Enshrouded Server Settings: enshrouded_server.json Explained

All Enshrouded server settings live in one file, enshrouded_server.json, next to the server executable. It holds the server name, player slots, role passwords in userGroups, the difficulty preset and, when the preset is Custom, detailed game settings like enemy damage and day length. The biggest trap: custom values are silently ignored unless gameSettingsPreset is set to Custom. This guide explains every setting and how to change them safely.

Short answer

1. Stop the server.
2. Open enshrouded_server.json in a text editor (or the file manager on a hosted server).
3. Change the values you want. For custom difficulty, set "gameSettingsPreset": "Custom".
4. Save, check the JSON is valid, and start the server.

Always stop the server before editing. Changes made while it runs can be lost when it saves.

Where the file is

The server writes a default enshrouded_server.json the first time it starts, in the same folder as enshrouded_server.exe. On GamezServers it is in the top folder of the Files tab.

Top level settings

On a GamezServers server, the name and player limit are managed from the panel: set the name in Settings > Name and server list and restart. Edits to those two lines in the file are replaced when the server starts. Everything else in the file is yours to change.

Passwords and roles: userGroups

Enshrouded has no single server password. Each group in userGroups has a password, and the password a player types when joining decides which group they land in.

"userGroups": [
  {
    "name": "Admin",
    "password": "a-long-admin-password",
    "canKickBan": true,
    "canAccessInventories": true,
    "canEditWorld": true,
    "canEditBase": true,
    "canExtendBase": true,
    "reservedSlots": 0
  },
  {
    "name": "Friend",
    "password": "a-different-password",
    "canKickBan": false,
    "canAccessInventories": true,
    "canEditWorld": true,
    "canEditBase": true,
    "canExtendBase": true,
    "reservedSlots": 1
  },
  {
    "name": "Guest",
    "password": "guest-password",
    "canKickBan": false,
    "canAccessInventories": false,
    "canEditWorld": false,
    "canEditBase": false,
    "canExtendBase": false,
    "reservedSlots": 0
  }
]

What each permission does:

Tips:

• Use a different password for every group. Two groups with the same password is how guests end up as admins.
• Hand out the Friend password to your regular group and keep Admin to one or two people.
• Keep any extra fields your file already has. New game versions add permissions, and deleting them can break the file.

Presets

gameSettingsPreset picks a bundled difficulty:

• Default: the normal experience.
• Relaxed: easier combat and survival.
• Hard: tougher enemies and harsher survival.
• Survival: the hardest bundled option.
• Custom: uses your values in gameSettings.

The Custom trap: if the preset is anything other than Custom, the server loads that preset and ignores every value in gameSettings, with no warning. If your changes do nothing, check this first.

Custom game settings

These go inside the gameSettings block. Multipliers default to 1. Lower is less, higher is more.

There are also named options such as weatherFrequency, fishingDifficulty, randomSpawnerAmount, aggroPoolAmount, curseModifier, tombstoneMode and tamingStartleRepercussion. They take words rather than numbers. Keep the values your file already has unless you have checked the accepted values for your game version, since a typo there can stop the server loading its settings.

Day and night length

Times are in nanoseconds: multiply seconds by 1,000,000,000.

Example: an easier world for casual friends

"gameSettingsPreset": "Custom",
"gameSettings": {
  "enemyDamageFactor": 0.75,
  "resourceDropStackAmountFactor": 1.5,
  "plantGrowthSpeedFactor": 2,
  "enableDurability": false,
  "nightTimeDuration": 360000000000
}

Change only what you need. Keys you leave out keep their defaults in current builds, but the safest approach is editing the values already in your file rather than deleting lines.

Checking your changes worked

• The server will not start: the JSON is broken. Paste it into a JSON validator and look for a missing comma, an extra comma after the last item, or curly quotes.
• Settings ignored: gameSettingsPreset is not Custom.
• Name reverted: on a hosted server, set it in Settings instead.
• Players get the wrong role: two groups share a password.

FAQ

How do I set a password on my Enshrouded server?

Set a password on each group in userGroups in enshrouded_server.json. Players type the password for the role they should have.

How do I make myself admin on an Enshrouded server?

Join with the Admin group's password. There is no admin list, the password decides the role.

Why are my Enshrouded custom settings not working?

gameSettingsPreset must be Custom. Any other preset ignores the gameSettings block.

Can I change settings on an existing world?

Yes. Stop the server, edit the file, start it again. The world keeps its progress. Take a backup first in case you want to go back.

The easy way

On a hosted Enshrouded server you edit enshrouded_server.json right in the browser, restart with one click, and keep 3 backups for when an experiment goes wrong. See Enshrouded server hosting or how to host an Enshrouded server.