FOUNDRY is a first-person factory-building sandbox in a fully destructible voxel world, and it is a lovely game to run on a dedicated server: your factory keeps its progress in one place, friends drop in and out whenever they like, and nobody has to leave their own PC running. This guide covers everything you need to go from "just ordered" to playing with your group on a LOW.MS server.

The short version: your server is already running and configured. Grab the IP and port from your control panel, connect in-game, and start digging.

What makes FOUNDRY servers a little different

Two things are worth knowing up front.

First, in FOUNDRY the thing that works your server hardest is not the number of players, it is the size and complexity of your factory. A two-player megabase full of conveyor networks is heavier than eight players in a starter camp. That is why our servers focus on fast, high clock speed CPUs and generous memory rather than squeezing you on slots.

Second, FOUNDRY has a built-in pause-server-when-empty option, and we enable it by default. When the last player logs off, the world freezes exactly where it is, and it picks up again the moment someone joins. Your production lines lose nothing while you sleep. If you would rather the factory keep running around the clock, you can turn this off in your settings (more on that below).

Finding your connection details

Log in to the LOW.MS Control Panel and open your FOUNDRY service. Your server's IP address and port are shown right on the service page. Share these with your group, they are all anyone needs to join.

Connecting in-game

There are two ways to join your server:

Server browser. If your server is set to public (the default), it appears in FOUNDRY's in-game server list under the name you gave it. Find it by name and join.
Direct connect. Enter the server's IP address and port from your control panel to connect directly. This works whether or not the server is publicly listed.

If you have set a server password, players are asked for it when they join, even when the server appears in the public browser. A password is the easiest way to keep the server just for your group.

Send your friends the server name (if public) or the IP and port, plus the password if you set one. That is it. Everyone needs to own FOUNDRY and be on the same game version as the server, which brings us to updates later in this guide.

Changing server settings

All of FOUNDRY's server settings live in a single settings file, and you can edit it straight from the control panel's config editor. The available settings are:

server_name: the name shown in the server browser
server_password: the join password (leave blank for none)
server_world_name: which world folder to load
server_max_players: the player limit
server_is_public: whether the server appears in the in-game server browser
pause_server_when_empty: freeze the world while nobody is connected
autosave_interval: seconds between autosaves

There are also network port settings in the same file. We configure those for you, so leave them as they are.

Important: stop your server before editing settings. The server only reads its settings file at startup. Stop the server in the control panel, make your changes in the config editor, then start it again so they take effect.

Switching or resetting worlds

The server_world_name setting decides which world the server loads. Changing it to a brand new name starts a completely fresh world, and changing it back to a previous name loads that world again, with everything exactly as you left it. Nothing is deleted when you switch, so you can rotate between worlds freely.

How many players can join?

FOUNDRY is designed around small co-op groups, and most servers run with 2 to 8 players. There is no hard cap, and server_max_players is yours to change. Just remember the earlier point: factory complexity drives performance far more than player count, so a bigger limit costs less than a bigger base does.

Keeping the server updated

When FOUNDRY updates on Steam, your server needs the matching version before anyone can join. Updating takes one click: press Steam Update in your control panel and the latest version installs automatically. We recommend taking a backup first, which is also one click. Your world saves and settings are preserved through updates.

Troubleshooting basics

Can't see the server in the browser? Check that server_is_public is set to true in your settings file, and give it a minute after startup to register.
Can't join? Make sure the server is running in the control panel, check the password, and confirm your game and the server are on the same version (run Steam Update if the game just patched).
Changed a setting and nothing happened? Settings only apply at startup. Stop the server, save your change, start it again.

What this guide doesn't cover

Gameplay itself! For build strategies, machine guides, and everything in-game, the FOUNDRY community resources and the game's official channels are the best places to look. For anything about your server, open a ticket from control.low.ms and we will be happy to help.

Getting Started With Your FOUNDRY Server