Self-Host an Enshrouded Server (2026): SteamCMD & Ports 15636/15637

Self-Host an Enshrouded Server with SteamCMD (2026 Walkthrough)

Enshrouded supports up to 16 players in a single persistent world. Hosting a dedicated server ensures that the world state (buildings, terrain changes, flame altars) is constant and not dependent on one player's PC being online.

Prerequisites

• OS: Windows 10/11. Keen publish the dedicated server for Windows only; there is no native Linux build to download.
• CPU: Strong multi-core processor (Ryzen 5 / Intel i5 Gen 10+).
• RAM: 16GB System RAM (Server uses ~4-6GB).
• Network: Fiber connection recommended for 16 players.

Installation via SteamCMD

1. Download SteamCMD

Download and extract SteamCMD for Windows.

2. Install the Server Files

Open a command prompt in your SteamCMD folder and run:

steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2278520 validate +quit

App ID 2278520 is the Enshrouded Dedicated Server.

3. First Launch & Config

Navigate to steamapps/common/EnshroudedServer/ and run enshrouded_server.exe. It will close immediately but generate a config file.

Open enshrouded_server.json and customize:

{
  "name": "My Enshrouded Server",
  "saveDirectory": "./savegame",
  "logDirectory": "./logs",
  "ip": "0.0.0.0",
  "queryPort": 15637,
  "slotCount": 16,
  "userGroups": [
    {
      "name": "Admin",
      "password": "pick-your-own",
      "canKickBan": true,
      "canAccessInventories": true,
      "canEditWorld": true,
      "canEditBase": true,
      "canExtendBase": true,
      "reservedSlots": 0
    }
  ]
}

Two things people get wrong in this file:

• There is no gamePort setting. queryPort, default 15637, is the only port key the server reads. A gamePort line is ignored.
• The top-level "password" line is legacy. It has not been the way to set a server password since Update 2 in June 2024. If the server finds one it quietly builds a user group called "default" around it with Friend-level rights, which is almost never what you wanted. Set passwords per group under userGroups instead.

slotCount accepts a number between 1 and 16. Sixteen is both the default and the maximum.

Port Forwarding (Critical)

For friends to join a server on your own connection, forward one port:

• 15637 (UDP) - the query port. This is the one value you set, through queryPort, and 15637 is its default.

Older guides also list 15636 for game traffic and 27015 for Steam. On the servers we run, the server opens exactly one public socket, UDP on queryPort; nothing listens on 15636 or 27015, and the game traffic itself travels over Steam's networking. Forwarding the extra ports does no harm, but it fixes nothing either.

If You Only Have a Linux Box

Keen ship no Linux build of the Enshrouded server, so a Linux machine cannot simply install and run one. Your options are a Windows machine, a Windows VM, or a hosted server. If you would rather not solve that problem at all, Enshrouded dedicated server hosting gives you a running server and a config panel, with updates handled for you.