How to host a
Windrose dedicated server.
Two honest ways to get a 24/7 Windrose server your crew can join anytime: run one yourself on a Windows PC, or rent a managed one. Here's exactly what each takes — the SteamCMD install, the two JSON config files, the relay-vs-direct-connect catch — and where each path makes sense.
Self-host or managed — the honest tradeoff.
No spin: self-hosting is free and fine for a quick session; managed is for a world that's actually online when you're not.
| Self-host (your PC) | AcidNodes | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | SteamCMD + Wine/Windows + firewall | Order → installed & booted |
| Config | Hand-edit 2 JSON files + run a separate updater tool | Labeled panel fields |
| Connection | Port-forward, or eat relay lag | Direct Connect on by default |
| Uptime | Only while your PC is on | 24/7 |
| Updates | Manual SteamCMD re-run | Auto on restart |
| Backups | You remember to copy the world | Nightly, offsite |
| Cost | $0 + your electricity + your time | From $34/mo, no slot pricing |
Self-hosting it yourself.
It's very doable — here's the real process, including the parts the storefronts skip.
SteamCMD, app 4129620
Pull the dedicated server with SteamCMD (app_update 4129620) — it's free and doesn't need you to own the game. First run often throws a "Missing configuration" hiccup; just run it twice. Plan on ~35 GB of SSD. The server binary is Windows-only, but runs under Wine if you're on Linux.
Two JSON files (the catch)
Server name, password, slots and region live in ServerDescription.json. World difficulty lives in a second file in a fiddly tagged-JSON format that you then have to commit into the world with a separate updater tool — get the format wrong and it silently resets to a preset. This is the part most people give up on.
Direct port beats the relay
By default Windrose routes players through a P2P relay that can land you on a server across the world. Forward the game's TCP+UDP port and set UseDirectConnection so your crew reaches your box directly — that's the difference between smooth and rubber-banding.
Backups: copy the whole world folder at R5/Saved/SaveProfiles/Default/RocksDB_v2/<version>/Worlds/<islandId>/ (it's a RocksDB database, not one file). Updates: re-run SteamCMD whenever a patch drops, which in Early Access is often.
Or skip all of it — we run it for you.
Everything above, done. The settings you'd hand-edit in JSON become labeled fields in your panel.
No JSON, no updater tool
Server name, password, region, player cap, and the full world-difficulty surface are labeled controls. Change one, restart, it applies — the updater-tool step we automate behind the scenes.
Direct Connect, on by default
We bind a direct game port for every server, so your crew connects straight to the box — no relay roulette, no port-forwarding on your end.
Built by the GamesOMG team
The same people behind the Windrose config generator — so the panel's settings surface is built from configs we actually verified in-game.
🚫 No mods — vanilla only · ~2–8 players by tier · Canada-East · founder code FOUNDER20
Windrose dedicated servers — straight answers
What is the Windrose dedicated server app ID?
Steam app 4129620 — separate from the game (app 3041230), free and anonymous, so you don't need to own Windrose to download the server via SteamCMD. On our hosting it's already installed and you never touch SteamCMD.
Can I run a Windrose dedicated server on Linux?
The official server binary is Windows-only, but it runs cleanly under Wine — that's exactly how we host it on Linux hardware, no Windows license involved. Doing it yourself on Linux means building a Wine prefix and pointing it at the right executable; on our panel it just works.
Do I have to port-forward?
Self-hosting, yes. Windrose defaults to a peer-to-peer relay that can route your crew through a datacenter on another continent (we've watched it send North-American traffic via Frankfurt), so opening the game's direct port is what gives you low ping. On our servers Direct Connect is on by default and the port is already open — nothing to forward.
Where are the Windrose save files?
Under R5/Saved/SaveProfiles/Default/RocksDB_v2/<version>/Worlds/<islandId>/ — it's a RocksDB database, not a single file, so back up the whole world folder. On our hosting you can download it any time from the file manager; your world is always yours.
How many players can a Windrose server hold?
Up to 10 — the dedicated server's own cap (co-op is balanced around ~4). Anyone selling you more "slots" is selling a number the game can't fill.
Do I need to edit JSON to configure it?
Self-hosting, yes — server settings live in ServerDescription.json, and world difficulty lives in a second tagged-JSON file you have to commit with a separate updater tool. On our panel every one of those is a labeled field: no JSON, no updater tool, no SSH.
Keep reading
The other honest Windrose guide we used to size our own boxes.