Short answer. You can host a Ships At Sea server yourself for free: install the free dedicated server (Steam app 3951240) with SteamCMD using an anonymous login, start it with -log, set a name in DedicatedServerSettings.ini, and open port 7777 and port 15000 (both TCP and UDP). Or rent a Ships At Sea server and skip the networking.
The server runs on Linux and Windows and takes up to 16 players. Players find it by name in the in-game server list.
Checked on 5 November 2026 against the latest published build notes, Hotfix v0.8.7.48658 (17 July 2026). Ships At Sea is in Early Access, so check the game's Steam announcements for anything newer before you start.
This guide uses Misc Games' own Dedicated Server Guide, their Steam announcements, and what we run on our own Ships At Sea servers. To go straight to the rental route, see Option 2.
What you need
A separate machine: Misc Games says you cannot run the game and the dedicated server on the same machine. Linux and Windows are both supported.
Hardware: Misc Games does not publish dedicated server requirements. The Steam page lists only what the game itself needs on a player's PC.
Network: port 7777 and port 15000, each open for both TCP and UDP, reachable from the internet. 7777 is the game port and 15000 the beacon port. Our own servers set them with the -port and -beaconport launch options.
Steam account: not needed to download the server. The install command uses +login anonymous. Misc Games also lists it as a tool called Ships At Sea Dedicated Server in your Steam library.
The game: every player needs Ships At Sea on Steam (app 1266540).
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. The steps below follow Misc Games' guide and Valve's SteamCMD page.
Linux (Debian or Ubuntu)
Install the library SteamCMD needs.
sudo apt-get install lib32gcc-s1
Create a steam user. Valve warns against running SteamCMD as root.
sudo useradd -m steam
sudo -iu steam
Install SteamCMD as that user.
mkdir ~/Steam && cd ~/Steam
curl -sqL "https://client-update.steamstatic.com/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz" | tar zxvf -
The first line lets a fresh SteamCMD update itself before the real download. Our install script does the same, because a fresh SteamCMD can answer "Failed to install app (Missing configuration)" and still carry on as if it had finished. Check that /home/steam/ShipsAtSea/steamapps/appmanifest_3951240.acf exists. If it does not, use the fix under "The download finishes but there are no server files" below.
Create the settings file. Misc Games documents the example file only in the Windows folder, SAS\Saved\Config\WindowsServer. On Linux our own servers read it from SAS/Saved/Config/LinuxServer, so create that folder and the file:
cd ~/ShipsAtSea
mkdir -p SAS/Saved/Config/LinuxServer
nano SAS/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/DedicatedServerSettings.ini
with these contents:
[/Script/Sas.DedicatedServerSettings]
DedicatedServerName=My Ships At Sea Server
MaxPlayers=16
DedicatedServerDescription=A short description
These three are the only settings the game documents. Misc Games lists password protection as coming in a later update, so there is no join password yet.
Open the ports. Allow 7777 and 15000 for TCP and UDP on the machine's firewall (with ufw: sudo ufw allow 7777 and sudo ufw allow 15000, which covers both protocols), then forward both ports on your router to this machine.
Join. Open Ships At Sea on a different PC and look for your server name in the multiplayer server list.
Windows
Install Ships At Sea Dedicated Server from the Tools filter of your Steam library, or run SteamCMD with login anonymous followed by app_update 3951240 validate.
In steamapps\common\Ships At Sea Dedicated Server\SAS\Saved\Config\WindowsServer, rename Example_DedicatedServerSettings.ini to DedicatedServerSettings.ini and edit the name, MaxPlayers and description.
Start the server from the install folder, steamapps\common\Ships At Sea Dedicated Server, with SasServer.exe -log.
Allow ports 7777 and 15000 for TCP and UDP in Windows Firewall and forward both on your router.
Misc Games also mentions an offline setup guide in SAS\Binaries\Win64\Readme.txt and says the server auto-saves every 5 minutes.
Option 2: host it on PlayNHost
Renting removes the firewall, port forwarding and update routine. Both ports are assigned to your server for you.
Pick a plan. Open the Ships At Sea server hosting page and compare the plans (ROSTER, SKARVEN and NORDLAND at the time of writing). Press Create Server on ROSTER or SKARVEN, or Customize Plan on NORDLAND, and finish the order. Prices change, so check them on that page.
Wait for the install. We email you the moment it is ready, and the server appears at panel.playnhost.com. On the Console tab, the panel counts the server as running when it prints OnUpdateSessionComplete(SessionName: GameSession, bWasSuccessful: true.
Open Settings, then Game Settings. The two game fields you can edit are:
Server Name: the name in the server list, up to 64 characters.
Server Description: a short line about your server, up to 128 characters.
Max Players and the Beacon Port are shown but set for you, so you do not change them.
Restart. When the panel shows "Saved. The server must restart before these take effect.", restart the server and wait for the ready line.
Join. Find your server name in the in-game server list.
What our setup does for you
Both ports. Ships At Sea needs a game port and a second "beacon" port. The panel starts the server with your game port as -port and the second as -beaconport, so you never edit launch options.
The settings file is rewritten at every start. Before each start our startup script writes DedicatedServerSettings.ini in SAS/Saved/Config/LinuxServer from Game Settings. A hand edit to that file under Files does not survive a restart, so change the name and description in Game Settings.
Install that checks itself. The install runs SteamCMD up to three times and only counts it as done when the app manifest, the server binary and the Linux content pak are all present. A silent "Missing configuration" failure cannot leave you with an empty server.
A mods folder. At every start our startup script recreates SAS/Content/Paks/~mods, a folder inside SAS/Content/Paks, where the server mounts pak files, subfolders included. This build packs content in IoStore containers, so a mod needs its .pak, .ucas and .utoc files together under Files. We saw a lone .pak rejected with an "IoStore container ... utoc not found" message while the full set mounted.
Backups. If your plan includes backups, take one from Backups before changing files by hand.
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 and internet, and it has to stay on whenever your crew sails. Rented: runs on the host's hardware, not your PC.
Network. Self-hosted: two ports to forward, and a connection with a public IP (Misc Games names CG-NAT as a cause of players who cannot connect). Rented: nothing to forward.
Skill needed. Self-hosted: command line, port forwarding and an .ini file. 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 server checks Steam for a game update every time it starts (Auto Update, on by default, under Show advanced in Game Settings).
Self-hosting suits you if a separate 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 server is in the list but players cannot connect
Cause: per Misc Games, the firewall blocks the ports, the server is behind CG-NAT, port 7777 or 15000 is not forwarded for both TCP and UDP, or the server runs on the same machine as the game.
Fix: open and forward both ports for TCP and UDP, run the server on its own machine, and ask your ISP for a public IP if you are behind CG-NAT. For a server that does not appear at all, see How to Fix a Ships at Sea Server That Does Not Appear.
The download finishes but there are no server files
Cause: a fresh SteamCMD can report "Failed to install app (Missing configuration)" and still exit normally.
Fix: run steamcmd.sh +quit once, then the download command again with +app_info_update 1 +app_info_print 3951240 placed after +login anonymous and before +app_update 3951240 validate (our install script does this, because it makes SteamCMD fetch the app's details first), and check that appmanifest_3951240.acf exists.
Your name or description reverts (PlayNHost)
Cause: the settings file is rewritten from Game Settings at every start.
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 on a dedicated server. Peer-to-peer play through the Friends List supports up to 4. Our plans are 4, 8 and 16 players.
Can I run the server and play on the same PC?
No. Misc Games requires a separate machine for the dedicated server.
Which ports does a Ships At Sea server use?
7777 (the game port) and 15000 (the beacon port), each for TCP and UDP. Our servers move them with the -port and -beaconport launch options.
Can I set a join password?
Not yet. Misc Games lists password protection as coming in a future update.
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