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Enshrouded Server Gameplay Settings Guide

Enshrouded Guide • Updated Apr 6, 2026

Enshrouded Server Gameplay Settings After Back to the Shroud

The November 10, 2025 Enshrouded help-center update finally documented the full dedicated-server gameplay settings set. That matters because many admins still treat enshrouded_server.json like the older minimal config and miss that preset choice now controls whether your deeper tuning actually takes effect.

Key rule: if you want to tune individual values under gameSettings, set gameSettingsPreset to Custom. If you leave it on Default, Relaxed, Hard, or Survival, the preset drives the experience instead.

Preset Overview

Preset Best For What It Changes
Default First-time groups Baseline Enshrouded balance, closest to pre-0.7.3.0 behavior.
Relaxed Builders and casual co-op Fewer enemies, more forgiving resource and loot flow.
Hard Combat-heavy groups More pressure from enemy count and aggression.
Survival Players who want punishment More aggressive enemies plus added survival friction.
Custom Server admins Unlocks the full gameSettings block for precise tuning.

Settings That Matter Most on Real Servers

Setting Why Admins Touch It Official Range
enemyDamageFactor Make open-world combat harsher without touching bosses. 0.25 to 5
enemyHealthFactor Stop larger groups from deleting trash mobs instantly. 0.25 to 4
bossDamageFactor Raise punishments for sloppy boss pulls. 0.2 to 5
bossHealthFactor Make boss fights last longer for geared groups. 0.2 to 5
randomSpawnerAmount Increase or reduce world density. Few / Normal / Many / Extreme
aggroPoolAmount Controls how many enemies can engage simultaneously. Few / Normal / Many / Extreme
dayTimeDuration Reduce chorey night loops for weekday groups. 2 to 60 minutes
nightTimeDuration Make nights faster or much more dangerous. 2 to 60 minutes

Safe Starting Template

{
  "gameSettingsPreset": "Custom",
  "gameSettings": {
    "enemyDamageFactor": 1.15,
    "enemyHealthFactor": 1.2,
    "bossDamageFactor": 1.15,
    "bossHealthFactor": 1.25,
    "randomSpawnerAmount": "Many",
    "aggroPoolAmount": "Normal",
    "dayTimeDuration": 1800000000000,
    "nightTimeDuration": 480000000000
  }
}

Why this works: it makes organized co-op slightly more demanding without turning the server into a sponge-fest or forcing a full survival conversion.

Three Mistakes That Waste Time

  1. Changing deep values while leaving gameSettingsPreset on Default.
  2. Typing invalid text values. Keen notes that bad text values stop the server from booting.
  3. Pushing several changes at once after a patch. Change a small block, restart, confirm, then continue.

If your edits still do nothing after setting Custom, follow Config Changes Not Applying next.

Want the freedom to tune Enshrouded for builders, raiders, or survival purists? Host your Enshrouded server with Supercraft and adjust the config without wrestling with a local Windows box.

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