Don't Starve Together Server Hosting

Why a Dedicated Server Changes DST

Don't Starve Together is Klei's standalone multiplayer take on Don't Starve: fight, farm, build and explore together in The Constant, where every season, every boss and every empty stomach can end a run. A game hosted from someone's PC only exists while that person plays, so the group's progress depends on one machine and one schedule.

A dedicated server separates the world from the players. It keeps running when the host logs off, friends can drop in at their own times, and a world can grow for hundreds of days without anyone leaving a PC on. That is what Klei's dedicated server is for. Its build is called dontstarve_dedicated_server_nullrenderer because it renders nothing at all, which is why it sits comfortably in a data centre.

The Server Token

Every online DST dedicated server needs a cluster token, which links the server to the Klei account of the person running it. Our knowledge base describes two ways to get one:

1. In game, open the console while you are logged in online and run TheNet:GenerateClusterToken(). The token is written to cluster_token.txt in your Klei folder in Documents.
2. Or sign in to Klei's account site, go to Games, Don't Starve Together, Servers, and generate a token there.
3. Stop your server, open Configuration Files in the panel and paste the token into cluster_token.txt.
4. Start the server again.

cluster.ini and server.ini

A DST server is a cluster: one or more shards that share settings. cluster.ini holds the settings for the whole cluster, and each shard has its own server.ini. Klei's dedicated server settings guide documents them; these are the ones most owners change.

Klei advises leaving tick_rate at its default of 15. In server.ini, server_port defaults to 10999, and the master shard listens for other shards on master_port, 10888 by default. On our servers the networking is already set up, so you mostly touch cluster.ini.

Shards, Caves and the Master World

DST's caves are a separate world, which is why a server with caves runs as more than one shard. The surface is the master shard and the caves are a second shard linked to it, with shard_enabled set in cluster.ini and a cluster_key that lets the shards trust each other. Players walk between them through sinkholes, and the cluster's player limit covers both.

Some settings belong only to the master: max_players, the password, the name and description, the whitelist. Others, such as the game mode, must match across shards. If you change one of those, change it everywhere, or leave it out everywhere to use the default.

Playstyles: Relaxed, Endless, Wilderness and Lights Out

Klei's original settings guide lists game_mode values of survival, endless and wilderness. Since the A Little Drama update of October 2022, the playstyle shown to players is calculated from the world overrides on the master shard instead. To run something other than Survival, Klei's notes describe a worldgenoverride.lua in the master folder with a preset such as RELAXED, ENDLESS, WILDERNESS or COMPLETE_DARKNESS for Lights Out.

There is an easier route too. The Configure Server page on Klei's account site was updated to generate the files for each playstyle, so you can create the setup there and upload it with the File Manager. Decide before the world is first generated, since a worldgenoverride file is about how the world is created.

Workshop Mods on a Dedicated Server

Mods are a big part of DST, and a dedicated server can download them straight from the Steam Workshop. Our knowledge base splits it into two steps.

• Download: in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua add ServerModSetup with a mod's Workshop ID, or ServerModCollectionSetup with a collection ID. The ID is the number at the end of the Workshop page address.
• Start the server once so it downloads everything, then check the mods folder in the File Manager.
• Enable: stop the server and add ForceEnableMod with workshop- and the ID for each mod in modsettings.lua. A collection still needs each mod enabled on its own.
• Start the server again and watch the console as the mods load.

Klei's own guidance is to enable mods through modoverrides.lua in each shard, which is also where a mod's configuration options live, so use that file when you want to change how a mod behaves. Since 2021, newer Workshop mods on dedicated servers are stored in a ugc_mods folder inside the server's install directory.

Admins, Whitelists and Private Worlds

For a private world, set cluster_password, or keep the server to your community with steam_group_only and steam_group_id. With steam_group_admins on, the admins of that Steam group are admins on the server as well, which is the simplest way to share moderation.

For a public world with regulars, whitelist_slots reserves places for trusted players: add their Klei user IDs to whitelist.txt next to cluster.ini, and they can still join when the server is full. Voting is on by default, so players can start votes themselves; turn vote_enabled off if you would rather moderators decided.

Saves, Rollbacks and Updates

DST saves automatically at the end of each in-game day and keeps the last 6 snapshots by default, the same ones a host sees in the Rollback tab. If you turn autosaver_enabled off, the game only saves on shutdown or when an admin runs c_save(). On top of that, take Backup Manager snapshots before big changes, and our offsite copies cover the last 7 days.

Klei updates DST regularly, often with a string of hotfixes after a big content update. When one lands, check that your mods have been updated, run Steam Update, and restart. If you are moving a world from another host, the free migration add-on at checkout means our team moves the world and saved progress for you.

What to Compare Before You Rent a Don't Starve Together Server

DST hosting offers look alike at first glance. These are the details that matter after a few hundred days.

1. Access to the config filesYou need cluster.ini, the mod lists and cluster_token.txt at your fingertips, not behind a ticket.
2. Workshop mod supportCheck that the server can download Workshop mods and collections, and that you can see the mods folder.
3. Migration helpIf you already have a world, ask whether the host will move it for you and what it costs.
4. Backups you can restoreDST's snapshots are a start; look for your own snapshots and offsite copies as well.
5. Locations you can testRun a ping test from where your players are before you choose.
6. Billing termsCompare monthly and longer terms, and check for setup fees or minimum contracts.

Don't Starve Together Server Glossary

The Constant

The world Don't Starve Together is set in.

Cluster

A DST server setup made of one or more linked shards with shared settings.

Shard

One world inside a cluster, such as the surface or the caves.

Master shard

The main world of a cluster, usually the surface, which holds settings such as max_players.

Cluster token

The key in cluster_token.txt that ties a server to a Klei account.

cluster.ini

The file with the settings for the whole cluster, from the name to the player limit.

Playstyle

How the world is set up for players, such as Relaxed, Survival, Endless, Wilderness or Lights Out.

Snapshot

A saved copy of the world that can be rolled back to; DST keeps 6 by default.

Don't Starve Together Server Help and Next Steps

Useful pages for setting up and running your world.

• How to add your server tokenOur knowledge base guide.
• How to add mods to your DST serverWorkshop mods and collections, step by step.
• Klei's dedicated server settings guideEvery cluster.ini and server.ini setting.
• Gaming Deluxe control panelWhat the panel does and how to log in.
• Our server locations
• Contact support24/7 help with tokens, mods and moving worlds.