How to Configure Your Enshrouded Server

Your Enshrouded dedicated server is configured through the enshrouded_server.json file. This guide covers every setting in the file, organized by category, so you know exactly what each option does and which ones are safe to change.

Important: Always stop your server before editing the enshrouded_server.json file. Changes only take effect after a restart, and editing while the server is running may cause your changes to be overwritten. Since this is a JSON file, always validate your syntax with an online JSON validator before starting your server — a single missing comma or quote will prevent the server from loading.

How to Edit Your Server Settings

Log into your server control panel and Stop your server.
Navigate to File Manager and open the root directory.
Open the enshrouded_server.json file.
Make your changes, Save the file, and Start your server.

Server Identity & Network

These settings control your server's name, directories, and network configuration.

Setting	Default	Example	Notes
`name`	`"Enshrouded Server"`	`"My Survival Server"`	The server name displayed in the in-game server browser. Keep it descriptive so players can find you.
`saveDirectory`	`"./savegame"`	`"./savegame"`	Directory where world and character data is saved. Change this only if you want to manage multiple worlds on the same server.
`logDirectory`	`"./logs"`	`"./logs"`	Directory for server log files. Useful for troubleshooting but generally does not need to be changed.
`ip`	`"0.0.0.0"`	`"0.0.0.0"`	DO NOT CHANGE. Binds the server to all network interfaces. This is managed by the hosting panel.
`queryPort`	`15637`	`25600`	DO NOT CHANGE. The UDP port used for server queries and player connections. This is assigned by the hosting panel.
`slotCount`	`16`	`8`	Maximum number of players that can be on the server at once. This setting cannot be changed from the config file — player slots are managed through your hosting plan. Changes here will be overridden.
`tags`	`[]`	`["PVE", "Relaxed"]`	Optional tags that can help players filter servers in the browser. Add any relevant keywords as an array of strings.

Communication Settings

Control voice and text chat availability on your server.

Setting	Default	Example	Notes
`enableVoiceChat`	`true`	`false`	Enables or disables in-game voice chat. Set to `false` if your community uses an external voice app like Discord.
`voiceChatMode`	`"Proximity"`	`"Global"`	Voice chat type. `"Proximity"` = spatial audio (nearby players only). `"Global"` = server-wide voice. Proximity is more immersive; Global is better for small friend groups.
`enableTextChat`	`true`	`false`	Enables or disables in-game text chat.

Difficulty Preset

The gameSettingsPreset option lets you quickly apply a pre-configured difficulty level. When set to anything other than "Custom", the individual gameSettings values in the config file are ignored and the preset's values are used instead.

Setting	Default	Example	Notes
`gameSettingsPreset`	`"Default"`	`"Custom"`	Available presets: `"Default"`, `"Relaxed"`, `"Hard"`, `"Survival"`, `"Custom"`. Set to `"Custom"` to use the individual settings in the `gameSettings` block below.

Preset Descriptions

Default — The standard experience. Recommended for first-time players.
Relaxed — Fewer enemies, more resources and loot. Great for base-building and casual exploration.
Hard — More enemies with increased aggression for a tougher combat challenge.
Survival — The most punishing experience with scarce resources and deadly enemies.
Custom — Unlocks every individual game setting for full control over your server's difficulty.

Custom Game Settings

The following settings are only active when gameSettingsPreset is set to "Custom". They are nested inside the "gameSettings" object in the JSON file.

Player Stats

Scale player attributes to make the game easier or harder.

Setting	Default	Range	Notes
`playerHealthFactor`	`1`	0.25 – 4	Multiplier for player health. Higher values give players more HP. Set to `2` for double health, or `0.5` for a hardcore half-health experience.
`playerManaFactor`	`1`	0.25 – 4	Multiplier for player mana pool. Increase for magic-heavy playstyles.
`playerStaminaFactor`	`1`	0.25 – 4	Multiplier for player stamina. Higher values allow more actions before exhaustion.
`playerBodyHeatFactor`	`1`	0.5 – 2	Multiplier for cold resistance. Higher values make cold environments less punishing.
`playerDivingTimeFactor`	`1`	0.5 – 2	Multiplier for underwater breathing time. Increase to allow longer underwater exploration.

Survival Mechanics

Setting	Default	Range / Options	Notes
`enableDurability`	`true`	`true` / `false`	When `true`, weapons and tools degrade with use and must be repaired. Set to `false` to disable item degradation entirely.
`enableStarvingDebuff`	`false`	`true` / `false`	When `true`, players suffer health loss when starving. Adds a survival element to food management.
`foodBuffDurationFactor`	`1`	0.5 – 2	Multiplier for how long food buffs last. Set to `2` to double buff duration.
`fromHungerToStarving`	`600000000000`	300000000000 – 1200000000000	Time in nanoseconds from hungry to starving (default = 10 minutes). Only relevant when `enableStarvingDebuff` is `true`. Range: 5 – 20 minutes.
`shroudTimeFactor`	`1`	0.5 – 2	Multiplier for how long players can survive in the Shroud before it kills them. Higher = more time in the Shroud.
`tombstoneMode`	`"AddBackpackMaterials"`	See below	Controls what happens to items on death. `"AddBackpackMaterials"` = only backpack items drop. `"Everything"` = all items drop. `"NoTombstone"` = nothing drops (items are kept on respawn).
`enableGliderTurbulences`	`true`	`true` / `false`	When `true`, glider flight is affected by air turbulence. Set to `false` for smooth, easy gliding.

Environment & Time

Setting	Default	Range / Options	Notes
`weatherFrequency`	`"Normal"`	`"Disabled"`, `"Rare"`, `"Normal"`, `"Often"`	How often weather events occur. `"Disabled"` removes weather entirely for a more relaxed feel.
`dayTimeDuration`	`1800000000000`	120000000000 – 3600000000000	Length of daytime in nanoseconds (default = 30 minutes). Range: 2 – 60 minutes. Longer days give more safe exploration time.
`nightTimeDuration`	`720000000000`	120000000000 – 3600000000000	Length of nighttime in nanoseconds (default = 12 minutes). Range: 2 – 60 minutes. Shorter nights make the game less punishing.
`curseModifier`	`"Normal"`	`"Easy"`, `"Normal"`, `"Hard"`	Difficulty of the Shroud curse mechanic. `"Easy"` makes it more forgiving; `"Hard"` makes it more dangerous.

Resources & Production

Setting	Default	Range	Notes
`miningDamageFactor`	`1`	0.5 – 2	Multiplier for mining damage. Higher values let you break rocks and trees faster, effectively increasing yield per swing.
`plantGrowthSpeedFactor`	`1`	0.25 – 2	Multiplier for crop growth speed. Set to `2` for double-speed farming.
`resourceDropStackAmountFactor`	`1`	0.25 – 2	Multiplier for resource drop stack sizes. Higher values mean more materials per pickup.
`factoryProductionSpeedFactor`	`1`	0.25 – 2	Multiplier for crafting station production speed. Increase to reduce waiting time at kilns, forges, etc.
`fishingDifficulty`	`"Normal"`	`"VeryEasy"`, `"Easy"`, `"Normal"`, `"Hard"`, `"VeryHard"`	Controls how challenging the fishing minigame is.

Experience & Progression

Setting	Default	Range	Notes
`experienceCombatFactor`	`1`	0.25 – 2	Multiplier for XP gained from combat. Increase for faster leveling through fighting.
`experienceMiningFactor`	`1`	0 – 2	Multiplier for XP gained from mining. Set to `0` to disable mining XP entirely.
`experienceExplorationQuestsFactor`	`1`	0.25 – 2	Multiplier for XP gained from exploration and quests.
`perkUpgradeRecyclingFactor`	`0.5`	0 – 1	How many runes you get back when recycling perk upgrades. `0.5` = 50% return. Set to `1` for full refunds, or `0` for no returns.
`perkCostFactor`	`1`	0.25 – 2	Multiplier for perk upgrade costs. Lower values make upgrading cheaper.

Enemies & Combat

Setting	Default	Range / Options	Notes
`randomSpawnerAmount`	`"Normal"`	`"Few"`, `"Normal"`, `"Many"`, `"Extreme"`	Controls the number of randomly spawning enemies in the world. `"Few"` for a quieter experience; `"Extreme"` for intense combat.
`aggroPoolAmount`	`"Normal"`	`"Few"`, `"Normal"`, `"Many"`, `"Extreme"`	Controls how many enemies can aggro at once. Higher values mean larger swarms.
`enemyDamageFactor`	`1`	0.25 – 5	Multiplier for damage dealt by regular enemies (excluding bosses). Higher values make combat more deadly.
`enemyHealthFactor`	`1`	0.25 – 4	Multiplier for regular enemy health (excluding bosses). Higher values make enemies harder to kill.
`enemyStaminaFactor`	`1`	0.5 – 2	Multiplier for enemy stun resistance (excluding bosses). Higher values make enemies harder to stagger.
`enemyPerceptionRangeFactor`	`1`	0.5 – 2	Multiplier for how far enemies can detect players (excluding bosses). Lower values let you sneak closer.
`threatBonus`	`1`	0.25 – 4	Multiplier for enemy attack frequency (excluding bosses). Higher values make enemies attack more aggressively.
`pacifyAllEnemies`	`false`	`true` / `false`	When `true`, all enemies become passive and will not attack. Ideal for building-focused or creative-mode servers.

Boss Settings

Setting	Default	Range	Notes
`bossDamageFactor`	`1`	0.2 – 5	Multiplier for boss damage output. Independent from regular enemy settings.
`bossHealthFactor`	`1`	0.2 – 5	Multiplier for boss health pools. Set lower for quicker boss fights, higher for an endurance challenge.

Taming

Setting	Default	Options	Notes
`tamingStartleRepercussion`	`"LoseSomeProgress"`	`"KeepProgress"`, `"LoseSomeProgress"`, `"LoseAllProgress"`	What happens when a creature is startled during taming. `"KeepProgress"` is the most forgiving; `"LoseAllProgress"` is the most punishing.

User Groups

User groups let you define roles with different permission levels. Players join a group by entering its password when they connect. You can create, rename, or remove groups as needed.

Setting	Default	Example	Notes
`name`	`"Admin"`	`"Moderator"`	The display name for the group. Used to identify the role.
`password`	`"ChangeMe1"`	`"MyStr0ngP@ss!"`	The password players enter to join this group. Change all default passwords immediately. Anyone who knows the password can join the group and gain its permissions.
`canKickBan`	`false`	`true`	Whether members of this group can kick and ban players.
`canAccessInventories`	`false`	`true`	Whether members can access shared storage and other players' inventories.
`canEditWorld`	`false`	`true`	Whether members can modify the world (terrain, structures) outside of bases.
`canEditBase`	`false`	`true`	Whether members can build and modify within base areas.
`canExtendBase`	`false`	`true`	Whether members can place new Flame Altars to expand base territory.
`reservedSlots`	`0`	`2`	Number of player slots reserved exclusively for this group. Ensures group members can always join even when the server is full.

Default Groups

The server comes with four pre-configured groups. Customize these to fit your community:

Admin — Full permissions including kick/ban. Change the default password immediately.
Friend — Full building and inventory access but cannot kick/ban.
Guest — No building or inventory access. Suitable for untrusted players.
Visitor — Same as Guest. Can be customized or removed.

Security Warning

The default group passwords (ChangeMe1, ChangeMe2, etc.) are publicly known. Always change all group passwords before making your server public. Anyone who knows the Admin password has full control over your server.

Banned Accounts

Setting	Default	Example	Notes
`bannedAccounts`	`[]`	(managed automatically)	Array of banned player account IDs. This is typically managed through in-game admin commands rather than by manually editing the config file.

Settings You Should Not Change

The following settings are managed by the hosting panel or internal server systems. Changing them can cause connection issues or unexpected behavior.

Setting	Default	Reason
`ip`	`"0.0.0.0"`	DO NOT CHANGE. The server bind address is managed by the hosting infrastructure. Changing it will prevent players from connecting.
`queryPort`	`15637`	DO NOT CHANGE. The server port is assigned by the hosting panel. Changing it will cause the server to become unreachable.
`slotCount`	`16`	Cannot be changed from the config file. Player slots are tied to your hosting plan and are managed through the panel. Any changes here will be overridden on server start.

Quick Reference: Common Server Setups

Casual PVE (Friends Server)

{
  "gameSettingsPreset": "Custom",
  "gameSettings": {
    "playerHealthFactor": 1.5,
    "enableDurability": false,
    "enableStarvingDebuff": false,
    "tombstoneMode": "AddBackpackMaterials",
    "weatherFrequency": "Rare",
    "miningDamageFactor": 1.5,
    "resourceDropStackAmountFactor": 1.5,
    "plantGrowthSpeedFactor": 2,
    "factoryProductionSpeedFactor": 1.5,
    "randomSpawnerAmount": "Few",
    "enemyDamageFactor": 0.75,
    "enemyHealthFactor": 0.75,
    "pacifyAllEnemies": false,
    "dayTimeDuration": 2700000000000,
    "nightTimeDuration": 360000000000
  }
}

Hardcore Survival

{
  "gameSettingsPreset": "Custom",
  "gameSettings": {
    "playerHealthFactor": 0.75,
    "enableDurability": true,
    "enableStarvingDebuff": true,
    "fromHungerToStarving": 300000000000,
    "shroudTimeFactor": 0.5,
    "tombstoneMode": "Everything",
    "weatherFrequency": "Often",
    "resourceDropStackAmountFactor": 0.5,
    "randomSpawnerAmount": "Many",
    "aggroPoolAmount": "Many",
    "enemyDamageFactor": 2,
    "enemyHealthFactor": 2,
    "enemyPerceptionRangeFactor": 1.5,
    "bossDamageFactor": 2,
    "bossHealthFactor": 2,
    "curseModifier": "Hard"
  }
}

Creative / Building Focused

{
  "gameSettingsPreset": "Custom",
  "gameSettings": {
    "playerHealthFactor": 4,
    "enableDurability": false,
    "enableStarvingDebuff": false,
    "enableGliderTurbulences": false,
    "miningDamageFactor": 2,
    "resourceDropStackAmountFactor": 2,
    "plantGrowthSpeedFactor": 2,
    "factoryProductionSpeedFactor": 2,
    "pacifyAllEnemies": true,
    "tombstoneMode": "NoTombstone",
    "dayTimeDuration": 3600000000000,
    "nightTimeDuration": 120000000000
  }
}