Short answer. You can host an OpenRCT2 server yourself for free: download the Linux release from OpenRCT2's GitHub, run openrct2-cli host on a saved park, and open TCP port 11753. Or rent an OpenRCT2 server and skip the port forwarding.

Players join from OpenRCT2's Multiplayer screen by adding your address under New Server.

Checked on 5 November 2026, accurate for OpenRCT2 v0.5.7 (1 November 2026).

This guide uses OpenRCT2's own documentation and what we run on our OpenRCT2 servers. To go straight to the rental route, see Option 2.

What you need

Operating system: 64-bit Linux for the steps below. OpenRCT2 publishes portable Linux builds for Debian bookworm and trixie and Ubuntu noble and resolute.
A saved park: the server hosts an existing save file. It does not start from an empty scenario on its own.
Network: TCP port 11753 by default, open in the machine's firewall and forwarded on your router if you are behind NAT.
The game for players: OpenRCT2's README says the game needs the original RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 files to play, which you can buy on Steam or GOG.com. Our server itself runs without them.

OpenRCT2 is free and open source, so 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. The command line options come from OpenRCT2's man page and its Multiplayer wiki page, and the download steps mirror our install script.

Linux (Debian 12 example)

Download the portable build. Pick the file for your distribution from the latest OpenRCT2 release. For Debian 12 (bookworm) the file name ends in Linux-bookworm-x86_64.tar.gz.
```
mkdir ~/openrct2-server && cd ~/openrct2-server
curl -L -o OpenRCT2.tar.gz "<the download link of that file>"
tar -xvf OpenRCT2.tar.gz
```
The archive unpacks into an OpenRCT2 folder that contains openrct2-cli.
Install the libraries if it will not start. If openrct2-cli stops with "error while loading shared libraries" (for example libicuuc.so.72), the system lacks a library the portable build links against. These are the Debian 12 packages our install script adds for the bookworm build:
```
sudo apt install libicu72 libfontconfig1 libfreetype6 libpng16-16 libzip4
```
Put a saved park in a folder you control, for example ~/openrct2-server/ServerData/save/save.park. You can use a save from your own game.
Start the server. --port sets the port and --user-data-path sets the folder that holds config.ini:
```
cd ~/openrct2-server
./OpenRCT2/openrct2-cli host ServerData/save/save.park --port 11753 --user-data-path ~/openrct2-server/ServerData/
```
Add --password <password> to require a password to join. Without --port, OpenRCT2's man page says the default port, 11753, is used.
Open the port. Allow TCP 11753 in the firewall (with ufw: sudo ufw allow 11753/tcp) and forward it on your router to this machine.
Join. In the game, open Multiplayer, click New Server and enter the server's address. For another port, add it after the address, such as 203.0.113.10:22050. From the command line a client can use openrct2 join <address> --port 11753.

To keep it running after you log out, OpenRCT2's wiki describes a systemd unit, /etc/systemd/system/openrct2.service, whose ExecStart runs openrct2-cli host on your save, followed by systemctl daemon-reload, systemctl enable openrct2.service and systemctl start openrct2.service. The same wiki page names the official Docker container, openrct2-docker, as one of the easiest ways to run a dedicated server.

Other settings

Server behaviour lives in config.ini under --user-data-path. Keys our panel manages include network.maxplayers, network.server_name, network.default_password, network.advertise, network.pause_server_if_no_clients, general.autosave and general.autosave_amount. In OpenRCT2's source the defaults are 16 players, advertise on, and pause_server_if_no_clients off.

Becoming an admin

OpenRCT2's wiki describes one way: join the server with a client, type network.players in the dedicated server's own terminal to find your player index, then set your group to admin with network.players[1].group = 0 (use your index). After that you can manage permissions from the game.

Option 2: host it on PlayNHost

Renting removes the firewall, port forwarding and download steps. The server software and its port are set up for you.

Pick a plan. Open the OpenRCT2 server hosting page and compare the plans (KIDDIE, FAMILY and COASTER at the time of writing, for 16, 32 and 64 players). Press Create Server on a plan, or Customize Plan where the page offers it, and finish the order. Prices change, so check them on that page.
Wait for the install. You get a "server ready" email and the server appears at panel.playnhost.com. On the Console tab, the panel counts the server as running when it prints Listening for clients on.
Open Settings, then Game Settings. These fields apply each time the server starts:
- Server Name and Server Password: the name players see and the join password. Clear the password for an open server.
- Max Players: set to your plan's player count when the server is created.
- Save File: the park to load, ServerData/save/save.park by default.
- Load Latest Autosave: see the note below.
- Autosave Interval and Autosaves To Keep: how often the server autosaves and how many autosaves it keeps.
- Advertise Server and Pause Server If No Clients: both off by default on our servers. In our tests, listing on OpenRCT2's public server list fails from our servers, so leave Advertise Server off and have players join by address.
- Server Description: shown when players hover over your server in the server list. Server Greeting: the message sent to every player who joins.
Restart. When the panel shows "Saved. The server must restart before these take effect.", press Restart now and wait for the ready line.
Upload your own park (optional). Open the Files tab, upload your .park file (a file name without spaces), set Save File to its path, and turn Load Latest Autosave off so it is loaded. While it is off, every restart loads that file again; once the server has autosaved your new park, turn it back on to keep progress across restarts.
Join. In OpenRCT2 open Multiplayer, click New Server, enter your server's address and port from the panel, then the Server Password if you set one.

What our setup does for you

Ready line. The panel treats the server as started when the log says Listening for clients on.
Port and settings. At every start the panel writes your server's port into network.default_port, along with the name, password, player count, advertise, pause, autosave and chat and action logging settings. Hand edits to those keys in ServerData/config.ini are replaced at the next start, so change them in Game Settings.
Starter park. The install downloads a default save.park into ServerData/save if none exists, so a new server can start straight away.
Autosave wins by default. With Load Latest Autosave on, every start loads the newest file in ServerData/save/autosave/ instead of Save File. That keeps your progress across restarts. It also means a different Save File is ignored until you turn the setting off.
Versions. The OpenRCT2 Version setting defaults to latest. A release tag from v0.4.15 onward, written exactly as on OpenRCT2's releases page, such as v0.5.7, pins one. It is read only while the server installs: a restart does not apply a change, even though the panel offers one after you save. To move an existing server to another version, open a support ticket and we reinstall it for you.
Console. The Console tab shows the server log. Text typed into it does not reach the game, so the network.players admin step above cannot be run there.

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 while your friends build. 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, and a service or Docker setup. Very doable, and a good way to learn. Rented: a web panel with form fields.
Updates. Self-hosted: download the new release and replace the folder. Rented: the server keeps the version it was installed with (latest at that moment, unless you set OpenRCT2 Version), and support reinstalls it when you want another.

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.

Common problems and fixes

The release binary will not start

Cause: the system lacks a library the portable build links against, for example libicuuc.so.72.

Fix: on Debian 12, install libicu72 libfontconfig1 libfreetype6 libpng16-16 libzip4, or use the official Docker container.

Friends cannot connect

Cause: the port is closed in the firewall or not forwarded on the router.

Fix: open TCP 11753 (or your own port) in both places, and add the port after the address if it is not the default.

The server keeps loading an old park (PlayNHost)

Cause: Load Latest Autosave is on, so the newest autosave is loaded instead of Save File.

Fix: turn Load Latest Autosave off, then restart.

Your changes to config.ini disappear (PlayNHost)

Cause: the key is one the panel writes at every start.

Fix: change it in Game Settings instead.

FAQ

Can I host an OpenRCT2 server for free?

Yes. OpenRCT2 is free and open source. You still pay for the machine, power and internet, and it must stay on while people play.

Which port does OpenRCT2 use?

TCP 11753 by default. Change it with --port or in config.ini.

How many players can join?

The default network.maxplayers is 16. Our plans are 16, 32 and 64 players.

Can I start a brand new scenario on the server?

Not on ours: Save File must point at an existing .park file, and a starter park is loaded by default. Upload your own park to change it.

Do I need the original RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 files?

Players do: OpenRCT2's README says the game needs them. Our server runs without them.

Ready to build together? See the OpenRCT2 server plans.

How to host an OpenRCT2 server (2026)