Host a Don't Starve Together dedicated server on your PC

This is for someone who has never run a game server. You will put the official Don't Starve Together dedicated server on a Windows PC so friends can play even when you are not in the world. The PC has to stay on while people play.

Caves is not a tick box. It is a second program that has to be running at the same time as the forest. You will end up with two black windows: Forest (Master) on port 10999, and Caves on port 11000.

Do not pin an old build. When Steam updates Don't Starve Together, update this dedicated server the same way so friends can join.

1. Install the dedicated server, not the game

The game you play is Steam app 322330. The dedicated server is a different download: app 343050.

1. Open Steam.
2. At the top of your Library, open the dropdown that says Games. Tick Tools.
3. Search Don't Starve Together Dedicated Server. Install that, not the game itself.
4. Right-click it, Manage, Browse local files.
5. Open the bin64 folder. You should see dontstarve_dedicated_server_nullrenderer_x64.exe. Leave this folder open. You will come back to it.

2. Get a cluster token from Klei

An online dedicated server will refuse to start without this. It proves you own the game. The name you type on Klei's page does not have to match your world.

1. Open accounts.klei.com and log in with the Steam account that owns Don't Starve Together. If you already logged in, you can go straight to Game Servers for Don't Starve Together.
2. Open Game Servers for Don't Starve Together.
3. Type any Cluster Name. Click Add New Server.
4. Copy the token. It is one long string. Copy all of it.

Keep that copy. You will paste it in a minute. Do not add spaces around it.

3. Make the cluster folder

1. Open File Explorer. Click the address bar, paste %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Klei\DoNotStarveTogether, press Enter. If the folders do not exist yet, create Klei then DoNotStarveTogether under Documents.
2. Inside that, create a folder named Cluster_1.
3. Inside Cluster_1, create two more folders named Master and Caves.

You should now have:

Documents\Klei\DoNotStarveTogether\Cluster_1\
  cluster.ini
  cluster_token.txt
  Master\
  Caves\

The two files are next. Create them as you go.

4. Turn caves on in cluster.ini

1. In Cluster_1, right-click empty space, New, Text Document. Name it cluster.ini. Turn on file extensions if Windows hides .ini.
2. Open it in Notepad, paste this, then Save.

[GAMEPLAY]
game_mode = survival
max_players = 6
pvp = false
pause_when_empty = true

[NETWORK]
cluster_name = Friends
cluster_description =
cluster_password =
cluster_intention = cooperative
offline_cluster = false

[MISC]
console_enabled = true

[SHARD]
shard_enabled = true
bind_ip = 127.0.0.1
master_ip = 127.0.0.1
master_port = 11001
cluster_key = friends

The important line is shard_enabled = true. Without it, caves never start talking to the forest. master_port = 11001 is only for the two programs on this PC. Do not forward it on the router. Change cluster_name to whatever friends should see in Browse Games. Put a password in cluster_password if you want the world private.

5. Forest (Master) files

1. In the Master folder, create server.ini and paste this:

[NETWORK]
server_port = 10999

[SHARD]
is_master = true

[STEAM]
master_server_port = 27018
authentication_port = 8768

1. In the same Master folder, create worldgenoverride.lua and paste this:

return {
  override_enabled = true,
  preset = "SURVIVAL_TOGETHER",
}

6. Caves files

Caves needs its own server.ini and a world file that says this shard is underground, not a second forest.

1. In the Caves folder, create server.ini and paste this:

[NETWORK]
server_port = 11000

[SHARD]
is_master = false
name = Caves

[STEAM]
master_server_port = 27019
authentication_port = 8769

1. In the same Caves folder, create worldgenoverride.lua and paste this:

return {
  override_enabled = true,
  preset = "DST_CAVE",
}

7. Paste the token

1. In Cluster_1 (next to cluster.ini), create cluster_token.txt.
2. Open it in Notepad. Paste only the token you copied. Nothing else. No extra spaces, no extra blank lines.
3. Save and close.

8. Start both programs

1. Go back to the bin64 folder from step 1.
2. Right-click empty space, New, Text Document. Name it start.bat.
3. Open it in Notepad, paste this, then Save:

start "DST Forest" dontstarve_dedicated_server_nullrenderer_x64.exe -cluster Cluster_1 -shard Master -port 10999
start "DST Caves" dontstarve_dedicated_server_nullrenderer_x64.exe -cluster Cluster_1 -shard Caves -port 11000

1. Double-click start.bat. Two black windows should open.
2. Wait until both finish loading. The first start can take a few minutes while it builds the worlds.

Leave both windows open while people play. If only the Forest window is running, sinkholes will not take anyone underground.

9. Open the ports so friends can reach you

Friends outside your house need two holes in your router: send ports 10999 and 11000 to this PC. Follow Port forwarding so friends can join for the Windows Firewall and router clicks. Use the Don't Starve Together row on that page (forest plus caves).

10. Friends join

1. They open Don't Starve Together.
2. Choose Browse Games. Search for the cluster_name you set in cluster.ini.
3. They must be on the same game build as this dedicated server. If Steam updated the game and you have not updated the dedicated server, they cannot join.

11. Save and stop

Type commands in the Forest window (the Master one).

• c_save() saves without shutting down. Use this on Master only.
• c_shutdown() saves and stops that window. Type it in Forest, then in Caves if that window is still open.

Do not close the black windows with the X. That can skip a save.

If you turn caves off later

Stop the Caves window with c_shutdown(). The forest keeps running. The caves save stays on disk in the Caves folder. Start the Caves line in start.bat again when you want sinkholes to work. Do not delete that folder.

If you do not want the PC on

A hosted world does not need two windows or a router. omnipass.gg can run the dedicated server for you, so friends join without leaving a PC awake.