How to Connect to Your The Forest Server

The Forest uses three ports. Players connect on the game port, Steam queries a second one, and a third is used by Steam itself. Only the game port matters when you share an address.

Find your address

Open your server at https://panel.playnhost.com. The overview shows the IP and the ports assigned to SERVER_PORT, QUERY_PORT and STEAM_PORT.

Find it in the game

1. Launch The Forest and choose Multiplayer.
2. Select Join Game and switch the filter to Dedicated.
3. Clear the other filters, especially the one that hides password protected servers, then search for your server name.
4. Select the server and join.

Add it to Steam favourites

This is the reliable route, because The Forest's own browser is slow and easy to lose a server in.

1. In Steam, open View, then Game Servers.
2. On the Favorites tab click Add a Server.
3. Enter IP:PORT using the QUERY_PORT value.
4. The server then shows under the favourites filter in The Forest.

What to send your friends

Send the server name and the password if you set one. If they cannot find it by name, send the IP with the query port so they can add it to Steam favourites.

If you cannot connect

• Check the panel console. The Forest logs the world loading and then reports the server is up. The first start takes longer because it generates the world.
• A version mismatch after a game update makes the server invisible. Restart it so it pulls the new build.
• If the server appears but the join fails, check whether the world is set to load a save slot that does not exist yet. See our guide on changing server settings.