Enshrouded Dedicated Server Setup and enshrouded_server.json Tuning Guide

The official Enshrouded Dedicated Server independently hosts the voxel-based open world of Embervale. It supports 16 simultaneous players building, sheltering around Flame Altars, and exploring the red Shroud, while centrally maintaining world state and quest progress. This article covers standard installation, network port forwarding, and configuration tuning.

1. Server hardware baseline

Specification	4~6-player exploration group	Full 16-player guild server
CPU	4 cores / 3.2GHz+	8 cores / 3.6GHz+
Memory (RAM)	16 GB physical RAM	32 GB physical RAM
Storage	30 GB NVMe SSD	80 GB NVMe SSD
Upload bandwidth	15 Mbps dedicated	30 Mbps ~ 50 Mbps dedicated

2. Install the dedicated server with SteamCMD

Download the dedicated server anonymously through SteamCMD (AppID 2278520):

Shell

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2278520 validate +quit

After the download, the main executable is in the root directory: enshrouded_server.exe.

3. Plan the two network ports

The Enshrouded dedicated server uses two core communication ports:

Default port	Protocol	Purpose	Router forwarding
15636	UDP	Main game data and direct client connection (GamePort)	Required
15637	UDP	Steam queries and lobby listings (QueryPort)	Required

4. Main configuration: enshrouded_server.json

On first startup, the server creates enshrouded_server.json in the root directory:

JSON

{
  "name": "LanGame Enshrouded Server",
  "password": "your_secure_password",
  "saveDirectory": "./savegame",
  "logDirectory": "./logs",
  "ip": "0.0.0.0",
  "gamePort": 15636,
  "queryPort": 15637,
  "slotCount": 16
}

Key settings:

ip: Keep 0.0.0.0 to listen on all local network adapters.
gamePort and queryPort: Defaults are 15636 and 15637; for multiple instances on one machine, increment in pairs (such as 15646 / 15647).
saveDirectory: Save directory, convenient for mounting separately for backups.
slotCount: Maximum concurrent players, up to 16.

5. Choose an approach: manual configuration or LanGame Server Manager (LGSM)

Manual Enshrouded maintenance requires a batch startup script, forwarding two UDP ports, and regularly backing up savegame.

We recommend the official open-source dedicated server management platform to automate routine administration:

Tool overview and client: LanGame Server Manager (LGSM) product page
Open-source repository: GitHub - SZSLGJCOM/LanGame-Server-Manager

LGSM provides:

Automatic port conflict checks: Scans 15636 and 15637 before startup to ensure ports bind correctly.
Visual JSON editing: Edit room name, password, maximum slots, and ports through a clear form without damaging JSON syntax.
Scheduled voxel world snapshots: Create a complete world backup before entering dangerous red Shroud areas or large dungeons, with immediate lossless restoration.
Self-healing supervision: Monitors process health in the background and restarts after unexpected exits.

6. Common issues during long-term operations

1. Server cannot be found in the game

Cause: UDP QueryPort 15637 is not allowed in the firewall or router.
Solution: Allow UDP 15636-15637 in Windows Firewall. Players can also open "View" -> "Game Servers" in Steam and add public IP:15637 directly to favorites.

2. Move the host's local save to a dedicated server

Copy the client's single-player save (usually in the Steam installation's userdata/<SteamID>/1203620/remote/): to the server's savegame/ directory and rename it to the server's standard recognized filename format (a plain hash such as 3ad85aea) to retain Flame Altar levels and buildings in full.