How to host a Barotrauma server (2026)

Short answer. You can host a Barotrauma server yourself for free: install the Barotrauma Dedicated Server (Steam app 1026340) with SteamCMD using an anonymous login, start ./DedicatedServer once to create serversettings.xml, set the name and password, and open UDP port 27015 (game), plus UDP 27016 (query) for a server listed publicly, the defaults in the game's source. Or rent a Barotrauma server and skip the networking.

A server holds at most 16 players. Players find a public server by name in the in-game server list.

Checked on 5 November 2026, accurate for patch v1.13.5.0 (27 October 2026).

This guide uses the Barotrauma source code FakeFish and Undertow Games publish on GitHub, the game's Steam announcements and what we run on our own Barotrauma servers. To go straight to the rental route, see Option 2. Once you are running, the guide How to join your Barotrauma server covers connecting.

What you need

• Operating system: a 64-bit Linux machine for the steps below. The server is a separate Steam download from the game (app 1026340).
• Hardware: we found no official server requirements to check against. For a figure from our own plans, see How much RAM does a Barotrauma server need?
• Network: the game port, UDP, reachable from the internet, plus the query port, also UDP, if you list the server publicly. The defaults are 27015 and 27016.
• Steam account: not needed to download the server. Our install uses an anonymous login.
• The game: every player needs their own copy of Barotrauma.

The server software is free. You pay for the machine, power and bandwidth, not the software.

Option 1: host it yourself

This works on a spare PC, a home server or a cloud virtual machine.

Linux (Debian or Ubuntu)

1. Install the library SteamCMD needs, and curl for the download.

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install lib32gcc-s1 curl

2. Create a steam user and switch to it, so SteamCMD does not run as root.

   sudo useradd -m steam
   sudo passwd steam
   sudo -iu steam

3. Install SteamCMD as that user.

   mkdir ~/Steam && cd ~/Steam
   curl -sqL "https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz" | tar zxvf -

4. Download the server.

   ~/Steam/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /home/steam/barotrauma +login anonymous +app_update 1026340 validate +quit

   Check that /home/steam/barotrauma/steamapps/appmanifest_1026340.acf exists. In our own installs SteamCMD sometimes reported success without downloading anything, so if the file is missing, run the command again.
5. Copy the Steam client library. Our installer copies SteamCMD's 64-bit steamclient.so into .steam/sdk64 in the home folder the server runs with. To do the same:

   mkdir -p ~/.steam/sdk64
   cp ~/Steam/linux64/steamclient.so ~/.steam/sdk64/

6. Start the server once.

   cd ~/barotrauma
   chmod +x DedicatedServer
   ./DedicatedServer

   If serversettings.xml does not exist yet, the server warns that the file was not found, starts with default settings and writes the file. Stop it with Ctrl+C.
7. Set the options. The server reads serversettings.xml in its folder, command-line options override it, and the server writes the result back to the file each time it starts. These options exist in the server's source:

   ./DedicatedServer -name "My Barotrauma Server" -password "secret" -port 27015 -queryport 27016 -maxplayers 8 -public true

   Use -nopassword to clear a password. Use -public true to show the server in the in-game list, and leave it false for a private server. Without a settings file, the default is 10 players and a private server, and the game limit is 16 players. The query port is only handed to Steam when the server is public.
8. Open the ports. Allow UDP 27015, and UDP 27016 for a public server, on the machine's firewall (with ufw: sudo ufw allow 27015/udp and sudo ufw allow 27016/udp), then forward them on your router to this machine.
9. Check it from outside. Ask a friend on another network to find the server by name in the in-game list, or to join your public IP and port.

The steps above come from the game's source code and our own install.

Option 2: host it on PlayNHost

Renting removes the firewall, port forwarding and update routine. The game port is set up for you.

1. Pick a plan. Open the Barotrauma server hosting page and compare the plans (DUGONG, TYPHON and KASTRULL at the time of writing). Press Create Server on a plan, or Customize Plan where it is offered, and finish the order. Prices change, so check them on that page.
2. Wait for the install. You get an email titled "Your Barotrauma server is ready" and the server appears at panel.playnhost.com. If the email says the server is built rather than live, open it and press Start. On the Console tab, the panel counts the server as running when it prints Server started.
3. Open Settings, then Game Settings. The server writes these values into serversettings.xml each time it starts:
   • Server Name: the name in the server list.
   • Join Password: the password players type. Leave it empty for an open server.
   • List Publicly: turns on the game's public listing, for Barotrauma's in-game server list. Leave it off for a private server, and set a join password before you turn it on.
   • Steam Workshop Mod IDs: optional, see below.
4. Restart. When the panel shows "Saved. The server must restart before these take effect.", press Restart now and wait for Server started.
5. Join. Connect with the address and port from the panel.

Max Players is shown in Game Settings but is read-only: it is the limit included with your plan. To run with fewer players, click the pencil beside Slots on your server's Overview. Upgrading your plan raises the limit itself, and the game caps it at 16.

What our setup does for you

• Game port. Our start line passes the server's own port to -port, together with your name, player limit, password and listing.
• The rest of the settings file. The game rewrites serversettings.xml on each start, so edit everything beyond the name, password, listing, port and player limit under Files with the server stopped. Our Barotrauma server settings: every option explained lists them.
• Workshop mods. Our start script downloads Workshop items with SteamCMD and an anonymous login, copies each pack into LocalMods and switches it on in config_player.xml. Paste comma-separated IDs with no spaces, such as 3112322785,2852315967, into Steam Workshop Mod IDs and restart. Removing an ID turns that pack off at the next start, and clearing the field returns the server to vanilla. The restart takes longer while packs download. Every player needs the same packs, and the game's AllowModDownloads setting, on by default, lets joining players download the ones they are missing. More in How to add mods to your Barotrauma server.
• Install retries. In our installs, SteamCMD downloads sometimes failed and still reported success. Our installer checks that the app manifest exists, tries up to three times, and stops with an error instead of leaving an empty server.
• Console. The Console tab shows the server log. Our start line passes the log through a filter, and the game only reads typed commands when its output is not redirected, so commands typed there are not read. The game's source has no RCON either.

Self-hosting or renting: an honest comparison

• Cost. Self-hosted: the software is free, and you pay for hardware, power and bandwidth, or a cloud virtual machine. Rented: a monthly fee set by plan. See the current plans.
• Availability. Self-hosted: as reliable as your machine, power and home internet, and it has to stay on when your crew plays. Rented: runs on the host's hardware, not your PC.
• Network exposure. Self-hosted: players connect to your public IP, and you look after the firewall and router. Rented: your home IP is not involved.
• Skill needed. Self-hosted: command line, port forwarding, XML editing and an update routine. Very doable, and a good way to learn. Rented: a web panel with form fields.
• Updates. Self-hosted: stop, run the SteamCMD command again, start. Rented: the panel has an Auto Update field under Show advanced, on by default, which checks for a game update each time the server starts.

Self-hosting suits you if a machine already runs all day and you are comfortable with networking. Renting suits you if you would rather not look after hardware. Either way, Barotrauma server problems and fixes helps when something goes wrong. Ready to rent? See the Barotrauma server plans.

FAQ

Can I host a Barotrauma server for free?

Yes. The dedicated server is free on Steam and downloads with an anonymous login. You still pay for the machine, power and internet, and it must stay on while people play.

How many players can join?

Up to 16, the limit in the game's code. Our plans are 4, 8 and 16 players.

Which ports does a Barotrauma server use?

27015 for the game and 27016 for the query by default, both UDP, set in serversettings.xml or with -port and -queryport. The query port is only used when the server is public.

Which Steam app do I install?

Barotrauma Dedicated Server, app 1026340. The game itself is app 602960, and Workshop items belong to that one.

Do I need to own the game to run the server?

Not to install it. Players need the game to join.

Can I add Steam Workshop mods?

Yes. A pack goes in the server's LocalMods folder and is switched on in config_player.xml. On PlayNHost, paste the IDs into Steam Workshop Mod IDs and restart, and the start script does both.