Barotrauma Game Modes Explained
Overview of all Barotrauma server game modes — Sandbox, Mission, Campaign, and PvP — and how to configure them.
Barotrauma has four multiplayer game modes. You set the active mode via gamemodeidentifier in serversettings.xml or through the lobby before starting a round.
Sandbox
The most open mode — no objectives, no progression, no rewards. Players can spawn items, test submarine systems, and experiment freely.
Best for: Testing builds, learning systems, messing around with friends.
gamemodeidentifier="sandbox"Mission Mode
Round-based play. Each round is a self-contained mission — players complete it, return to the lobby, and vote on the next. No persistent save between rounds.
Best for: Drop-in/drop-out play, competitive servers, players who don't want campaign commitment.
gamemodeidentifier="mission"Mission Types
Configure which mission types can appear via AllowedRandomMissionTypes in serversettings.xml:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
Salvage | Retrieve an artifact or object from a wreck or alien ruin |
Monster | Hunt and kill specific large creatures in the level |
Cargo | Deliver goods between outposts |
Combat | PvP round — two teams against each other |
Beacon | Place scanning equipment inside an alien ruin |
Nest | Destroy creature egg clusters in a cave |
To allow all mission types randomly:
AllowedRandomMissionTypes="Random"To restrict to specific types:
AllowedRandomMissionTypes="Salvage,Monster,Beacon"Campaign
Persistent co-op mode with a shared save file. The crew earns money, upgrades the submarine, hires crew, and navigates a map across Europa. Progress carries over between sessions.
Best for: Regular crews who want long-term progression.
gamemodeidentifier="campaign"See the dedicated Campaign Mode guide for setup, saves, and permadeath options.
PvP (Combat)
Two teams compete against each other, with combat as the primary objective. Can be combined with traitor mechanics for extra chaos. Accessible as the Combat mission type within Mission mode.
Best for: Competitive groups who want to fight each other.
Changing the Game Mode
Via serversettings.xml
Stop the server, set gamemodeidentifier to your chosen mode, save, and restart.
Via the Lobby
An admin in the lobby can change the game mode before starting a round using the mode selection UI — no server restart needed, as long as ModeSelectionMode is not set to Manual lock-in.
Traitors
Traitors work across Mission and Campaign modes. One player is secretly assigned as a traitor with hidden objectives that work against the crew. Enable them with:
TraitorsEnabled="Maybe"
TraitorRatio="0.2"Maybe means there's a 20% chance per round that a traitor is assigned. Use Yes to guarantee a traitor every round.
💡 Tip: Traitors are most fun in Campaign — the persistent stakes make betrayal much more impactful.
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