I've been running a Sons of the Forest server for the same group of friends since Endnight first enabled the dedicated server tool back in mid-2023. We've survived a dozen patches, the 1.0 release in February 2024, and the kind of Kelvin-related base demolition that only a truly bored group of survivors can cause. Along the way I've built the server two different ways – first as a self-hosted Windows box in my office, then on a managed panel – and I've formed some pretty clear opinions about which is worth it for this specific game.
Sons of the Forest is a weird one to write a hosting guide for. It's a polished survival-horror sequel from Endnight Games, it's got a proper dedicated server tool that's free on Steam, and yet it caps out at 8 players. That last fact is the one that changes the whole conversation – we're not talking about a 100-slot Rust or ARK community here. We're talking about you and seven mates. That context matters for every decision below.
Why a dedicated server is worth it for SotF
You can technically play SotF with a friend via the in-game peer-to-peer "host a game" option. Don't. I did it for the first couple of weeks of EA and it's miserable the moment anyone's schedule diverges. The host has to be online for anyone to play. Progress stalls. Someone's always the bottleneck. It's not fun.
A dedicated server fixes three things in one move:
- Persistence – the world ticks forward without anyone being "the host"
- Save portability – you can lift your existing local save onto the server and continue the run (more on this below, it's the killer feature)
- Schedule independence – whoever logs in first can crack on; the rest catch up when they can
For an 8-player tight-knit group this alone is usually enough to justify dedicated hosting. The game is built around tense, atmospheric co-op, and any friction around "is the host up?" erodes that quickly.
The self-hosting path
Endnight actually did the right thing here – the Sons of the Forest Dedicated Server is a free, separate Steam Tool (app ID 2465200 if you want to verify on SteamDB). You don't need to own a second copy of the game to run it. That's refreshing.
The self-host recipe looks roughly like this:
- Install SteamCMD (or just let Steam install the server tool under Tools in your library)
- Download the Dedicated Server tool
- Edit the config – server name, password, save slot, max players, port
- Forward your default ports (27015/UDP for the game, 27016/UDP for Steam query – though the tool lets you change these)
- Keep the box online 24/7
And then the fine print nobody mentions:
- Endnight only ships a Windows server binary. If you want to run it on Linux you're doing it via Wine, usually in a community-maintained Docker image. I've done it – it works – but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who isn't comfortable troubleshooting Wine prefixes at 1am.
- Your home internet and home power are now load-bearing infrastructure for your friend group's Saturday nights
- Updates come through regularly and you're the one who has to babysit them
- You're on your own for DDoS, which is rare for a small SotF server but not impossible
For a solo player who already runs a homelab and enjoys the tinkering – go for it. For everyone else, this is where the math gets interesting.
The managed (LOW.MS) path
Our Sons of the Forest server hosting plans exist because for most SotF groups the overhead of self-hosting just isn't worth it. You're paying for your Saturdays back, mostly.
What you get versus the DIY route:
- Instant provisioning – server is up in a couple of minutes, not a weekend
- 10 GB RAM baseline, upgradable to 15, 20, 25 or 30 GB through the panel if you're a compulsive base-builder
- The Latest CPU option if you want guaranteed Ryzen 7950X/9950X silicon (noticeable if you run a big town)
- Automated Cloud Backups so Kelvin's idea of "helpful" doesn't end your run
- DDoS protection baked in
- A panel that actually shows you logs, lets you change config without SSHing anywhere, and handles updates for you
The pricing lives on the plans page – I'm deliberately not quoting numbers here because they change and the game has 6-slot and 8-slot tiers to pick from.
System requirements – honest ranges
SotF's server is lightweight by modern standards. For 6-8 players on a mid-game save you're comfortably inside 6-8 GB of RAM in practice. The reason our default is 10 GB is for headroom – mid-game turns into late-game and the save file balloons, builders add structures, and everything enjoys a bit of breathing room.
CPU-wise it's single-thread-sensitive like most Unity-based servers. A modern Ryzen core does the job; older Xeons can feel sluggish with a heavily-built world. This is where the Latest CPU upgrade earns its keep on bigger bases.
The save portability workflow (the killer feature)
If there's one thing I want every SotF host to know, it's that your local save is portable. You and your mates can start a run on whoever's PC, get 40 hours in, decide "ok this needs to be on a proper server now," and migrate without losing a thing.
The quick version: local saves sit under %LOCALAPPDATA%\SonsOfTheForest\Saves\<SteamID>\Multiplayer\<saveID>. You grab that folder, SFTP it onto your server's save directory, point the config at it, and boot the server. Done. The full walkthrough with the exact paths and pitfalls is in our knowledgebase: Uploading your Sons of the Forest save to your server.
I've migrated saves this way a handful of times – once when we outgrew P2P, once when we rebuilt the server, once because a friend's hard drive was dying. It's held up every time. Endnight deserve credit for this – a lot of survival games either don't let you migrate at all or punish you with corrupted worlds when you try.
What about mods?
Honest answer: SotF has no official mod support. There's no Steam Workshop. There's no server-side mod API. Community mod loaders exist – RedLoader, stuff on Nexus Mods – but they're client-side, unofficial, and not something a server can enforce.
For a 100-slot game this would be a problem. For an 8-player co-op where you all know each other and can just agree "we're installing this one loader and these three cosmetic mods" – it's genuinely fine. The game is tightly designed around its intended mechanics. I've never really wanted more than what ships with it.
If you want the "mod-supported game server" experience, play Palworld or Valheim. SotF is a different pitch.
Getting your crew onto the server
Once it's up, people connect via the in-game multiplayer menu – direct connect by IP or Steam friend list. There's a walkthrough in the knowledgebase for getting people on the first time: How to join your Sons of the Forest server. For day-to-day tweaks (difficulty, save slot, player cap, password), the server configuration guide covers the settings that actually matter, and the troubleshooting page covers the "it won't start, the save vanished, someone can't connect" category of problems that will eventually find you.
The real test of a SotF server isn't launch day – it's month three, when you've got a sprawling compound, Kelvin has finally stopped trying to drop logs on your head, Virginia has three pistols, and someone wants to casually hop in on a Tuesday night to chop trees while you're at work. That's the moment a dedicated server earns its keep, and honestly, for a game this atmospheric with a group this small, it's worth doing properly from the start.