s&box is Facepunch’s successor to Garry’s Mod — a game-creation platform on Source 2 and C#. If you want a persistent server for your game package, you run a dedicated server. This guide covers installing it, the launch command, and the bits that trip people up: game packages, ports, and the server token.
Step 1: Install the dedicated server
The s&box Dedicated Server is a separate Steam app. Install it with SteamCMD:
./steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 1892930 validate +quitAdd -beta staging if you need the staging branch. The files land in steamapps/common/sbox dedicated server.
Step 2: Pick a game package
Unlike a normal game, s&box doesn’t have one fixed gamemode — you tell the server which package from sbox.game to load with +game. Package names are org.name, lowercase, no spaces:
sbox-server.exe +game facepunch.sandboxYou can add an optional map package too (e.g. facepunch.flatgrass). Our finding game packages guide explains how to get the exact ident.
Step 3: Build the launch command
A typical launch line sets the hostname, ports, and game:
sbox-server.exe +hostname "My s&box Server" +port 27015 +net_query_port 27016 +game facepunch.sandboxForward UDP 27015 (game) and 27016 (query) on your router/firewall. Getting every flag right is fiddly — our free launch command builder assembles the exact line for you, and the launch parameters guide documents each one.
Step 4: Add a server token (recommended)
A Steam-generated server token keeps your server’s Steam identity consistent across restarts — without one, every restart creates a fresh identity. Generate it from Steam’s game-server management page and pass it on the command line. See our server token guide.
Step 5: Set yourself as admin
Admin access is controlled by users/config.json in your server directory — a JSON list of Steam IDs and the claims (permissions) they hold. See our user permissions guide and the free users/config.json generator.
Skip the setup with managed hosting
SteamCMD, port forwarding, tokens, and keeping the build updated is a lot to manage from home. XGamingServer s&box hosting handles the install and ports, runs on AMD Ryzen 9 7950X hardware, and gives you full file access — so you spend time building your game, not babysitting a server. Use the SteamCMD builder if you’d rather self-host.
FAQ
What’s the s&box dedicated server app ID? 1892930 via SteamCMD (anonymous login).
Why won’t my +game value load? Package names must be the exact org.name ident from sbox.game, lowercase — +game DeathMatch won’t work, +game author.deathmatch will (if it exists).
Which ports do I open? UDP 27015 for the game and 27016 for queries by default.
Sources: s&box Docs — Dedicated Servers.
