.
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When mods or a world prevent loading
Restore mods in controlled batches
If the default world starts, stop the server and reintroduce the original content gradually. Add one mod at a time when the list is short, or use small batches when it is large. Start after each change. The first batch that reproduces the failure contains the likely offender; split that batch and repeat until you isolate it.
Common causes include a broken download, an obsolete mod, a missing dependency, a circular reference between items, or workshop content that is temporarily unavailable. Do not assume that a world which worked previously will continue to work after a mod author changes or removes an item.
Use the workshop and server logs
Inspect workshop_log.txt and the server log immediately after the failed attempt. The workshop log records the reason for download failures and can identify the item or manifest operation that stopped progress. The Space Engineers workshop manifest, appworkshop_244850.acf, is the index of downloaded workshop content; an error naming that manifest or a specific item gives you a more useful lead than a generic Starting message.
Compare the last successful and first failing batches. If the log names one workshop ID, remove or update that item, verify its dependencies, and test again. If the log reports several downloads, test those items separately instead of deleting the entire cache immediately.
Protect the save while troubleshooting
Always stop the server before copying or modifying a save. Keep an untouched backup outside the active save directory. A clean world test should not overwrite the original world, because the original is evidence: its configuration and logs help show whether the failure is content-specific.
Check processes, ports and dedicated-server files
Eliminate a port conflict
Only one server instance can use a particular port on the host. Close other Space Engineers servers and any unrelated application configured for the same port. A stale process left after a crash can reserve the port even when its window is no longer visible. Restarting the host can clear a process you cannot otherwise identify, but preserve the logs first.
Keen’s setup documentation supports the -port command-line override. Confirm that the command line, saved server configuration and router rule all refer to the same intended port and IP. A mismatch can look like either a startup failure or an unreachable server, so verify the value rather than relying on a panel’s default.
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Update both sides of the installation
Out-of-date or partially updated files are among Keen support’s checks for a server that will not launch. Update the Space Engineers game and the dedicated-server tool, then run Steam’s Verify integrity of tool files for the dedicated-server installation. Verification can replace damaged files without discarding your saves; back up configuration and worlds before making broader changes.
Check launch options and address binding
For the baseline test, remove custom launch options. Once the clean server starts, add options back one at a time. Make sure the selected IP is an address assigned to the host and that the port in the launch command is the one you intend to expose. An accidental override can send the process to an unavailable interface or a port already occupied by another instance.
When the server starts but nobody can join
If the console remains running and a client on the host can connect, startup is complete. Move to reachability troubleshooting instead of reinstalling the server. Space Engineers server communication uses UDP, so forwarding only TCP is insufficient.
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Verify the host locally
- Connect from a client on the same machine or local network using the server’s configured address.
- If local connection fails, recheck the server configuration, selected IP, port and the server log before changing the router.
- If local connection succeeds but an outside player cannot join, continue with forwarding and firewall checks.
Forward the configured UDP port
Create a router rule that forwards incoming UDP traffic on the server’s configured port to the host’s local IP address. One Keen support setup specifies UDP port 27016; that number is an example for that configuration, not a universal Space Engineers requirement. Use the port shown in your server configuration or -port argument.
Give the host a stable local address or a DHCP reservation so the forwarding rule does not silently point at a different device after a reboot. Confirm that the router’s rule is enabled and that you are testing from outside the same network; some routers do not support reliable hairpin connections.
Allow the executable through the firewall
Permit the dedicated-server executable and its configured UDP port through the host firewall for the appropriate network profile. Keen support specifically advises ensuring required dedicated-server ports are forwarded and not blocked by a firewall or router. Temporarily disabling a firewall is a poor permanent fix; use a narrow rule and restore normal protection after testing.
Read logs before deleting caches
Save the complete server and game logs from the failed attempt. Support requests full logs when escalation is necessary, and the final lines often distinguish a mod download error from a port or file problem. Capture the timestamp, the world name, the last successful startup and the first failure.
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Workshop download failures
Look at the end of workshop_log.txt for a named download, dependency or manifest error. Preserve appworkshop_244850.acf and the relevant logs before attempting cleanup. If the same item repeatedly fails, remove or update that item through the normal workshop configuration and retest.
Cache and manifest cleanup
Deleting workshop cache or manifest files can force every mod to download again. Do it only after stopping the server and making a backup. Cache deletion is a reversible diagnostic step only when you can restore the backup and have enough free disk space for a complete redownload. It should not be the first response to an unexplained Starting state.
Check storage, permissions and the host
The installation, saved worlds, logs and downloaded mods all consume storage. A nearly full drive can prevent a world from saving, a log from being written or a workshop item from completing its download. Check free space on the volume that contains the server’s data path, not only the system drive.
- Confirm that the account running the server can read the installation and write saves and logs.
- Check that the configured data directory still exists and has not moved or become read-only.
- Look for a rapidly growing log or repeated download that is exhausting storage.
- Do not reinstall until you know whether the problem is a missing permission, unavailable path or full disk.
If local administration, continuous uptime, port forwarding or firewall control is the blocker, managed hosting is a reasonable escalation. Keen’s official PC-server information identifies GTX Gaming as an official host. Hosting changes the infrastructure you manage; it does not make a broken world or mod valid, so test a clean world before migrating the save.
Compare fixes by failure stage and evidence
Not every remedy has the same scope or risk. A configuration test is safer than deleting a cache, and a named log error is stronger evidence than a symptom alone. Use these comparisons to avoid applying a network fix to a content failure or destroying useful diagnostic data.
| Fix or test | Best match | Scope and reversibility |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh world with no mods | Unknown startup cause or a world that stays on Starting | Low risk; leaves the original save intact and separates content from infrastructure |
| Incremental mod restoration | Clean world works but the original does not | Controlled and reversible; identifies one batch or item instead of changing everything |
| Steam file verification | Every world fails or the process closes before initialization | Repairs installation files while preserving saves, provided backups exist |
| Port and process check | Immediate exit, bind error or multiple server instances | Low risk; changes no world data |
| Cache or manifest deletion | Logs show a persistent workshop download or manifest problem | More disruptive; forces downloads and requires backup and free space |
| Router and firewall changes | Server works locally but remote players cannot join | Infrastructure-only; irrelevant to a process that never reaches a usable state |
| Managed hosting | Port forwarding, uptime or local administration is the limiting factor | Moves infrastructure responsibility; content and mod testing still remains necessary |
Symptom-to-fix decision guide
| Evidence | Do next | Avoid first |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh, mod-free world starts | Back up the original save and add mods in small batches, using the logs to isolate the failing item | Deleting every workshop file |
| Fresh world also remains on Starting | Check duplicate processes, the configured port, updates, Steam file verification, storage and permissions | Editing the original world repeatedly |
| Log names a workshop item or manifest operation | Resolve that download or dependency, then retest with the item disabled | Changing router settings |
| Local client connects, remote client cannot | Forward the configured UDP port and allow the executable through the firewall | Reinstalling the game |
| No useful log is written | Check the data path, free space, write permissions and whether the process exits before initialization | Assuming the network is at fault |
A safe recovery sequence
- Stop all server instances and preserve the complete logs.
- Back up the save, configuration, workshop manifest and any custom launch settings.
- Run the fresh-world, no-mod, no-custom-option test.
- If it fails, resolve process conflicts, port selection, updates, file verification, storage and permissions in that order.
- If it succeeds, restore the original world without mods and test it.
- Restore mods incrementally, isolating the first batch that reproduces the error.
- After the console remains usable, test a local client.
- Only then configure router UDP forwarding and firewall access for remote players.
- Record the working port, IP, world and mod list so a later update can be compared against a known-good configuration.
What to include when asking for support
Provide the full server and game logs from the failed run, the final lines of workshop_log.txt when workshop content is involved, the game and dedicated-server versions, the configured port, whether a clean world starts, and whether local connection works. State which single change brought the failure back. This evidence lets support distinguish a content failure from a host or reachability failure without asking you to repeat unrelated tests.
Prevent the next startup failure
- Keep a dated backup before changing the world or its mod list.
- Maintain a known-good mod list and add new items one at a time.
- Leave adequate free space for saves, logs and workshop downloads.
- Document the configured UDP port, host IP and firewall rule.
- Use one server instance per port.
- After updates, test a copied world or fresh default world before opening the server to players.
- Keep the final logs from a working launch so a future failure has a direct comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my server stuck on Starting?
First determine whether the delay occurs only with one world or with a fresh default world. Stop the server, disable every mod and custom launch option, and launch the clean world. If it works, isolate the original save or workshop content. If it does not, inspect the final log lines, storage, permissions, port conflicts, updates and Steam file verification.
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Why does it crash when I add mods?
A broken, obsolete, unavailable or dependency-related workshop item can stop initialization. Restore mods in small batches, then split the first failing batch. Use workshop_log.txt and the server log to identify the item or manifest operation instead of deleting all downloaded content immediately.
What does port 27016 mean?
Keen support cites UDP 27016 in one setup example. It is not a universal port requirement. Use the value in your server configuration or -port argument, and make the router forwarding rule and firewall permission match that value.
The server runs locally. Why can nobody on the internet join?
That indicates reachability rather than startup. Space Engineers uses UDP communication. Forward the configured UDP port to the host’s local IP, allow the executable through the firewall, and confirm that the host address has not changed. Test from outside the local network.
Should I delete the workshop cache?
Only after stopping the server, saving complete logs and making a backup. Cache or manifest deletion forces workshop items to download again and can create a larger problem if disk space is low. A specific log error should justify the cleanup.
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Consider managed hosting when local port forwarding, firewall administration or reliable uptime is the obstacle. Test a clean world first, because hosting does not repair a damaged save or invalid mod. Keen’s official PC-server information identifies GTX Gaming as an official host.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Bottom line
Use a clean, mod-free default world as the dividing line. If it starts, protect the save and isolate workshop content incrementally; if it fails, investigate processes, ports, files, storage and permissions. Once the console is usable, separate local startup from remote reachability by testing locally, then configure matching UDP forwarding and firewall rules. Preserve logs and backups at every destructive step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Space Engineers server stuck on Starting?
Launch a fresh default world with all mods and custom launch options disabled. If that works, isolate the original save or mods; if it fails too, check logs, ports, files, storage and permissions.
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Why does the server crash when I add mods?
Restore mods in small batches and split the first failing batch. Check workshop_log.txt and the server log for broken downloads, missing dependencies, obsolete items or manifest errors.
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Is UDP port 27016 required?
No. Keen support cites 27016 for one setup only. Use the configured port or -port value and match it in the router and firewall.
The server works locally. Why can’t remote players join?
Forward the configured UDP port to the host’s local IP, allow the executable through the firewall and test from outside the local network.
Should I delete the workshop cache?
Only after stopping the server, preserving logs and backing up the manifest and saves. Deletion forces all workshop content to download again.
When is managed hosting appropriate?
Use it when local port forwarding, firewall administration or uptime is the blocker. A clean-world test is still required because hosting does not fix invalid worlds or mods.
The Bottom Line
Start with a fresh world and no mods. That result tells you whether to isolate content or repair the host. Preserve backups and logs, verify files before reinstalling, and troubleshoot UDP reachability only after the server is genuinely running.
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