Enshrouded server settings all live in one file, enshrouded_server.json, which the dedicated server writes next to enshrouded_server.exe the first time it starts. The file holds four kinds of setting: the basics (name, slots, port, chat), user groups that double as passwords and permissions, a difficulty preset, and 38 gameplay values that only apply when the preset is Custom. To change any of them, stop the server, edit the file and start it again. Below is every option in Enshrouded 1.0 with its default and range, plus ready-made setups and fixes for settings that won’t apply.
Where is the Enshrouded server config file?
On a dedicated server, the Enshrouded server config is enshrouded_server.json, in the same folder as enshrouded_server.exe. It doesn’t exist until the server has started once. For a Steam Tools install, open the folder with Properties → Installed Files → Browse. If you host a world from the game instead, its settings live in the in-game Host Settings menu and are stored in enshrouded_user.json, next to your save data.
- Docker (mornedhels image):
game/server/enshrouded_server.jsonin the mounted folder. - Docker (sknnr image):
/home/steam/enshrouded/enshrouded_server.jsoninside the container, or your own file withEXTERNAL_CONFIG=1. - Hosted server: your host’s file manager. With Enshrouded server hosting on GameTeam, open
enshrouded_server.jsonin the panel’s file manager.
Not set up yet? The Enshrouded dedicated server guide covers installing the server, ports and the first start.
How to change Enshrouded server settings
Stop the server, open enshrouded_server.json in a text editor, change the values, save, then boot the server. Enshrouded loads the config only at startup, which is why nothing changes until a restart. For gameplay values, set gameSettingsPreset to Custom first, otherwise the server ignores them and uses the preset’s values.
- Stop the server, so the file isn’t changed underneath a running server.
- Make a copy of the file, so a typo can’t cost you your setup.
- Edit and save. Keep the JSON valid: text in double quotes,
true/falsein lowercase, numbers without quotes, a comma between entries and none after the last one. - Start the server and watch the console. It should reach
'HostOnline' (up)!.
Two rules from Keen’s documentation decide what happens to a bad value. A number outside its allowed range is replaced by the minimum or maximum. An invalid text value, such as an option word the server doesn’t know, stops the server from booting, and the console shows the value it rejected. Option words are case-sensitive, so normal is not Normal.
Top-level Enshrouded server configuration
The Enshrouded server JSON settings at the top of the file decide who sees the server and how players reach it. You rarely need to touch the folders or the IP. The settings most groups change are name, slotCount, the two chat switches and tags. Here is every top-level key in a fresh 1.0 file, with its default:
| Key | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
name |
"Enshrouded Server" |
Name in the server list. Every player can see it, so Keen asks for a non-offensive one. |
saveDirectory |
"./savegame" |
Where the world is saved. |
logDirectory |
"./logs" |
Where the current log goes. Older logs are archived in logs/backup. |
ip |
"0.0.0.0" |
The address the server listens on. Only change it for an internal network setup. |
queryPort |
15637 |
The one network port (UDP). Change it to fit your firewall, and forward the new number. |
slotCount |
16 |
Players at once, 1 to 16. Each slot adds CPU and RAM load. |
tags |
[] |
Filter tags for the server list (see below). |
voiceChatMode |
"Proximity" |
Proximity or Global (server-wide). |
enableVoiceChat |
false |
Turns voice chat on or off. |
enableTextChat |
false |
Turns text chat on or off. It’s off in a fresh file, so switch it on if your group types. |
gameSettingsPreset |
"Default" |
The difficulty preset. See the presets section. |
gameSettings |
block | The 38 gameplay values. Only used with Custom. |
userGroups |
4 roles | Roles with their own password and permissions. |
bannedAccounts |
[] |
Banned players. Manage bans in game from the Social tab, and only edit the list by hand with the server stopped. |
Tags: LookingForPlayers; a language (English, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Chinese, Taiwanese); and a focus (BaseBuilding, Exploration, Roleplay). For example: "tags": ["LookingForPlayers", "English", "BaseBuilding"]. A private server for friends doesn’t need any.
Enshrouded private server: passwords and roles
To make an Enshrouded private server, give every role a password. There is no single server password and no whitelist setting. Each entry in userGroups has its own password and permissions, and the password a player types when joining decides their role. A fresh file already has random passwords, so nobody gets in by accident. Change them to ones you can hand out.
| Permission | What it allows |
|---|---|
canKickBan |
Kick and ban players |
canAccessInventories |
Open chests, other containers and workstations |
canEditWorld |
Dig, build and terraform in the world outside bases |
canEditBase |
Add and remove blocks and props inside player bases |
canExtendBase |
Place, upgrade and remove Flame Altars |
reservedSlots |
Slots held for this role. When the rest are full, the server shows as full to anyone joining with another role’s password. |
The four roles in a fresh file:
| Role | canKickBan | canAccessInventories | canEditWorld | canEditBase | canExtendBase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admin | true | true | true | true | true |
| Friend | false | true | true | true | false |
| Guest | false | false | true | false | false |
| Visitor | false | false | false | false | false |
Every role can fight, loot, explore and do quests. The permissions only limit chests, bases, Flame Altars, the world outside bases and admin powers.
How to set up an Enshrouded private server with friends
- Decide who gets which role. Most groups only need Admin for the owner and Friend for everyone else. Delete the roles you won’t use.
- Set a password for each remaining role, then restart the server.
- Send each friend the server name and the password for their role.
- They open Enshrouded, pick Join, switch on Show dedicated servers, choose your server and enter their password.
"userGroups": [
{
"name": "Admin",
"password": "long-admin-password",
"canKickBan": true,
"canAccessInventories": true,
"canEditWorld": true,
"canEditBase": true,
"canExtendBase": true,
"reservedSlots": 1
},
{
"name": "Friend",
"password": "password-for-the-group",
"canKickBan": false,
"canAccessInventories": true,
"canEditWorld": true,
"canEditBase": true,
"canExtendBase": false,
"reservedSlots": 2
}
]You can also add your own roles. Keen’s example is a group that may use chests and workstations but not add or remove anything in bases: canAccessInventories on, canEditBase off.
The old Enshrouded server password line
Before Update 2, the server password was a single "password" line near the top of the file. That line no longer sets a password. If the server finds one in an old file, it creates a group called default with that password and Friend-level permissions, so an untouched old server stays locked. Move the password into a proper role and delete the old line.
Changing a player’s role
On a dedicated server you can’t promote or demote someone while you’re playing; that only works in worlds hosted from the game. To change what someone can do, give them another role’s password, or change the role’s permissions with the server stopped.
Enshrouded server difficulty settings: the five presets
gameSettingsPreset sets the difficulty in one word. Default is the standard game and the one Keen recommends for first-time players. Relaxed means fewer enemies and more resources and loot. Hard brings more enemies, and more aggressive ones. Survival adds extra survival mechanics on top of that. Custom unlocks the 38 values below. With any other preset, those values are ignored.
| Preset | Who it’s for |
|---|---|
Default |
A first playthrough. The game as it was balanced before custom settings existed. |
Relaxed |
Groups who mostly want to build and explore without much fighting. |
Hard |
Groups who want tougher combat. |
Survival |
Groups who want hard combat and extra survival pressure. |
Custom |
Anyone who wants to set the values one by one. |
For a world you host from the game rather than a dedicated server, difficulty is set in the world settings in game instead.
Every Enshrouded gameplay setting (gameSettings)
These are all 38 keys under gameSettings in Enshrouded 1.0, grouped by what they touch. Factors are multipliers where 1 is normal, and the game shows them as percentages. Times are in nanoseconds (the next section has a conversion table). A number outside the range is clamped to the nearest limit. Remember that Enshrouded custom server settings only apply with "gameSettingsPreset": "Custom".
Player
| Key | Default | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
playerHealthFactor |
1 | 0.25–4 | Max health |
playerManaFactor |
1 | 0.25–4 | Max mana |
playerStaminaFactor |
1 | 0.25–4 | Max stamina |
playerBodyHeatFactor |
1 | 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 | Body heat: higher means longer in the cold before hypothermia |
playerDivingTimeFactor |
1 | 0.5–2 | Starting oxygen, so time underwater |
Survival and death
| Key | Default | Options or range | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
enableDurability |
true | true / false | With false, weapons don’t break |
enableStarvingDebuff |
false | true / false | Hunger and starvation: a starving player loses health until they eat or drink |
foodBuffDurationFactor |
1 | 0.5–2 | How long food buffs last |
fromHungerToStarving |
600000000000 (10 min) | 5–20 min | How long “hungry” lasts before starving starts |
shroudTimeFactor |
1 | 0.5–2 | How long players can stay inside the Shroud |
tombstoneMode |
AddBackpackMaterials | AddBackpackMaterials / Everything / NoTombstone | What goes into the tombstone on death: materials only, the whole backpack, or nothing |
curseModifier |
Normal | Easy / Normal / Hard | Shroud curse: Easy turns it off, Hard doubles the chance of getting cursed |
World, weather and time
| Key | Default | Options or range | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
dayTimeDuration |
1800000000000 (30 min) | 2–60 min | Length of the day |
nightTimeDuration |
720000000000 (12 min) | 2–60 min | Length of the night |
weatherFrequency |
Normal | Disabled / Rare / Normal / Often | How often new weather appears |
enableGliderTurbulences |
true | true / false | Air turbulence while gliding |
flameLevelFogRemoval |
11 | 0–20 | New in 1.0: Flame level needed to place Flame Altars inside the Shroud and push it back |
plantGrowthSpeedFactor |
1 | 0.25–2 | Plant growth speed |
fishingDifficulty |
Normal | VeryEasy / Easy / Normal / Hard / VeryHard | How hard fish fight in the fishing minigame |
tamingStartleRepercussion |
LoseSomeProgress | KeepProgress / LoseSomeProgress / LoseAllProgress | What happens to taming progress if you startle the animal |
Resources, crafting and runes
| Key | Default | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
miningDamageFactor |
1 | 0.5–2 | Mining damage: more terraforming and more resources per hit |
resourceDropStackAmountFactor |
1 | 0.25–2 | Materials per loot stack from chests, enemies and so on |
factoryProductionSpeedFactor |
1 | 0.25–2 | Workstation effectiveness: scales production times for workshop items |
perkUpgradeRecyclingFactor |
0.5 | 0–1 | Share of Runes returned when you salvage an upgraded weapon |
perkCostFactor |
1 | 0.25–2 | Runes needed to upgrade weapons |
Experience
| Key | Default | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
experienceCombatFactor |
1 | 0.25–2 | XP from combat |
experienceMiningFactor |
1 | 0–2 | XP from mining |
experienceExplorationQuestsFactor |
1 | 0.25–2 | XP from exploring and quests |
Enemies and bosses
| Key | Default | Options or range | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
randomSpawnerAmount |
Normal | Few / Normal / Automatic / Many / Extreme | How many enemies spawn. Automatic (new in 1.0) scales them to the number of players nearby |
aggroPoolAmount |
Normal | Few / Normal / Many / Extreme | How many enemies may attack at the same time |
enemyDamageFactor |
1 | 0.25–5 | Enemy damage, bosses excluded |
enemyHealthFactor |
1 | 0.25–4 | Enemy health, bosses excluded |
enemyStaminaFactor |
1 | 0.5–2 | Enemy stamina: higher takes longer to stun |
enemyPerceptionRangeFactor |
1 | 0.5–2 | How far enemies see and hear you |
threatBonus |
1 | 0.25–4 | How often enemies attack, bosses excluded |
pacifyAllEnemies |
false | true / false | Enemies (not bosses) leave you alone until you attack them |
bossDamageFactor |
1 | 0.2–5 | Boss damage |
bossHealthFactor |
1 | 0.2–5 | Boss health |
Day, night and hunger times: minutes to nanoseconds
dayTimeDuration, nightTimeDuration and fromHungerToStarving are written in nanoseconds. One minute is 60,000,000,000, which is 6 followed by ten zeros. Day and night accept 2 to 60 minutes, and hunger accepts 5 to 20. Multiply the minutes you want by 60,000,000,000 and write the result without separators, or copy a value from the table.
| Minutes | Value to write |
|---|---|
| 2 | 120000000000 |
| 5 | 300000000000 |
| 6 | 360000000000 |
| 8 | 480000000000 |
| 10 | 600000000000 |
| 12 | 720000000000 |
| 15 | 900000000000 |
| 20 | 1200000000000 |
| 30 | 1800000000000 |
| 45 | 2700000000000 |
| 60 | 3600000000000 |
Best Enshrouded server settings: four ready-made setups
There’s no single best setting, because it depends on what your group wants from a session. For a first playthrough, stay on Default, which is what Keen recommends for new players. For anything else, the blocks below are starting points. Paste the values into your gameSettings block, set "gameSettingsPreset": "Custom", restart, and adjust after a session or two. Keys you leave out stay at their defaults.
Relaxed building group
More materials, faster mining and farming, shorter nights, and no gear lost on death.
"resourceDropStackAmountFactor": 2,
"miningDamageFactor": 2,
"plantGrowthSpeedFactor": 2,
"randomSpawnerAmount": "Few",
"enableDurability": false,
"tombstoneMode": "NoTombstone",
"dayTimeDuration": 2700000000000,
"nightTimeDuration": 360000000000Hard survival
Hunger on, tougher and more frequent enemies, a stronger curse, and the whole backpack in the tombstone when you die.
"enableStarvingDebuff": true,
"enemyDamageFactor": 1.5,
"enemyHealthFactor": 1.5,
"randomSpawnerAmount": "Many",
"threatBonus": 1.5,
"curseModifier": "Hard",
"weatherFrequency": "Often",
"tombstoneMode": "Everything"Full 16-player server
Enemy numbers follow the size of the group, and bosses get more health so a crowd doesn’t melt them. Pair it with "enableTextChat": true at the top of the file and a reserved Admin slot.
"randomSpawnerAmount": "Automatic",
"bossHealthFactor": 2,
"bossDamageFactor": 1.25Peaceful exploring
Enemies only fight back, no curse, smooth gliding and calmer weather.
"pacifyAllEnemies": true,
"curseModifier": "Easy",
"enableGliderTurbulences": false,
"weatherFrequency": "Rare"Enshrouded server settings not applying? Fixes
A setting that refuses to take effect usually traces back to one of four things: the preset isn’t Custom, the file was edited while the server was running, an option word is wrong, or the key ended up outside the gameSettings block. Start the server and read the console or log first, because an invalid option word is named there.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Gameplay values change nothing | gameSettingsPreset isn’t Custom |
Set it to "Custom" and restart |
| An edit disappeared or never loaded | Changes were saved while the server was up | Shut it down, make the edit, boot it again |
| Server won’t start after an edit | An unknown or wrongly capitalised option word, or broken JSON | Fix the value the console names, or check commas and quotes |
| A value seems capped | It’s outside the allowed range and was clamped | Use a number inside the range |
| The server password doesn’t work | It’s on the old top-level password line, or doesn’t match any role |
Put it in a userGroups entry |
| New 1.0 options are missing, or settings act strangely after an update | An older file that was updated incorrectly | Rename the file, let the server write a fresh one, copy your values back |
| Changes made in a hosting panel don’t stick | The panel’s editor doesn’t match the current file layout | Edit the JSON file directly. Keen warns that third-party tools must be updated for the user-group structure |
Skip the JSON: change settings by asking
Hand-editing nanoseconds and permission flags is the part of running an Enshrouded server nobody enjoys. With Enshrouded server hosting on GameTeam you can still open enshrouded_server.json in the file manager, but you don’t have to. Billing is per GB of RAM, from $0.49/GB a week; slots are unlimited and the copilot comes with every plan.
Type “make nights 6 minutes, turn hunger on and give guests a password that can’t open chests” and the copilot sets the preset to Custom, writes nightTimeDuration, enableStarvingDebuff and the Guest role, reboots the server, then reads the file back to confirm every value landed. If a bad value stops the server from booting, ask why, and it reads the log and fixes the line.
FAQ
How do I change the server settings in Enshrouded?
On a dedicated server, stop it, edit enshrouded_server.json and start it again. In a world you host from the game, use the Host Settings menu and the world settings.
How do I change difficulty settings in Enshrouded?
Set gameSettingsPreset to Relaxed, Hard or Survival, or to Custom and set the individual values, then restart the server.
Does a settings change need a restart?
Yes. The config is only read at startup, so shut the server down before editing and boot it afterwards.
How do I set an Enshrouded server password?
Give each role in userGroups a password. Players join with the password for their role. The old top-level password line no longer works on its own.
Is there an Enshrouded server whitelist?
No. Role passwords are the access control: anyone without a password can’t get in, and the password they use decides what they can do. Bans go in bannedAccounts, normally added from the Social tab in game.
What is the maximum number of players?
16. Keen’s documentation says slotCount must be a number between 1 and 16.
Do you need a dedicated server for Enshrouded?
Not to play together, since any player can host a world. You need one if the world should stay online while the host is away. The dedicated server guide covers both options.