Running your own Soulmask dedicated server gives your tribe a persistent world that stays online whether or not the host is logged in — essential for a survival sim where tribesmen keep working, crops keep growing, and your Mask-controlled followers keep building. Since Soulmask hit its 1.0 release on April 10, 2026 (developed by CampFire Studio, published by Qooland Games), the private server toolset has matured into a flexible mix of command-line launch parameters and a deep GameUserSettings.ini with 100+ tunable options. This guide walks through the full setup: installing the server binaries via SteamCMD, opening the right ports, building a working launch line, configuring the game, and managing your world with admin and RCON commands.
Installing the Soulmask Server with SteamCMD
The first thing to know is that the dedicated server uses a different Steam App ID than the game itself. The game client is app 2646460, but you never install that on a server. Instead, you download the dedicated server build anonymously through SteamCMD using one of these IDs:
| Target | SteamCMD App ID | Executable |
|---|---|---|
| Windows dedicated server | 3017310 | WSServer-Win64-Shipping.exe |
| Linux dedicated server | 3017300 | WSServer.sh |
| Game client (reference only) | 2646460 | n/a — do not install on a server |
No Steam account login is required — the server build downloads anonymously. On Windows, the install command looks like this:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 3017310 validate +quitFor Linux, swap in the Linux App ID:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 3017300 validate +quitLinux is officially supported — you launch the server through the WSServer.sh wrapper rather than the Windows .exe. On Windows, most hosts and self-hosters wrap the launch line in a StartServer.bat file so the server is easy to restart. Note that Windows firewall rules may reference the executable as WSServer.exe even though the full filename is WSServer-Win64-Shipping.exe.
Ports You Need to Open
Soulmask is UDP-based. At minimum, each server process needs two UDP ports open: the game port and the query port. A third “echo” port shows up in many working launch lines.
| Port | Default | Protocol | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game port | 8777 | UDP | Main connection (required) |
| Query port | 27015 | UDP | Server browser listing (required) |
| Echo port | 18888 | UDP | Appears in launch lines (necessity unconfirmed) |
Open 8777 and 27015 as UDP on your firewall and any upstream NAT/router for the server to appear in the in-game list and accept connections. The echo port 18888 appears in confirmed working launch lines, but whether it is strictly mandatory is not fully verified — include it to match the example configs. (One source also mentioned port 3724 as an in-game “direct connect” reference; treat that as unconfirmed and secondary.) If you run multiple servers on one machine, give each its own unique set of ports.
Building Your Launch Line
Core server behavior is set with launch parameters appended to the executable. Here is a verified, working Windows example you can adapt as your StartServer.bat body:
WSServer-Win64-Shipping.exe Level01_Main -server -log -UTF8Output -forcepassthrough
-MULTIHOME=0.0.0.0 -Port=8777 -QueryPort=27015 -EchoPort=18888
-SteamServerName="My Soulmask Server" -MaxPlayers=60 -PSW="joinpassword"
-adminpsw="adminpassword" -pve -saving=300 -backup=900 -online=SteamHere is what each parameter does:
Level01_Main— the map/level name; this is the first positional argument.-SteamServerName="..."— the server name shown in the browser list.-MaxPlayers=— player cap (the example uses 60).-PSW="..."— the join password; omit this entirely for an open public server.-adminpsw="..."— the admin password used later with thegm keycommand.-pve— sets PvE mode; PvP is the alternative.-saving=— auto-save interval in seconds (300 = every 5 minutes).-backup=— backup interval in seconds (900 = every 15 minutes).-Port=/-QueryPort=/-EchoPort=— the network ports above.-MULTIHOME=0.0.0.0— the bind address (listen on all interfaces).-online=Steam— the online/auth backend.
A quick note on the player cap: the example configs across guides settle on 60, but the hard MaxPlayers ceiling is not officially confirmed. Set it to a value your hardware and RAM can realistically sustain — survival sims with many active tribesmen are CPU- and memory-hungry, so do not crank it blindly. If you would rather skip the hardware tuning entirely, a managed Soulmask server hosting plan gives you the right resources and a one-click launcher out of the box.
Deeper Tuning with GameUserSettings.ini
While launch parameters cover the essentials, the in-depth gameplay tuning lives in GameUserSettings.ini. On Windows you will find it at:
..\WS\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\GameUserSettings.iniThis is where Soulmask’s 100+ customization options come in — harvest multipliers, day/night timing, decay rates, and the many tribesmen and Mask-related tunables. When you self-host through the in-game host menu, many of these same gameplay rules are exposed as host/server options in the UI instead of the file. The general workflow is: set core network and mode settings in the launch line, then refine the gameplay economy in GameUserSettings.ini (or the in-game options). Always stop the server before editing the file, then restart so changes load cleanly. For step-by-step screenshots of the file paths and config screens, see our Soulmask server documentation.
Becoming an Admin: the gm key Command
Admin access on a Soulmask server is granted in-game, not through a config flag alone. The flow is:
- Set
-adminpsw=YOURPASSWORDin your launch line. - Join the server, then press the tilde key (
~/`) to open the console. - Type
gm key YOURPASSWORDto authenticate and open the GM Panel.
Two important caveats: admin status is not persisted between sessions, so you must re-run gm key every time you log back in. And the commands are case-sensitive — many of them use Pinyin keywords, so type them exactly as written.
A sample of verified GM commands available once authenticated:
gm key [password]— open the GM Panel / authenticate.gm AddExp [value]— add experience;gm Addmjexp [value]— add Mask experience;gm AddShouLieExp [value]— add hunting experience.gm XiDian— reset attribute points.gm ZiSha 1— suicide;gm FuHuo— revive.gm ZhaoMu— quick-recruit an NPC;gm ClearAllNpc— clear all NPCs;gm ClearSelect— remove the selected target.gm Go [x][y][z]— teleport;GPS— show your coordinates;gm ShowInfo 1— show your info;gm ShowMap— reveal the full map.gm KeJiShu— unlock all tech-tree nodes.gm SetAttr YinShen 1/0— toggle invisibility on/off.gm ShuaXinZhiBei— refresh vegetation in range;Debuginfo 1— view server status.
For player management, Soulmask provides a GM/admin panel inside the GM Panel UI. Exact kick/ban command syntax is not confirmed in the documented sources — the panel handles these actions through its interface, so check the in-game GM Panel rather than guessing at a CLI command. For a fuller command walkthrough, see our Soulmask admin commands guide.
Remote Management with RCON
Soulmask supports RCON for remote administration, which is ideal when you want to manage the server without being logged into the game. Add these parameters to your launch line:
-rconpsw="yourpassword" -rconaddr=0.0.0.0 -rconport=19000Once enabled, all GM commands can be sent over RCON using any standard RCON client. This lets you run scheduled events, push announcements, or moderate the server from a dashboard. Keep your RCON password strong and, where possible, restrict the RCON port to trusted IPs rather than exposing it to the open internet.
PvE vs PvP and Save/Backup Strategy
The -pve flag (or its PvP counterpart) sets your world’s combat rules — Soulmask 1.0 also added dedicated PvP servers at launch alongside its three game modes (Survival, Tribe, and Warrior). Pick the mode that matches your community before the first launch, since switching later can disrupt an established world.
The -saving and -backup parameters are your insurance policy. The example uses a 5-minute auto-save and a 15-minute backup. Frequent saves reduce how much progress is lost in a crash, while regular backups give you restore points if a save becomes corrupted. On a busy tribe server with lots of building and automation, lean toward shorter intervals — but watch for brief save-related hitches and tune to taste.
What Happens After Launch: Tribesmen and the Mask
Once your world is live, the gameplay loop centers on recruiting tribesmen and growing your Mask. Recruitment is a damage-then-deter-then-feed process: you weaken an NPC barbarian to roughly 20% HP, trigger the deter prompt to knock them unconscious, then feed them liquid food (like broth) to build Recognition — the default threshold is 500 — before you can recruit them. Your follower cap is governed by Mask upgrades, starting at 3 tribesmen and scaling up to 18 with full Connection Enhancement. We cover the full process in our guide to recruiting tribesmen in Soulmask. These defaults are 1.0 values that server admins can tune, so confirm the exact numbers in your own world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Soulmask dedicated server App ID?
The dedicated server is a separate download from the game. Use SteamCMD App ID 3017310 for Windows or 3017300 for Linux, both installable anonymously. The game client itself is App ID 2646460 — you do not install that on a server.
Which ports does a Soulmask server use?
Open UDP 8777 (game port) and UDP 27015 (query port) at a minimum. Working launch lines also include echo port 18888, though whether it is strictly required is unconfirmed. Each server process needs its own unique set of ports.
How do I become an admin on my Soulmask server?
Set -adminpsw=YOURPASSWORD in the launch line, join the server, press tilde (~) to open the console, and enter gm key YOURPASSWORD. This opens the GM Panel. You must re-run gm key each session because admin status is not persisted, and commands are case-sensitive.
Where is the GameUserSettings.ini file?
On Windows it lives at ..\WS\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\GameUserSettings.ini. This is where you fine-tune gameplay rules beyond the core launch parameters. Stop the server before editing, then restart so changes load.
Does Soulmask support RCON?
Yes. Add -rconpsw="yourpassword" -rconaddr=0.0.0.0 -rconport=19000 to your launch line. Once enabled, every GM command can be sent over RCON from any standard RCON client for remote management.
How many players can a Soulmask server hold?
Example configurations commonly use -MaxPlayers=60, but the official hard ceiling is not confirmed. Set the cap based on your server’s CPU and RAM, since active tribesmen and base automation are resource-intensive.
Wrapping Up
That is the complete path to a running Soulmask 1.0 dedicated server: install the correct server App ID via SteamCMD, open UDP ports 8777 and 27015, assemble a launch line with your mode and save settings, refine the world in GameUserSettings.ini, and manage it live with gm key and RCON. From there, your tribe can grow uninterrupted — recruiting tribesmen, upgrading the Mask, and building out a persistent world that is always online.
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