Sons of the Forest Server Configuration Files Explained

Your Sons of the Forest server is controlled by a small set of configuration files, most of which live in the same folder. This guide breaks down what each file does and walks through every setting inside your main configuration file, dedicatedserver.cfg.

⚠️ Important Warning
Always make sure your server is completely stopped before editing any configuration file. Editing files while the server is running can cause your changes to be lost or ignored.

Step 1: Finding Your Configuration Files

Log into your MintServers panel and click Stop to shut down your server.

Navigate to the Files tab on the left-hand sidebar.

Open the serverconfig folder. This is where your configuration files are kept.

    📁 server (your main server directory)
            📁 serverconfig
                    📄 dedicatedserver.cfg (main server configuration)

                    📄 ownerswhitelist.txt (list of server admins)

                    📄 SonsGameSettings (internal game settings, generally not edited directly)

                    📁 Saves (your world save data)

💡 Tip
These files won't exist until your server has started at least once. If you don't see them yet, start your server briefly to generate the default files, then stop it again before editing.

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Step 2: Understanding dedicatedserver.cfg

dedicatedserver.cfg is a JSON file that controls almost everything about how your server runs, from its name and player limit to difficulty and world generation settings. Below is the default file:

📄 dedicatedserver.cfg

{
  "IpAddress": "0.0.0.0",
  "GamePort": 8766,
  "QueryPort": 27016,
  "BlobSyncPort": 9700,
  "ServerName": "Sons Of The Forest Server (dedicated)",
  "MaxPlayers": 8,
  "Password": "",
  "LanOnly": false,
  "SaveSlot": 1,
  "SaveMode": "Continue",
  "GameMode": "Normal",
  "SaveInterval": 600,
  "IdleDayCycleSpeed": 0.0,
  "IdleTargetFramerate": 5,
  "ActiveTargetFramerate": 60,
  "LogFilesEnabled": false,
  "TimestampLogFilenames": true,
  "TimestampLogEntries": true,
  "GameSettings": {},
  "CustomGameModeSettings": {}
}

ℹ️ JSON Formatting Rules
Keys and text values must be wrapped in quotation marks, numbers and true/false values must not be, and every setting except the last one in a section needs a comma at the end. A single missing quote or comma can prevent your entire server from starting, so double-check your formatting before saving.

Core Server Settings

Network & Identity

IpAddress
Listening interface for the server. Leave as 0.0.0.0 to listen on all interfaces.

GamePort
UDP port used for gameplay traffic. Default 8766.

QueryPort
UDP port used by Steam to list your server. Default 27016.

BlobSyncPort
UDP port used to sync game data between clients and server. Default 9700.

ServerName
The name shown in the in-game server browser.

LanOnly
Set to true to hide your server from the public internet listing and restrict it to LAN.

Players & Access

MaxPlayers
Maximum simultaneous players. Accepts 1 through 8, the game's supported co-op ceiling.

Password
Requires players to enter this password before connecting. Leave as "" for no password, or set up to 40 characters.

Save & Game Mode

SaveSlot
The save ID used when creating or loading a world. Must be 1 or higher.

SaveMode
"continue" loads the save on SaveSlot if it exists, or creates a new one if it doesn't. "new" always creates a fresh save on that slot, overwriting anything already there on every restart.

GameMode
Difficulty used when creating a new save: normal, hard, hardsurvival, peaceful, or custom. Ignored when loading an existing save.

SaveInterval
How often, in seconds, the server automatically saves. Default 600 (10 minutes).

Performance & Logging

IdleDayCycleSpeed
Multiplier for how fast in-game time passes while no players are connected. Between 0 and 1.

IdleTargetFramerate
Target server framerate while idle (no players connected).

ActiveTargetFramerate
Target server framerate while active (one or more players connected).

LogFilesEnabled
Writes server logs to a /logs folder when set to true.

TimestampLogFilenames
When true, each server run creates a new timestamped log file instead of overwriting the last one.

TimestampLogEntries
Adds timestamps to individual lines within the log file.

Game Settings

The GameSettings block applies regardless of which GameMode you've selected:

📄 dedicatedserver.cfg (excerpt)

"GameSettings": {
  "Gameplay.TreeRegrowth": true,
  "Structure.Damage": true
}

Gameplay.TreeRegrowth
Enables automatic tree regrowth, which is triggered by sleeping.

Structure.Damage
Allows player-built structures to take damage.

Custom Game Mode Settings

When GameMode is set to "custom", the CustomGameModeSettings block lets you fine-tune difficulty and world settings individually. These settings are only read when a new save is created, they have no effect on an existing save, and they're ignored entirely if GameMode isn't set to custom.

Enemies & Animals

GameSetting.Vail.EnemySpawn
true/false. Enables or disables enemy spawning entirely.

GameSetting.Vail.EnemyHealth
low, normal, high.

GameSetting.Vail.EnemyDamage
low, normal, high.

GameSetting.Vail.EnemyArmour
low, normal, high.

GameSetting.Vail.EnemyAggression
low, normal, high.

GameSetting.Vail.AnimalSpawnRate
low, normal, high.

Environment

GameSetting.Environment.StartingSeason
spring, summer, autumn, winter.

GameSetting.Environment.SeasonLength
short, default, long, realistic.

GameSetting.Environment.DayLength
short, default, long, realistic.

GameSetting.Environment.PrecipitationFrequency
low, default, high.

Survival

GameSetting.Survival.ConsumableEffects
normal, hard. Controls whether low hydration or fullness causes damage.

GameSetting.Survival.PlayerStatsDamage
off, normal, hard. Controls damage from eating bad or rotten food.

GameSetting.Survival.ColdPenalties
off, normal, hard. Controls how much cold affects health and stamina regeneration.

GameSetting.Survival.ReducedFoodInContainers
true/false. Reduces the amount of food found in containers.

GameSetting.Survival.SingleUseContainers
true/false. Containers can only be opened once.

📄 dedicatedserver.cfg (excerpt)

"GameMode": "custom",
"CustomGameModeSettings": {
  "GameSetting.Vail.EnemySpawn": true,
  "GameSetting.Vail.EnemyHealth": "Normal",
  "GameSetting.Vail.EnemyDamage": "Normal",
  "GameSetting.Vail.EnemyArmour": "Normal",
  "GameSetting.Vail.EnemyAggression": "Normal",
  "GameSetting.Vail.AnimalSpawnRate": "Normal",
  "GameSetting.Environment.StartingSeason": "Summer",
  "GameSetting.Environment.SeasonLength": "Default",
  "GameSetting.Environment.DayLength": "Default",
  "GameSetting.Environment.PrecipitationFrequency": "Default",
  "GameSetting.Survival.ConsumableEffects": "Normal",
  "GameSetting.Survival.PlayerStatsDamage": "Off",
  "GameSetting.Survival.ColdPenalties": "Off",
  "GameSetting.Survival.ReducedFoodInContainers": false,
  "GameSetting.Survival.SingleUseContainers": false
}

Other Configuration Files

ownerswhitelist.txt
Plain text file listing the Steam64 IDs of players with full admin access.

SonsGameSettings
Generated automatically by the game itself. This file generally does not need to be edited directly.

Saves
Contains your world's save data, organized by save slot.

Related Guides

How to Add Admins to Your Sons of the Forest Server
Fill in ownerswhitelist.txt with Steam64 IDs and use the admin commands.

How To Transfer A Local Save To Your Sons of the Forest Server
Bring a save from your own PC into the Saves folder.

🛠️ Troubleshooting Configuration Issues

Server won't start after editing

This almost always means invalid JSON, most commonly a missing comma or quotation mark. Compare your file carefully against the default example above.

Custom settings aren't applying

Custom game mode settings only take effect when a new save is created. They won't change an existing world.

Need to start fresh

With your server stopped, delete dedicatedserver.cfg and start your server once. A clean default file will be generated automatically.

Not sure which setting changed something

Keep a backup copy of your working configuration file before making edits, so you always have something to revert to.

That covers the core configuration files for your Sons of the Forest server.

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