Want to make your own Hytale server? This step-by-step guide walks you through the entire process — from downloading the server software and configuring your first world to opening the right ports, inviting players, and growing a community. By the end, you'll have a server of your own that friends (or the whole world) can join.
Before You Start
The first decision every server owner makes is where the server will run. You have two options:
- Self-hosting: Run the server on your own computer or a spare machine. It's free beyond electricity and internet, and you keep full control — but you'll handle networking, backups, and keeping the machine online yourself.
- Managed hosting: Rent a server from a hosting provider. You pay a monthly fee, but the provider handles the hardware, network, and usually backups, so you can focus on your community.
Neither choice is wrong. Self-hosting is great for a private world with friends; managed hosting makes more sense once you want a public server that stays online 24/7. If you're weighing the trade-offs in detail, read our full Hytale server hosting guide — it compares both approaches and includes hardware recommendations for different player counts. The short version: plan for at least 2-4 GB of RAM for a small server with a handful of players, and more as your community grows.
The rest of this guide assumes you're self-hosting. If you go with a managed provider, they'll handle steps 1 and 3 for you — skip ahead to configuration and testing.
Step 1: Get the Server Software
Download the Hytale server software from official Hytale sources only. Avoid third-party download sites — unofficial builds can be outdated, broken, or bundled with malware.
- Download the server files from the official source and place them in a dedicated folder (for example, a folder called "hytale-server" on a fast SSD).
- Check that your machine meets the requirements — a modern multi-core CPU, enough dedicated RAM for your expected player count, and an SSD for world storage.
- Run the server once to let it generate its initial files, then shut it down before configuring.
Keeping the server in its own folder makes updates, backups, and troubleshooting much easier later on.
Step 2: Configure Your Server
Before opening your server to anyone, take a few minutes to set up the basics. The most important settings to review:
- Server name: This is what players see in their server browser and on server lists. Pick something short, memorable, and unique.
- Max players: Set a limit your hardware can actually handle. It's better to run a smooth 10-player server than a laggy 50-player one.
- Game mode and world settings: Decide what kind of experience you're building — survival, creative building, minigames, roleplay — and configure your world rules to match.
- Whitelist or open access: For a private server with friends, restrict who can join. For a public server, leave it open but have moderation rules ready.
Start simple. You can always add custom content and fine-tune settings once the server is stable and players can connect reliably.
Step 3: Open the Right Ports
This is the step where most new server owners get stuck. If you're hosting from home, your router blocks incoming connections by default — players outside your network can't reach your server until you forward the correct ports:
- Game port (5520, UDP): The main connection point. Players cannot join without it.
- Query port (5521, UDP): Reports your server's online status and player count to server lists and monitoring tools. Optional, but strongly recommended if you want your server visible on listing sites.
You'll also need to allow both ports through your operating system's firewall. For router-by-router instructions, firewall rules, and troubleshooting steps, follow our Hytale server ports guide.
Step 4: Invite Players & Test
Test your server in stages so you can isolate problems quickly:
- Connect locally first from the same machine or another computer on your home network. This confirms the server itself works.
- Test from outside your network — ask a friend to connect using your public IP address, or test over a mobile hotspot. This confirms port forwarding is working.
- Share your server address with players. If you're using the default game port, they only need the IP or domain; custom ports must be included in the address.
If your friends aren't sure how connecting works from the player side, point them to our guide on how to join a Hytale server.
Step 5: Grow Your Community
A running server is only half the job — now you need players. The most effective first step is getting listed where players are already searching:
- List your server: Add your Hytale server with a clear description, banner, and accurate tags so players browsing our Hytale server list can find you.
- Set up voting: Players can vote for your server daily, pushing it up the rankings. Learn how voting works and reward voters in-game to keep them coming back.
- Enable status tracking: Servers that show live online status and player counts earn more trust from browsing players. See our server status tracking guide to get set up.
- Build outside the game: A Discord community, regular events, and a consistent update schedule turn one-time visitors into regulars.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not enough RAM: The most common cause of crashes and lag spikes is running the server with less memory than it needs. Dedicate enough RAM for your player count and leave headroom for the operating system.
- Forgetting port forwarding: If the server works for you but nobody else can join, missing or incorrect port forwarding is almost always the culprit. Double-check the ports, the protocol (UDP), and your firewall rules.
- No backups: Worlds get corrupted, drives fail, and bad updates happen. Schedule automatic backups of your world data from day one — before you have anything worth losing.
- Ignoring updates: Running outdated server software leaves you exposed to bugs and security issues. Apply updates promptly, but back up first.
- Launching too big: Don't promise a massive network on day one. Start with one polished game mode, get feedback from your first players, and expand from there.
Get Inspired by Popular Servers
Not sure what kind of server to build? See what's working for these popular community servers: