Tiny Block Server Not Showing in Online Worlds: How to Fix It

A Tiny Block community server appears in the Online Worlds list within seconds of connecting to the game's backend, and disappears about 45 seconds after it stops. If yours is missing, the server either has not finished starting, cannot reach the Tiny Block backend over HTTPS and WebSocket, failed to authenticate, or is running an old version. Players also sometimes look for the wrong name. Each of these takes a minute to check.

How the list works

Tiny Block community servers do not use IP addresses or ports. When the server starts it:

1. Signs in to the official Tiny Block backend as a guest installation.
2. Creates or loads the world from its world ID.
3. Opens a session with the backend, which lists it in Online Worlds.
4. Keeps the session alive with a heartbeat.

Players' games ask the backend for the list and connect through it, using WebRTC with a relay fallback. So the list depends on one thing: your server holding an active session with the backend. If the session drops, the server vanishes from the list, even if the process is still running.

No pre-approval is needed. Any server with an active session appears, marked as a community world, next to the official worlds run by No Such Games.

Fix 1: Wait for the server to say it is online

Look at the server output or console. The server prints that the headless server is online once it is listed. Before that, it is still signing in or loading the world, and nothing shows in the list.

If you never see that line, read the lines above it. The server prints authentication errors explicitly, and a world load error points at the save.

Fix 2: Check outbound internet

The server makes outbound connections only, but it needs them:

• HTTPS to the Tiny Block backend API.
• WebSocket connections for signaling.
• Outbound UDP for WebRTC traffic to players, which uses STUN and temporary ports.

A locked down firewall, a corporate or school network, or a proxy can block one of these. Typical signs: authentication errors, or a server that starts but never reports being online. Test from the server machine that it can reach the internet at all (for example with curl -I https://github.com) and check for outbound firewall rules.

You do not need to open inbound ports or set up port forwarding for Tiny Block. If a guide tells you to, it is about a different game.

Fix 3: Update the server

Tiny Block updates often, and the server is built from the same shared gameplay code as the client. A server on an old release may not match the current client or backend.

• Self hosted: download the newest tinyblock-server-linux-x86_64.tar.gz from the GitHub releases, stop the server, replace the binary, start it again. Saves are kept in the data folder.
• Hosted: keep the version setting on latest and reinstall or restart as your host requires.

If you pinned a specific release tag to stay on an old build, that is a likely culprit after a game update.

Fix 4: Look for the right name

The list shows the world name, not the world ID.

• The name is set with --world-name (up to 64 characters). Make it distinctive. Several servers run with the default Tiny Block Community name, which is confusing.
• Community servers are labelled separately from official ones. Check you are not only looking at the official worlds.
• Refresh the list. A tab left open from before the server started will not show it.

Fix 5: The world does not load

If the output shows an error loading the world, the session never opens and the server never lists:

• The world ID must be 64 characters or fewer.
• A corrupted save can stop loading. Restore it from a backup, or as a last resort delete that save file so a fresh world is created.
• If you just changed the world ID by accident, the server created a new empty world rather than failing. Switch the ID back to load the old one.

Saves are in ~/.local/share/godot/app_userdata/Tiny Block Server/ on Linux.

Fix 6: The server is full

The list shows your server, but nobody new can get in. Check the player cap (--max-players, 16 by default) against how many people are online. Raise it if your group has grown. Memory needs grow a little with more players in a procedural world.

Fix 7: The backend itself is down

Because community servers rely on the official backend for sign in and listing, a backend outage hides every community server at once, yours included. If official worlds are also missing or the game cannot reach online play at all, wait it out. There is nothing to fix on your server.

Quick checklist

On a hosted server

On a Tiny Block server from GamezServers, outbound access is open, so fix 2 does not apply, and the live console shows the online line as soon as it is listed. Version, World Name, World ID, World Mode and Maximum Players are panel settings, and one click backups protect the save before you change anything. If you are new to it, how to host a Tiny Block server covers setup, and our world modes guide explains the world settings.

FAQ

How long does a Tiny Block server take to appear?

A few seconds after it connects to the backend and reports being online.

Do I need to port forward for a Tiny Block server to show up?

No. The server only makes outbound connections. Nothing needs to be opened inbound.

Why did my Tiny Block server disappear?

The server stopped, lost its connection to the backend, or the backend had an outage. It drops off about 45 seconds after the session ends.

Can players join a Tiny Block server by IP?

No. Players join through the Online Worlds list only, so the server must be listed.