A dedicated server for a game is a powerful computer that runs the game world independently, so players can join and play without relying on one player’s device to host. It provides better performance, stability, and can stay online 24/7. This is especially important for multiplayer games with many players. Popular games like Minecraft, GMOD, Counter-Strike, and ARK: Survival Evolved use dedicated servers to offer smooth and reliable online gameplay.
Stickforge also provides a moddable dedicated server that allows you to mod the game and play with your friends.
If you want to do some modding first, I'd recommend to get a local server running first (on your computer). In this case, follow the tutorial here.
I'd recommend to check the “My First Mod” video too.
You have two options. The easiest one is to order a server from VeryGames.com (exclusive partnership), they will handle the installation and configure the server for you. You'll get a dashboard with the ability to upload and manage mods easily.
Click the link above and follow the steps. Once it's installed, you can use WebFTP (a web-based file manager built into the VeryGames panel) to access your server files, upload mods, and edit configuration files directly from your browser. No extra software needed.
This is a more advanced solution, but it gives you full control over your Stickforge server.
You'll need some knowledge of server hosting and basic system administration (like shell navigation and related tasks).
IMPORTANT: No commercial exploitation of game server allowed (e.g: forbidden if you are a Game Server Provider) other than VeryGames.com. Check EULA for more detail.
First, you need a server hosted online. It can run on Linux (Ubuntu or Debian preferred) or Windows, and it can be either a bare-metal server or a VPS.
If you have some experience and want to try hosting it yourself, you can rent an affordable Kimsufi server from OVH:
👉 https://eco.ovhcloud.com/en/kimsufi/
Keep in mind that the Stickforge server can requires 4GB of RAM and a decent CPU. Since the game is still in early access, system requirements might change. Keep in mind the Stickforge server is in Javascript and is running using a portable version of Node JS.
Second, once you're logged into your server using SSH via a terminal, you'll need to install SteamCMD. This tool lets you download the Stickforge Dedicated Server.
Follow the guide here to install SteamCMD on your server:
👉 https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD
Once SteamCMD is installed and working properly, we can proceed to the next step.
Third, let’s download and install the Stickforge server. To do this, enter the following command:
steamcmd +force_install_dir "./stickforge_server" +login anonymous +app_update 3846870 validate +quitit should create a stickforge_server directory in your current folder, login and download the Stickforge Dedicated Server. Once it's completed you should have Stickforge server installed in the stickforge_server folder
Finally, you should now be able to launch your server.
Navigate to the server folder using:
cd stickforge_serverEdit the .env file and change the line:
SERVER_IP="127.0.0.1"to your server’s actual public IP address. Make sure to keep the quotes around the IP address.
You should also update the SERVER_NAME to set the name you want (this is what will appear in the game's server list).
Once that's done, you can launch the server using the official Stickforge mod in Conquest Point mode with the following command:
sh ./launch.sh --server_mode=prod --game_mode=sf_base/cp
Wait a few seconds, and if everything works correctly, your Stickforge server should be running and visible in the Stickforge game server list!
Congratulations!
Important:
If you close the terminal, the server will stop or may hang. To avoid this, make sure to run your server inside a screen session (search online for a tutorial on how to use screen — launch a screen, start the server inside it, then detach from the screen).
You'll also want to make sure your server restarts automatically in case of a crash (Early Access, heh!). For that, you can use a simple tool like Forever for JavaScript, or PM2 (which is more powerful but harder to set up), to keep your server running and auto-restarting when needed.
Now your server is running, you can mod it and customize it.
This is what we will cover in the next section, advanced configuration!