Don’t Starve Together server hosting with caves and mods
Keep your Don’t Starve Together world running through every season, with the surface and the caves online at once. Klei’s dedicated server takes Workshop mods, admins and your own rules.
- Klei’s dedicated server with surface and caves shards
- Steam Workshop mods and mod collections
- Up to 64 players per cluster
- Admin list, allowlist, blocklist and rollbacks
- PlayersSet in the GAMEPLAY section of cluster.ini.
- 1–64 (max_players)
- PortEach shard has its own server_port in server.ini; every server on one machine also needs its own Steam ports.
- UDP, 10999 for the main shard
- Shards
- Master (surface) and Caves
- Mods
- Steam Workshop
- Cluster tokenOnline servers need a cluster token, generated on Klei’s website or in the game console.
- From your Klei account
- Game modes
- Survival · Endless · Wilderness · Relaxed · Lights Out
Options
- Caves
- Workshop
- Endless
- Wilderness
- Lights Out
- PvP
- Rollbacks
Game facts from the official Don’t Starve wiki’s dedicated server guide and console command pages, checked in October 2026.
- DDoS protection
- 20 game server locations
DST plans are being prepared
Tell us your player count, whether you want caves and which mods you use, and our team will reply with the options. Or open a ticket and we will let you know when the plans are online.
How big should a DST server be?
Caves run as a second server process, and Workshop mods add to both. Plan for the shards you run, not only the players.
Find your size
| Feature |
Surface only
Up to 6 players
|
Recommended With caves
Up to 12 players
|
Modded
Up to 24 players with mods
|
Large community
Up to 64 players
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore. | 2 GB | 3 GB | 4 GB | 8 GB+ |
| CPU coresEach shard runs its own process, so the caves benefit from a second core. | 1–2 | 2 | 2–3 | 4+ |
| Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods. | 5 GB | 10 GB | 15 GB | 20 GB |
| Tick rateHow often the server updates per second (15–60). Klei recommends the default of 15; higher values cost CPU and bandwidth. | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Typical use | Friends on one world | A group with the caves | Workshop mods and caves | A busy public server |
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Surface only
Up to 6 players
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 2 GB
- CPU coresEach shard runs its own process, so the caves benefit from a second core.
- 1–2
- Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods.
- 5 GB
- Tick rateHow often the server updates per second (15–60). Klei recommends the default of 15; higher values cost CPU and bandwidth.
- 15
- Typical use
- Friends on one world
-
Recommended
With caves
Up to 12 players
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 3 GB
- CPU coresEach shard runs its own process, so the caves benefit from a second core.
- 2
- Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods.
- 10 GB
- Tick rateHow often the server updates per second (15–60). Klei recommends the default of 15; higher values cost CPU and bandwidth.
- 15
- Typical use
- A group with the caves
-
Modded
Up to 24 players with mods
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 4 GB
- CPU coresEach shard runs its own process, so the caves benefit from a second core.
- 2–3
- Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods.
- 15 GB
- Tick rateHow often the server updates per second (15–60). Klei recommends the default of 15; higher values cost CPU and bandwidth.
- 15
- Typical use
- Workshop mods and caves
-
Large community
Up to 64 players
- Memory (RAM)Working memory for the world, the players and every mod. Leave headroom: memory use grows as players explore.
- 8 GB+
- CPU coresEach shard runs its own process, so the caves benefit from a second core.
- 4+
- Disk spaceRoom for the game files, the world and its backups, plus updates and mods.
- 20 GB
- Tick rateHow often the server updates per second (15–60). Klei recommends the default of 15; higher values cost CPU and bandwidth.
- 15
- Typical use
- A busy public server
Klei publishes no server hardware figures; these starting points count one process per shard. Large mod lists can double memory use.
Shards, mods and server files
A DST server is a cluster: shared settings at the top, one folder per shard below.
Master and Caves
The surface and the caves run as two shards of one cluster, each with its own server.ini and world settings.
cluster.ini
Shared settings for the cluster: game mode, max players, PvP, pause when empty, name, password and tick rate.
Workshop mods
List mods in dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua to download them, then switch them on per shard in modoverrides.lua.
World generation
worldgenoverride.lua and leveldataoverride.lua set seasons, resources and creatures for each shard.
Admins and lists
adminlist.txt, whitelist.txt and blocklist.txt take one Klei user ID per line, starting with KU_.
Saves and rollbacks
The server saves at the start of each day; c_save saves now and c_rollback goes back a number of saves.
Set up your DST server
Four steps to a world that survives every winter.
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Pick shards and size
Surface only or with caves, vanilla or modded: choose with the table above.
-
Pick a location
Choose the one closest to your group from our 20 game server locations.
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Add your cluster token
Generate a token on Klei’s website, put it in cluster_token.txt and set your rules in cluster.ini.
-
Invite your friends
Players find the server by name in Browse Games and enter the password if you set one.
Other game servers you might like
Frequently asked questions
How many players can join a DST server?
Between 1 and 64, set with max_players in the GAMEPLAY section of cluster.ini. Large groups and mods need more memory and CPU, especially with the caves on.
What is a cluster token?
A token that links an online server to a Klei account. Generate it on Klei’s website or with TheNet:GenerateClusterToken() in the game console and save it in cluster_token.txt without extra characters.
Do I need the caves?
Only if you want them. The caves are a second shard that runs next to the surface; it doubles the server processes, so plan more memory and CPU for it.
How do I install Workshop mods?
Add ServerModSetup lines with the Workshop IDs, or ServerModCollectionSetup for a collection, to dedicated_server_mods_setup.lua. Then enable each mod for each shard in that shard’s modoverrides.lua.
Which ports does the server use?
Each shard uses the UDP port set as server_port in its server.ini; forward 10999 for the main shard if players cannot see the server. Every server on one machine also needs its own master_server_port and authentication_port.
How do I add admins or ban players?
Put Klei user IDs, which start with KU_, one per line in adminlist.txt. For bans use blocklist.txt or TheNet:Ban with the player’s user ID; TheNet:Kick removes a player for now.
Can I roll back the world?
Yes. c_rollback with a number goes back that many saves, or one save without a number. The server saves at the start of each day, and c_save saves immediately.
Can I make the server private?
Yes. Set a cluster_password in cluster.ini, or list allowed players in whitelist.txt and reserve slots for them with whitelist_slots.
Which game modes can I run?
Survival, Endless, Wilderness, Relaxed and Lights Out. Endless never ends, Wilderness spawns players in random places, and Lights Out keeps the world in permanent night.
How do I shut the server down safely?
Use c_shutdown(true), which saves before it exits; c_shutdown(false) quits without saving. Warn players first with c_announce.
Ready to survive together?
Tell us your player count, caves and mods, and we will help you pick the right DST server.