Startup errors or missing server lists are common in s&box due to its reliance on custom packages. Thankfully, most issues trace back to simple settings.
Work through these quick fixes to get your MintServers host back online and visible to your players.
The Server Will Not Start
You click Start in your panel, but the console shows zero activity or stops immediately.
This usually happens when the server is trying to load an invalid game identifier. To resolve this, you need to ensure the identifier perfectly matches the official database.
First, head over to the sbox.game website and locate the specific gamemode you want to play. Next, copy the exact identifier from the URL on that page. It will always look like org.name in all lowercase letters with zero spaces. Finally, paste that exact text into your MintServers panel and restart.
Packages Fail To Download
The console starts booting but throws an error stating the package was not found.
The server is actively being blocked from retrieving the files from the developer's cloud. Let us check a few common reasons to resolve this:
- Typo in the Identifier: Carefully verify your spelling and casing in your game settings. Even a single misplaced letter will stop the download process completely.
- Private Packages: The developer may have set their package to private. When a package is private, only the original creator is allowed to host it on a dedicated server.
- Deleted Content: The developer might have temporarily removed the build to fix bugs. You will need to wait for them to push an update or switch to a different game package for now.
The Server Is Missing From The Lobby List
Your console says the server is ready, but nobody can find it in-game.
Unlike most games, s&box does not have one massive global server list. Instead, every single package has its own completely separate multiplayer menu.
First, ensure you and your players are actually clicking on the exact gamemode you are hosting from the main menu. If everyone is looking in the correct lobby, wait about 60 seconds for the Steam network to update the listing. If it still does not appear, check your console for any red networking connection errors.
Players Are Getting Version Errors
Some people connect perfectly, but others are rejected due to a version mismatch.
s&box currently splits players between the public branch and the staging beta branch. Players on the staging branch cannot join a public server, and public players cannot join a staging server. To fix this, communicate with your community and make sure everyone has selected the exact same game branch in their Steam properties.
The Server Broke After An Update
Everything worked flawlessly yesterday, but today the server is crash-looping or refusing connections.
Facepunch updates the underlying game engine very frequently, which can outdate your server files overnight. To fix this, go to the Settings tab in your MintServers panel and click the Reinstall Server button to download the newest engine files. If the server continues to crash after updating, the gamemode creator will need to update their custom code to match the new engine patch.
🛠️ Other Quick Fixes
Admin commands failing: If your admin claims are not working, check your users/config.json file for syntax errors. A single missing comma will break the entire file. Use a free JSON validator website to easily find the error.
If you are still stuck after trying these steps, just open a support ticket and our team will gladly review your console logs!