SelfServr Guide
Sons of the Forest Dedicated Server Setup
How to get a Sons of the Forest dedicated server running on your own machine, from downloading the server files to starting it up.
1. Get the server files
Sons of the Forest's dedicated server is distributed through Valve's SteamCMD tool, under Steam app ID 2465200. If you don't have SteamCMD installed yet, follow our SteamCMD installation guide first.
From a SteamCMD prompt (or as command-line arguments), run:
force_install_dir "C:\GameServers\SonsOfTheForest" login anonymous app_update 2465200 validate quit
A handful of dedicated-server tools require a Steam account that owns the base game instead of an anonymous login. If login anonymous is rejected, replace it with login <your-steam-username> and enter your password when prompted.
2. Required ports
Forward these ports to the server machine's local IP address on your router, and allow them through the server's firewall. See the port forwarding guide for how.
3. Start the server
Windows
SonsOfTheForestDS.exe
Linux hosts commonly run the same build under Wine, since there's no native Linux server. Server settings are generated after the first run.
4. Save it as a script (optional, but recommended)
Saving the commands above as scripts means starting and updating the server is a single double-click instead of retyping them, and it's what lets Task Scheduler or systemd start the server for you -- see keeping it running 24/7.
Start script
Windows -- start-server.bat
@echo off cd /d "%~dp0" SonsOfTheForestDS.exe
Save either script in the same folder as the server executable -- %~dp0 (Windows) and $(dirname "$0") (Linux) both mean "wherever this script itself lives", so it works regardless of the exact path you installed to.
Update script
Adjust the SteamCMD path below if yours isn't at C:\steamcmd:
Windows -- update-server.bat
@echo off C:\steamcmd\steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir "C:\GameServers\SonsOfTheForest" +login anonymous +app_update 2465200 validate +quit
Linux -- update-server.sh
#!/bin/bash steamcmd +force_install_dir "/home/steam/GameServers/SonsOfTheForest" +login anonymous +app_update 2465200 validate +quit
Adjust the install path above to wherever you actually want the server on your Linux machine -- it's shown as an example, not a requirement.
5. Generate a config file
Use the Sons of the Forest config generator to fill in server name, password, max players and more, and download a ready-to-use dedicatedserver.cfg.json.
Open the Sons of the Forest config generator →Keep it running
Once your Sons of the Forest server is working, see our guide on keeping it running 24/7 so it survives a reboot or crash without you needing to start it by hand.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install a Sons of the Forest dedicated server?
Download it with SteamCMD using Steam app ID 2465200, then run it from the install directory. See "Get the server files" and "Start the server" above for the exact commands.
What port does a Sons of the Forest server use?
UDP 8766, UDP 27016, UDP 9700 by default, forwarded to the server machine's local IP address. See the port forwarding guide for how.
How do I configure a Sons of the Forest server?
Use the Sons of the Forest config generator to fill in server name, password, max players and more, and download a ready-to-use dedicatedserver.cfg.json.
How do I keep a Sons of the Forest server running?
Set it up as a Windows Task Scheduler task or a Linux systemd service so it survives a reboot or crash without you starting it by hand -- see the keeping it running 24/7 guide.
Players still can't connect?
If the server starts fine but friends can't reach it, see the connection troubleshooting guide -- it covers CGNAT, firewall issues, port forwarding mistakes and more, and includes an interactive diagnostic.