How to join your The Bus server

To join a The Bus server on PlayNHost, copy the server GUID from your server's Console (the line Server can be reached with the GUID) and paste it into the add server window in The Bus. The Bus finds dedicated servers by this ID, not by IP address. If you set a Server Password, players type it when they join.

How do I find my server's GUID?

1. Open your server in the panel and make sure the badge says Online. If it says Offline, click Start and wait.
2. Click the Console tab.
3. Find the line that starts with Server can be reached with the GUID:. It is printed near the end of the start output.
4. Copy the ID that follows it, without the quotation marks.

The developer's guide places the line at the bottom of the start output, so it is printed again on every start. The developer's guide does not say whether the GUID stays the same after a restart: copy it from the most recent start, so you always hand out the current one. If the line has scrolled away, wait until nobody is playing, click the arrow next to Stop and choose Restart, and copy it again when the badge says Online.

How do players connect in The Bus?

1. Start The Bus on PC.
2. Open the add server window in the game.
3. Paste the GUID and confirm.
4. Join the server. If it has a Server Password, type it when the game asks.

The developer's dedicated server guide gives these steps: "You can connect to your server using this id ... Paste it into the add server window ingame."

Why not the Server Address on the Overview page?

The Server Address and the Join button on your server's Overview page give the server's IP address and port. That is how most games connect, but The Bus finds servers by ID: the developer's changelog for Update 3.0 says "Servers can now be found via ID instead of IP". Send players the GUID from the Console. The developer's changelog also says port forwarding is no longer necessary, so there is nothing to open on your side.

Can players find the server in the public list?

Yes, if you switch Show In Server List on under Settings, Game Settings and restart. The server should then appear in The Bus's public server list under its Server Name, and the GUID keeps working either way. It is off on a new server, so only people with the GUID can find it. Steps: How to make your The Bus server public or private.

What does every player need?

• The Bus on PC. Multiplayer is PC only. The developer's release FAQ says "Multiplayer is not available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S."
• Their own copy of The Bus. The server itself needs no copy of the game: PlayNHost installs The Bus Dedicated Server from Steam, which needs no game licence.
• The same DLCs to share DLC content. The developer's Hamburg City FAQ says "All players must own the same DLCs to use them together."
• The server's mods, when a mod requires it. A mod flagged for client and server must be installed on both sides: How to add mods to your The Bus server.

A player cannot join. What do I check first?

• The badge says Online, and the player used the GUID from the latest start.
• The password matches Server Password exactly. A changed password only applies after a restart.
• The server has a free slot: Maximum Players is the cap.

More causes and fixes: The Bus server problems and fixes. What to send your friends: How to invite friends to your The Bus server.