The complete guide · 4 min read
The Mean Greens Server Hosting: The Complete Guide
Everything you need to run a good The Mean Greens server: what the game is, the maps and modes, choosing a size, passwords and bots, what version 2.0 changes, and how to keep game nights running smoothly.
By Matthew Griffin, Owner, Gaming DeluxePublished · Updated
In this guide
The Mean Greens in a Nutshell
The Mean Greens - Plastic Warfare is a third-person shooter from Virtual Basement LLC, released on Steam on 8 December 2015. You play a toy army man in the age-old war of Green against Tan, jumping, rolling and shooting your way through objective rounds on maps built from everyday rooms at giant scale.
It is a short-session party shooter rather than a long grind. Rounds are quick, the weapons are simple to pick up and the maps do the talking: riding rubber ducks across a bathtub, melting an ice cube in a freezer to reach a frozen dinosaur, pushing a cup off a kitchen counter, or scoring goals past moving plastic pigs and cows in a farmyard foosball match.
Maps and Modes Your Server Can Run
Steam lists 10 modes and 10 maps with 6 weapons. Each map tends to suit its own mode, which keeps the rotation varied without any setup from you.
| Map | Mode | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Bathtub Bash | Capture the flag | Ride floating ducks to sunken ships, grab a flag and carry it home. |
| Game night table | First to 30 kills | A paper-craft city on a games table; simple and fast. |
| Aquarium | Low-gravity CTF | Duel bridges and sunken temples under water. |
| Kitchen counter | Objective | Push the other team's cup off and cut their zipline. |
| Freezer | Objective | Melt the ice and free your frozen dinosaur first. |
| Toy train | Capture points | A festive tug-of-war for three points on a moving train. |
Patch notes over the years also mention maps such as Off the Rails, Deep Freeze, Lazy Hamster and Halloween Hustle, so the rotation has grown since launch.
Choosing a Server Size
Steam describes The Mean Greens as 5v5 battles of up to 10 players. In December 2015 Virtual Basement also put 8v8 servers on its official network, and our slider can go higher still, but there is no official word on matches above 16, so our plans stop there.
| Group | Suggested slots | Memory on that plan |
|---|---|---|
| A few friends, 3v3 | 6 | 5GB |
| The standard 5v5 | 10 | 5GB |
| Big party, 8v8 | 16 | 8GB |
With version 2.0 bots filling empty places automatically, a small group can still have full teams, so you do not need to buy slots for players you do not have.
Passwords, Bots and Launch Options
The Mean Greens keeps server settings simple. In January 2019 patch 1.21 included dedicated server files, run from HostServer.bat in the game folder, and later patches added options to the server's launch line. The two that matter most are documented by Virtual Basement itself.
| Option | Added in | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| -ServerPassword="yourpassword" | Patch 1.24 | Players must enter the password to join. |
| -NoBots | Patch 1.31 | Turns bots off on a dedicated server, for humans-only matches. |
Set them in the panel, restart, and check the console to see the server come up. If you host a public server, leave bots on so new arrivals always find a match; for clan nights or tournaments, switch them off and add a password.
What Version 2.0 Changes
On 22 October 2026 Virtual Basement released version 2.0, its biggest update so far. The studio says it completely reworked the back end while keeping the feel of the game. Bots were overhauled: they no longer get stuck, can use every weapon, can play on every map and automatically fill a server as people join or leave.
The menus and matchmaking were rebuilt too, the game is now fully compatible with Steam Deck, and two DLC characters arrived. Virtual Basement also launched the game on VIVERSE, which lets friends join without installing anything, plus a free demo, and says all three versions are cross-play compatible.
Running a Good Game Night
Make sure everyone updates the game before playing, since server and players need to be on the same version, which matters right after a big release like 2.0. Share the server name and password in your group chat, and decide on bots before you start so nobody is surprised mid-round.
A nightly restart at a quiet hour keeps a long-running server fresh. The Mean Greens has no world to save, but our offsite backups of the last 7 days still protect your settings, and moving from another host only means setting the same launch options here. Patch 1.33 also rebalanced team player counts to stop extra players joining the wrong side, so uneven teams usually sort themselves out.
What to Compare Before You Rent a The Mean Greens Server
Quick checks before you pay anyone.
- Per-slot pricingA 3v3 group should not pay for 40 slots.
- Launch option accessYou need to set passwords and bots yourself.
- Updates after 2.0Ask how quickly the host follows a new build.
- PingTest from your own PC first.
- SupportHelp when a setting changes after an update.
- No lock-inLook for setup fees and minimum terms.
The Mean Greens Server Glossary
- Virtual Basement
- The studio that develops and publishes The Mean Greens.
- Green vs Tan
- The two plastic armies, and the two teams in every match.
- HostServer.bat
- The file that starts a dedicated server, added in patch 1.21.
- -ServerPassword
- The launch option that sets a join password.
- -NoBots
- The launch option that turns bots off.
- VIVERSE
- The platform where the 2.0 version can be played without installing.
- 5v5
- Five players a side, the match size Steam lists.
The Mean Greens Server Help and Next Steps
Where to go next.
How this guide was made: researched from The Mean Greens' Steam store page and Virtual Basement's patch notes on Steam (2015 to 2026), drafted with AI assistance, checked against our live order form for every plan, price and location, and reviewed by Matthew Griffin before publishing. Version 2.0 is only a day old as we write, and Virtual Basement has not published new server instructions, so we only describe the launch options from its earlier patch notes. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Sources, checked 23 October 2026:
- The Mean Greens - Plastic Warfare on Steam (Virtual Basement LLC, 8 December 2015; up to 10 players, 5v5; 10 modes, 10 maps, 6 weapons; dedicated servers; 4GB RAM minimum)
- Virtual Basement, Patch 1.4 (15 December 2015, 8v8 servers)
- Virtual Basement, Patch 1.21 Return of the Server Browser (11 January 2019, dedicated server files, HostServer.bat) and Patch 1.24 (31 January 2019, -ServerPassword)
- Virtual Basement, Patch 1.31 (21 March 2020, -NoBots), console launch post (28 July 2020, PS4 and Xbox One on 5 August 2020) and Patch 1.33 (10 May 2021)
- Virtual Basement, The Mean Greens 2.0! (22 October 2026: back end rework, bots, matchmaking, VIVERSE, free demo, cross-play, Steam Deck)
- Gaming Deluxe order form, The Mean Greens (slot slider 4 to 40)