The Forest is a survival horror game developed by Endnight Games. Players find themselves stranded in a dense forest after a plane crash and must survive by gathering resources, building shelter, and fighting off hostile creatures. The Forest features highly intelligent AI that will react to your actions, with enemies using advanced tactics to undermine your base.
Connecting to a dedicated server for The Forest requires a quick setup step using Steam to make your server visible on the public list. Let us get your server authenticated and your survival journey started!
Step 1: Generate a Steam Account Token
For your server to show up in the in-game browser, it needs a dedicated server token from Steam.
- Navigate to the MintServers Dashboard at
https://mintservers.com/dashboardand log into your account. - Click on your The Forest server and select Open Game Panel.
- Navigate to the Startup tab on the left-hand menu.
- In a new browser window, go to the official Steam Game Server Account Management page at
https://steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameserversand log in. - In the App ID section at the bottom, input
242760(this is the specific game ID for The Forest). - Within the Memo field, optionally input a name to help identify your server token.
- Press the Create button to generate your Steam account token.
- Copy the long Login Token that was just generated.
- Head back to your MintServers panel and paste that Login Token into the Steam Account Token field in the Startup tab.
Step 2: Configure Your Server Name
Now that your server is authenticated, you need to give it a name you can easily search for.
- While still in the Startup tab, locate the Server Name field.
- Change the name of the server to something unique and memorable.
- Return to the Console tab and Start your server to apply the new configuration.
Step 3: Launch The Forest and Connect
With the server running and authenticated, it is time to join!
- Open The Forest on your computer.
- From the main menu, choose the Multiplayer option.
- Choose Join Game to browse available servers.
- Select Dedicated (Internet) to search for player-hosted dedicated servers.
- In the search filter, type the exact name of the server you set in Step 2.
- Once your server appears on the list, click the Join button to connect and begin your survival horror experience!
🛠️ Troubleshooting Connection Issues
- Missing Token: Ensure the Steam Account Token was generated specifically for App ID 242760 and applied correctly in the panel. The server will not show up on the internet list without it!
- Restart Required: Verify the server was fully restarted after applying the token and changing the name.
- Name Mismatch: Double-check the server name you are searching for in-game matches what you set in your startup settings exactly.
- Version Mismatch: Confirm you have the exact same version of The Forest installed as the server is currently running.
If you have followed all these steps and your server is still hiding from the public list, no worries! Just open a support ticket and our team will gladly jump in and help you get your token configured properly.