How to Join a Puck Server: Direct Connect, Browser and Links (2026)

There are three ways to join a Puck server: find it in the Server Browser, type its IP and port into Direct Connect, or click a steam:// join link that launches Puck and connects for you. All three work for any dedicated server, including private league and club servers that are hidden from the browser. This guide walks through each one, then covers passwords, mods and the messages you might see on the way in.

Before you start

Puck is free on Steam, and the server and every player need to be on the same build. After a Puck update, restart Steam if the update has not downloaded yet.
Ask the server owner for the address, which looks like 203.0.113.10:30609. The part before the colon is the IP address, the number after it is the port.
Ask for the password too if the server has one.

Joining a server never needs port forwarding on your side. That is only for people hosting a server at home.

Option 1: Server Browser

Launch Puck and click Server Browser on the main menu.
Type part of the server name into the search box. The list is sorted by player count by default, and you can click the name, players or ping headers to sort.
Click the server to join.

The filters sit in a sidebar on the left. If a server you expect is missing, check them first:

Filter	What it hides when off
Show full	Servers with every slot taken
Show empty	Servers with nobody on them, which hides a server you just started
Show password protected	Servers with a join password, which most private servers have
Show modded	Servers running Workshop mods
Show unreachable	Servers that did not answer the ping
Max ping	Servers further away than the slider

A server only shows up in the browser when its owner has it set to public. Private league servers are often hidden on purpose, so use Direct Connect for those.

Option 2: Direct Connect

Direct Connect is built into the Server Browser, no debug tools needed.

Open Server Browser and click Direct Connect.
Type the IP address, for example 203.0.113.10, into the IP address box.
Type the port, for example 30609, into the port box.
Click Connect.

The most common mistake is pasting the whole address, colon and all, into the IP box. Puck has a separate box for the port, so split it. If the connection fails, the Direct Connect window stays open so you can fix a typo and try again.

Option 3: A steam:// join link

Puck supports Steam launch links, which work whether the game is closed or already running:

steam://run/2994020//+ipAddress 203.0.113.10 +port 30609/

For a password protected server, add the password:

steam://run/2994020//+ipAddress 203.0.113.10 +port 30609 +password YourPassword/

Paste the link into your browser's address bar, or post it in your Discord so players can click straight in. 2994020 is Puck's Steam app id. Only share links with a password in private channels.

Passwords

When a server has a password, Puck asks for it as you connect, including when you join from a Steam invite. Passwords are case sensitive. If you are told the password is wrong, check for spaces copied from the chat message and capital letters.

Mods download by themselves

Modded servers tell your game which Workshop mods it needs. When you connect, Puck shows a popup listing the required mods, downloads and enables them without a restart, then connects you. When you leave, those mods are disabled again but stay downloaded for next time. Steam needs to be online for the download.

Messages you might see

Message	What it means	What to do
Server is still starting	The server is waiting for Puck's backend or still downloading its mods	Wait a minute and connect again
Connection fails right away	Wrong IP or port, or the server is offline	Check both boxes against the address, and ask the owner if the server is running
Password prompt keeps coming back	Wrong password	Check capitals and spaces
Server full	Every slot is taken	Wait for a spot, or ask an admin, since admins can join full servers
Kicked or banned	An admin or a vote removed you	Ask the server's admins

More detail on server side causes is in Puck server not showing up or can't connect.

Picking teams and positions

Once you are in, pick Blue or Red and then a position, skater or goalie. In public mode anyone can pick. In competitive mode, only players the owner assigned to a team can play and everyone else watches as a spectator, which is how league servers keep teams fixed. Type /help in chat for the commands you can use, such as /vs to vote to start the game.

Want your own rink?

A GamezServers Puck server is online in about 60 seconds from 2.99 USD a month, with its own address to share and your own password, admins and game rules. The quick start guide shows the steps.