How to set up a 7 Days to Die server

A 7 Days to Die server launches easily, but nearly every important decision lives in a single configuration file. That is what makes the first day more confusing than the game itself.

Why a dedicated server

A session opened from the game exists only while the host is online. The 7 Days to Die world carries on: bases stand, hordes arrive, loot returns.

What you need to start

Server software, open ports and a decent memory allowance. This game asks more than the genre average on that point.

The ports

Game traffic, queries and the management interface use separate ports. If only one is open, the server appears to run but nobody arrives.

The configuration file

Name, player count, password, difficulty and world settings all sit in one file. A formatting error starts the server on defaults.

Choosing a world

You can use a generated world or a prepared map. Seed and size are chosen at creation and never change.

Blood moon settings

Horde frequency and size are separate settings, and they change the feel of the game more than anything else.

Admins

The list must be filled in before opening. Without it, nobody can be removed and every incident ends in a restart.

Loot respawn

The server decides how fast loot returns to buildings. It is one of the most powerful settings and it is changed one value at a time.

The first connection

Before inviting the group, connect yourself. If the map loads and the character appears, the foundation is sound.

Common mistakes

Closed ports, a damaged config file and forgotten admins.

Shut down cleanly

The game writes the world on shutdown. Killing the process mid-write remains the leading cause of a lost world.

Most of what precedes is a matter of organisation rather than technique: the decisions are made before you start, the backups have to actually run, and the rules are written while nothing has gone wrong yet. Our 7 Days to Die server hosting takes on the part there is no reason to do by hand — automatic backups, mod management and instant setup, along with a panel where settings, files, mods and restarts are handled without ever opening a command line.