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Choose player-hosted co-op if your group normally plays at the same time and wants the least setup. Choose a dedicated server if people need to enter the same world while the usual host is offline. A dedicated server can run on your own PC or on a rented game-server service; it adds hardware, network, administration, or rental-cost responsibilities in exchange for persistent availability.
The short answer
Co-op hosting is the better default for a regular, small group. It is simpler because one player starts the session and the others join that player. The drawback is availability: the group generally depends on that host being online.
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Use a dedicated server when your schedules do not overlap. The world can remain available for the group while its normal host is away, provided the server machine or rental service is running. You must then choose between maintaining the server yourself and paying a provider to operate it.
Enshrouded supports solo or offline play and online co-op for up to 16 players, according to Keen Games’ official FAQ (accessed 2026). The 16-player limit applies to the supported multiplayer session size; it does not mean every computer or internet connection will deliver identical performance.
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How the two hosting models differ
| Option | Best fit | When the world is available | What you take on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player-hosted co-op | Friends who usually play together | Normally when the usual player-host is online | Very little setup; the group must coordinate around the host |
| Self-hosted dedicated server | Groups wanting persistent access and control | Whenever your server PC and network are running | Hardware, bandwidth, configuration, updates, security, backups and troubleshooting |
| Rented dedicated server | Groups wanting persistent access without maintaining a server PC | According to the rental service’s operating and subscription terms | Recurring cost, provider-specific controls, support quality and contract limitations |
Keen Games describes dedicated servers as an option for players who do not want friends to depend on the usual host being online. The company says a server may be self-hosted or rented, identifies GPortal as a rental partner, and says rentals through other preferred providers are also possible. Those statements establish the hosting choices, not current prices, backup policies, regional performance or support levels for any particular provider.
When player-hosted co-op is the right choice
Your sessions are scheduled and simultaneous
If four or five friends meet on the same evenings, a dedicated machine solves a problem you do not really have. The host starts the game, everyone joins, and no one has to maintain a second installation or configuration file. This is usually the lowest-effort arrangement for a group that plays together.
You want to avoid administration
Co-op hosting avoids server-specific work such as editing a JSON configuration, opening a listening port, monitoring memory, applying server updates and arranging backups. The trade-off is that the world follows the host’s session rather than existing independently.
Your group is small or still testing the game
Starting with co-op lets you learn whether the group will play regularly before buying rental time or dedicating a computer. If attendance later becomes asynchronous, the same group can move to a dedicated arrangement after deciding who should own and back up the world.
What co-op cannot provide
Player-hosted co-op is a poor fit when members play at very different times or when the host cannot reliably start sessions. A friend who logs in while that host is away may have no access to the shared world, even though their own character can still be used elsewhere.
When a dedicated server is worth the extra work
Friends need the world at different times
This is the defining reason to switch. A running dedicated server removes the requirement for the usual co-op host to be online, so one player can build, explore or organize storage while another plays later. The server still has to be operating; “dedicated” does not mean it runs without a machine, rental subscription or maintenance.
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The group wants one persistent world
A dedicated server gives the group a single server-side world save that can be left running between sessions. It also separates world availability from any one person’s game session, which is useful for communities with rotating schedules.
You need administrative control
Self-hosting gives you direct control of the machine, configuration and files. Renting can provide a web panel or support tools, depending on the service. In either case, confirm who can restart the server, change the player limit, download saves and restore a backup before committing.
When it is not worth it
- Your group nearly always plays together and no one wants to maintain infrastructure.
- The prospective host cannot provide the recommended CPU, SSD space or upload capacity.
- You do not have someone willing to handle updates, access control and backups.
- A recurring rental bill would be out of proportion to the number of hours the group actually plays.
Dedicated-server hardware and network requirements
Keen Games publishes recommendations for two player-count ranges. They are developer recommendations, not a performance guarantee for every world, operating system or background workload.
| Target population | CPU recommendation | Memory | Storage | Network upload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4–6 players | 6 cores / 12 threads at 3.2 GHz, Intel Core i7 or equivalent AMD processor | 16 GB RAM | At least 30 GB free on an SSD | About 2 Mbit/s per player |
| Up to 16 players | 8 cores / 16 threads at 3.7 GHz, Intel Core i7 or equivalent AMD processor | 16 GB RAM | At least 30 GB free on an SSD | About 2 Mbit/s per player |
Interpreting the bandwidth figure
The recommendation is approximately 2 Mbit/s of upload per connected player. That works out to roughly 8–12 Mbit/s for four to six players and about 32 Mbit/s for 16 players. Keen Games says download capacity should roughly match upload capacity. Treat these as planning figures, not a promise that an internet plan with exactly that headline speed will be stable under load: other traffic, Wi-Fi quality, congestion and latency still matter.
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The Dedicated Server FAQ reports about 4.4 GB of RAM while idle and up to 100 MB of additional RAM per player. The same FAQ recommends 30 GB of free disk space for server files. The 30 GB figure is a capacity recommendation, not the expected size of one save. World saves may range from about 1 MB to 100 MB, with heavily built-up worlds nearer the upper end.
Leave room beyond the minimum for operating-system updates, logs, temporary files and multiple backup copies. An SSD is specifically part of Keen Games’ recommendation; do not treat a nearly full mechanical drive as an equivalent substitute.
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What the recommendations do not tell you
The published figures do not establish a universal frame-rate target, maximum world complexity, provider latency, backup frequency or a guaranteed number of players on every machine. A busy world, other programs on the host and an unstable connection can still cause problems on hardware that matches the table.
Self-hosting: installation and first configuration
Keen Games’ installation article, published February 23, 2024, describes Windows support and says Linux support was planned. That is a dated statement from that article, not confirmation of the current platform matrix. Check the latest official documentation and the current Steam tool listing before choosing an operating system.
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- Run the server executable once. The first launch generates the server files, including
enshrouded_server.json. - Stop the process before editing. Close the running server cleanly so it is not writing the configuration while you change it.
- Edit
enshrouded_server.json. Set the server name, password and player-slot value required by your group, following the field names and formatting present in the generated file. The official configuration article documents a default query port of 15637 and a player-slot range of 1 to 16. - Choose a sensible slot count. Set the limit to the number of people you actually intend to support rather than automatically selecting 16. A lower limit reduces accidental overbooking and makes capacity planning clearer.
- Allow the configured port through the host’s firewall and router. The query port in the configuration must be reachable from outside your home network for remote friends; use the exact port shown in your file if you change the default.
- Start the executable again and test locally. Confirm that the process remains running, the world loads and the server appears to the intended players before announcing it to the whole group.
- Record the file locations and ownership. Keep a written note of where the configuration and world-save files live, who administers the machine and how the server is stopped and restarted.
Do not copy a configuration example from an unrelated version without checking the generated file. The installation article is from 2024, and field names or supported settings can change as the game is updated.
Choosing a rented dedicated server
Renting shifts machine maintenance to a provider but does not eliminate decision-making. Keen Games officially names GPortal as a service from which dedicated servers can be rented directly within the game and says other preferred providers may also be used. The official statement does not establish current plan prices, player-slot pricing, regional locations, backup retention, mod support, customer-service response times or cancellation terms.
Check these items before paying
- Enshrouded support and version handling: verify that the service supports the game version you run and explains how updates are applied.
- Player slots: confirm that the plan supports your intended number, up to the game’s 16-player limit.
- Region and latency: choose a location near most players, then ask how the provider measures or presents latency.
- World-save access: make sure you can download the world file yourself rather than relying solely on provider support.
- Backups and restores: check whether backups are automatic, how many are retained, and whether restoring one overwrites the current world.
- Administration: look for restart controls, password changes, slot changes, log access and permission management.
- Billing: verify recurring charges, renewal dates, cancellation rules and what happens when a subscription expires.
A rental is attractive when no one wants a server PC running at home. It is less attractive if the group needs unusual configuration control, offline copies of every save or a fixed monthly cost that exceeds its play time. Compare the service terms directly; there is no official provider-by-provider feature or price table that supports a universal “best host” recommendation.
World saves, character progression and moving between hosts
Enshrouded stores two different kinds of progress. Keen Games’ official server FAQ says there is a save file for each game world on the dedicated server, while character save games are not stored there; character progression is stored only on clients.
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What the distinction means
- World save: the shared environment, including the world state and construction, resides with the dedicated server.
- Character save: an individual player’s progression resides on that player’s client.
Back up both sides when possible. Copying the server’s world file protects the shared environment but does not automatically create a backup of every player’s character progression. Players should maintain their own client backups, while the server administrator protects the world files.
Before changing hosting arrangements
- Stop the old server or finish the co-op session cleanly.
- Make a dated copy of the dedicated server’s world-save directory.
- Ask every player to preserve their local character data before joining the new arrangement.
- Start the new server with a test copy first, if the provider offers a staging or temporary instance.
- Have one player verify the world and character progression before the whole group treats the migration as complete.
World files can be small—Keen Games gives a range of about 1 MB to 100 MB—but size does not replace a backup policy. A compact save can still represent weeks of work.
Operational costs beyond the headline choice
Self-hosting costs
Self-hosting may use an existing desktop, but account for electricity, SSD wear, internet upload capacity, a stable wired connection where possible and the time required to apply updates and diagnose failures. If the existing computer has less than the recommended 16 GB of RAM, adding memory may help, but the module type and motherboard compatibility must be checked for that specific system.
Rental costs
A rented server adds a recurring charge. The amount depends on the provider, location, slot count and service terms, and no current price is established here. Treat a low introductory price as a promotion until the renewal rate and cancellation conditions are clear.
People and responsibility
Every dedicated server needs an owner who can answer practical questions: Who changes the password? Who applies updates? Who restores a bad save? Who pays the rental bill? Agree on those responsibilities before the server becomes the group’s only copy of its world.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting by symptom
Friends cannot connect, but the server is running
- Confirm that the server process is still running and loaded the intended world.
- Verify that the configured query port is the port allowed through the host firewall and router.
- Check the external address supplied to players and test from a network outside the host’s home connection.
- Make sure the server and clients are on compatible game versions after an update.
The server starts, then stops or becomes unresponsive
- Compare the machine with the 4–6-player or 16-player CPU recommendations.
- Check available RAM while the server and other applications are running; the FAQ’s 4.4 GB idle figure leaves less headroom on a crowded machine.
- Confirm that the SSD has at least 30 GB free and that the operating system is not denying write access.
- Reduce the configured player limit temporarily and test whether the problem tracks concurrent users.
Players experience lag or disconnects
- Measure the host’s real upload capacity while other household traffic is active. Plan around roughly 2 Mbit/s upload per connected player, with comparable download capacity.
- Prefer a stable wired connection for a self-hosted machine and stop large uploads or downloads during play.
- Compare results at different times; congestion can look like a game-server fault.
- If the hardware and connection meet the recommendations but problems persist, collect logs and contact the rental provider or consult the current official support guidance.
The world appears correct but a character is missing progress
Check the client-side character data. The dedicated server stores the world save, while character progression is stored on each player’s client. Restoring only the server’s world file will not restore a player’s local character state.
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A practical decision framework
- Count overlapping play time. If nearly every session has one dependable host, begin with co-op. If players regularly log in separately, continue to the next step.
- Choose your responsibility level. Select self-hosting only if someone accepts maintenance and backup duties. Otherwise evaluate a rental.
- Check capacity before paying. Match the intended population to the CPU, 16 GB RAM, SSD and bandwidth recommendations; do not size a 16-player server like a 4-player one.
- Decide who owns the world. Agree on access, backups and what happens if the administrator stops playing.
- Test before inviting everyone. Connect from at least one remote location, load the intended world and verify that a character can join and retain progression.
Examples for common groups
Four friends with one weekly game night
Use player-hosted co-op. The group has synchronized schedules, so a dedicated server would add configuration and maintenance without solving a meaningful availability problem.
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A dedicated server is likely worthwhile. For a 4–6-player target, plan around Keen Games’ 6-core/12-thread, 3.2 GHz recommendation, 16 GB RAM, 30 GB of free SSD space and about 2 Mbit/s upload per player. Rent if nobody wants to operate a home machine; self-host if one person already has suitable hardware and accepts the administrative role.
A community that may reach the player cap
Plan for the 16-player recommendation: an 8-core/16-thread, 3.7 GHz Intel Core i7 or equivalent AMD processor, 16 GB RAM, at least 30 GB free SSD space and about 2 Mbit/s upload per player. That bandwidth planning figure is approximately 32 Mbit/s upload for 16 connected players, before allowing for other traffic and variability.
A group moving from a rented service to home hosting
Download and date the world save before cancelling the rental. Have each player protect their client-side character data, then test the copied world on the home server before making the switch permanent.
Verdict
For a group that plays together, choose player-hosted co-op and keep the setup simple. For a group that plays asynchronously, choose a dedicated server. Self-host when you want control and have hardware, bandwidth and an administrator; rent when persistent availability matters more than operating the machine yourself. In every case, protect the server’s world save and each player’s client-side character data separately.
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