A Soulmask dedicated server runs your world on its own machine, so your tribe’s camp keeps working, your followers stay put, and friends can log in whenever they like without the host being online. The free server comes from SteamCMD (app 3017310 for Windows, 3017300 for Linux), is configured with launch parameters, and needs UDP ports 8777 and 27015 open. The developer recommends 16 GB of RAM per server. This guide covers the setup, the settings, admin access, mods, cross-server mode and the reasons a server doesn’t show up in the list.
Solo, LAN, official or private server?
Soulmask can be played solo, over LAN, on official servers run by the developer, or on a private dedicated server that you or a host runs. A private server is the only option where you set the rules: PvE or PvP, the password, rates, and who gets admin. It’s also the only one that keeps running for your group alone.
| Official servers | Private dedicated server | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | The developer | You, or a hosting company |
| Password and bans | No | Yes (-PSW, bans by Steam ID) |
| Game settings and rates | Fixed | Yours to set |
| Mods | No | Yes, from the Steam Workshop |
| GM admin panel | No | Yes (-adminpsw) |
Soulmask dedicated server requirements
Soulmask is a heavy server. The developer’s own guide asks for at least 16 GB of RAM and 2–4 CPU cores for each server process, about 100 kbps of bandwidth per player in each direction, and 20 GB of free disk (the download itself is 1–2 GB). It runs on Windows or Linux, through SteamCMD.
- RAM: 16 GB per server is the safe number. A small PvE group may start lower, but memory use climbs with the world.
- CPU: 2–4 fast cores. Followers are simulated too, so a tribe with a dozen working NPCs costs far more than its player count suggests.
- Network: 100 kbps per player up and down, and two UDP ports you can open.
- OS: Windows (Server) or Linux. On Windows, install the Telnet client too; you need it to shut the server down cleanly.
That’s a lot more than most survival games ask; for comparison, see our Conan Exiles and ARK: Survival Ascended server guides. If you don’t have 16 GB to spare, Soulmask server hosting lets you rent exactly that.
How to set up a Soulmask dedicated server on Windows
Setup on Windows is four steps: install SteamCMD, download the server with app ID 3017310, start it once with StartServer.bat, then make your own launcher with your server name, password and mode. No game ownership is needed for the download.
- Download SteamCMD and extract it to
C:\steamcmd. - Open a Command Prompt in that folder and download the server (the same command updates it):
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 3017310 validate +quit - Start it with
C:\steamcmd\steamapps\common\Soulmask Dedicated Server For Windows\StartServer.bat. - Make a copy called
StartServer - copy.bat, replace its contents with one line, and run that copy from now on:call StartServer.bat -SteamServerName="My Tribe" -MaxPlayers=20 -PSW="friends-only" -adminpsw="something-long-and-private" -pve
Soulmask dedicated server on Linux
On Linux, use app ID 3017300 and pass the same parameters to StartServer.sh. Each server instance needs its own script and its own ports:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 3017300 validate +quit
./StartServer.sh -SteamServerName='My Tribe' -MaxPlayers=20 -PSW='friends-only' -adminpsw='something-long-and-private' -pve -Port=8777 -QueryPort=27015 -EchoPort=18888Docker and server manager tools
For containers, the community image sknnr/soulmask-dedicated-server wraps the Linux server: set GAME_MODE to pve or pvp (it refuses to start without it), plus SERVER_NAME, SERVER_PASSWORD, ADMIN_PASSWORD and SERVER_SLOTS (up to 70). It defaults to UDP 27050 and 27051 instead of 8777/27015, and it stops the server gracefully, which matters for Soulmask saves. If you want a server manager instead, LinuxGSM supports Soulmask with the standard ports.
Soulmask server settings
Most Soulmask server settings are launch parameters added to your .bat or .sh line. The first argument is always the map, Level01_Main. Gameplay rules such as rates and limits are set in the game’s own settings rather than here, and like the world itself they’re best decided before your tribe progresses.
| Parameter | What it does |
|---|---|
-SteamServerName="..." |
Name in the server list |
-MaxPlayers=20 |
Player slots |
-PSW="..." |
Join password for a private server |
-adminpsw="..." |
Password that opens the GM panel |
-pve / -pvp |
Game mode |
-Port=8777 |
Game port, UDP, must be open |
-QueryPort=27015 |
Steam query port, UDP, must be open |
-EchoPort=18888 |
Local Telnet maintenance port, TCP, keep it closed to the internet |
-MULTIHOME=0.0.0.0 |
Address to listen on |
-backup=900 |
Seconds between writing the game database to disk |
-saving=600 |
Seconds between writing game objects to the database |
-initbackup |
Backs up the save every time the server starts |
-backupinterval=60 |
Automatic world backup every n minutes |
-forcepassthrough |
Required; leave it in |
The server config file: Engine.ini
The same basics can live in a config file at WS\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\Engine.ini (LinuxServer on Linux):
[URL]
Port=8777
[OnlineSubsystemSteam]
GameServerQueryPort=27015
[Dedicated.Settings]
SteamServerName=UNNAMED_SERVER
MaxPlayers=20
pvp=False
backup=900
saving=600Saves are in WS/Saved under the server folder. Copy that folder somewhere safe before updates.
Soulmask dedicated server ports
A Soulmask server needs two UDP ports open to the internet: 8777 for the game and 27015 for the Steam query that puts it in the server list. The Telnet echo port, 18888 TCP, is for local maintenance only and shouldn’t be forwarded. Running a second server on the same machine means a second set of all three.
| Port | Protocol | Parameter | Open to the internet? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8777 | UDP | -Port |
Yes |
| 27015 | UDP | -QueryPort |
Yes |
| 18888 | TCP | -EchoPort |
No |
How to shut down and save without losing progress
Never just close the server window: the developer warns it can roll the world back. Connect to the maintenance port and shut down properly instead.
telnet 127.0.0.1 18888
saveworld 1
quit 180quit 180 shuts down after 180 seconds; type help in the Telnet session for the other maintenance commands. In game, an admin can force a save with gm BaoCun.
How to become admin on a Soulmask server
- Start the server with
-adminpsw="yourpassword". - In game, press
~to open the console. - Type
gm key yourpassword. The GM panel opens; enter the password there and click to become administrator.
| GM command | What it does |
|---|---|
AddServerPermissionList 1 <steamID> |
Bans a player (RemoveServerPermissionList 1 unbans) |
AddServerPermissionList 4 <steamID> |
Mutes a player |
gm BaoCun |
Saves the world now |
Debuginfo 1 |
Shows server frame rate and players online |
gm go x y z |
Teleports you (press M, then F, to see coordinates) |
gm clear_all_npcs |
Removes every NPC on the server. Use with care |
How players find and join your server
Players find a private server in the in-game server list by name, or by its invitation code. The code is a 25-character ID the server generates on first run and prints to WS/Saved/Logs/WS.log, on a line like [SERVER UNIQUE ID:] 6U1WE0O933CC7H4RFBSQ8ND47. Share it with your tribe along with the password.
Installing mods on a Soulmask server
Soulmask mods are published to the Steam Workshop. Each player subscribes, opens Mods from the main menu and applies them. The server loads the same mods by Workshop ID on its command line, and downloads them by itself:
-mod="3324057706,3330908154"On the Windows launcher the developer’s example wraps it as use(-mod=\"ID1,ID2\"). Every player needs the same mods as the server.
Cross-server mode and server clusters
Cross-server mode links two or more servers so players can carry their character from one map to another through a Cross-Server Portal, the way the official PvE servers link Cloud Mist Forest with the Shifting Sands DLC map. The developer confirms private servers support it too: the server owner configures the cluster, and the rules for what travels are the same as on official servers.
- Each server in the cluster is its own game process, so it needs its own game, query and echo ports, and its own 16 GB.
- Levels, masks and tribesmen carry over between maps, with their stats and skills intact.
- The developer’s cross-map private server setup guide is posted on the official Soulmask Discord. Follow it for the exact launch flags rather than a copy of a copy.
Players then use the portal to switch maps. Since a 2026 patch, players without a public IP can type a server address by hand for a cross-server teleport.
Common Soulmask server problems and fixes
| Problem | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Server not showing up in the list | Game port 8777 or query port 27015 not reachable | Allow WSServer.exe through Windows Firewall, forward both UDP ports on the router |
| Server starts, then nothing works / launch failed | Steam didn’t initialize | Check WS/Saved/Logs/WS.log for Game Server API initialized 1 |
Log says Steam Dedicated Server API failed to initialize |
Missing steam_appid.txt, or the ports are already in use |
Create WS/Binaries/Win64/steam_appid.txt containing 2646460; change -Port/-QueryPort |
| World rolled back after a restart | The server window was closed instead of shut down | Use Telnet quit, or gm BaoCun before stopping |
| Server lags as the tribe grows | Followers, yards and bases add simulation load | More RAM and CPU; limit yards per player or tribe in the server’s settings |
| Players can’t join after a game update | Server on the old version | Rerun the SteamCMD command, then restart |
| Soulmask server down (official) | Maintenance on the developer’s servers | Check the game’s Steam news; your private server isn’t affected |
Skip the setup: Soulmask server hosting
Soulmask wants 16 GB per server, a clean shutdown routine and launch lines that are easy to get wrong. With Soulmask server hosting on GameTeam, the server is ready in minutes, you pay per GB of RAM (from $0.49/GB a week, so 16 GB is $7.84 a week, or $1.99/GB billed monthly) and slots are unlimited, within the cap the game itself sets. The built-in AI copilot handles the server side: say “make it PvP, password ‘mask’, max 30 players, and back up the world every hour” and it updates the launch settings and restarts, or ask “why did the world roll back last night?” and it reads the log and tells you.
FAQ
Is the Soulmask dedicated server free?
Yes. It’s a free anonymous SteamCMD download for Windows and Linux. You pay only for the machine, or a host.
How many players can a Soulmask server have?
Set it with -MaxPlayers; the config file’s example is 20. Community tooling caps it at 70. With many players, the follower count is what really sets the RAM you need.
Can I make a Soulmask solo server?
Yes: run a private server with a password only you know. It’s worth it if you want your camp to keep running while you’re offline, which solo mode can’t do.
Where are the Soulmask server settings files?
Engine.ini is in WS/Saved/Config/WindowsServer (or LinuxServer), and the world save is in WS/Saved. Most settings are simplest as launch parameters.
Can I run PvP and PvE servers?
Yes, pick one with -pvp or -pve when the server starts.
What’s the best Soulmask server setup for a small group?
PvE, a password, 16 GB of RAM, -initbackup plus -backupinterval, and a location close to everyone. Decide the world’s rules before you start building, since they shape the whole run.