# Finding Game Packages on sbox.game (/docs/sbox/finding-game-packages)



The `+game` launch parameter takes a **package ident** — a short string like `facepunch.walker` that points at a game (and optionally a map) hosted on [sbox.game](https://sbox.game). Getting this right is the single biggest source of "my server won't start" tickets, so it's worth understanding how the ident system works before you try to host something.

What an ident looks like [#what-an-ident-looks-like]

```
facepunch.walker
garry.scenemap
someauthor.deathmatch
```

Two parts, separated by a dot:

1. **Publisher / org** — the account that uploaded the package on sbox.game (the part before the dot).
2. **Package name** — the package's short name (the part after the dot).

Both parts are **lowercase, no spaces**. This is enforced — `+game Walker` or `+game Facepunch.Walker` won't work; `+game facepunch.walker` will.

There is no implicit publisher, so single-word forms like `+game DeathMatch` or `+game sandbox` aren't valid either.

Looking up an ident on sbox.game [#looking-up-an-ident-on-sboxgame]

<ol>
  <li>
    Go to 

    <a href="https://sbox.game">sbox.game</a>

     and find the gamemode you want to host.
  </li>

  <li>
    Open its package page.
  </li>

  <li>
    The ident is usually shown directly under the title, and also appears in the URL: 

    <code>sbox.game/<publisher>/<package></code>

     → ident is 

    <code>publisher.package</code>

    .
  </li>
</ol>

Copy that string verbatim into your `+game` flag.

What makes a package server-compatible [#what-makes-a-package-server-compatible]

Not every sbox.game package is meant to run on a dedicated server. Hosting characteristics to check:

* **The package describes itself as a game / gamemode**, not just a map, model pack, or library. Servers load games; maps are passed as the optional second arg to `+game`.
* **It's set to public.** Private packages can only be hosted by the publisher.
* **It supports multiplayer.** Some packages are single-player experiments.

If the package page doesn't make this obvious, the safest test is just to try it — a wrong choice fails fast in the log without affecting anything else.

Maps as separate packages [#maps-as-separate-packages]

Maps live in their own packages and are passed as the second arg to `+game`:

```
+game facepunch.walker garry.scenemap
```

If you omit the map, the gamemode loads its default. Most operators leave it off until they know they want a specific map — gamemodes usually pick a sensible default and may even rotate maps internally.

Common Facepunch packages [#common-facepunch-packages]

These are first-party packages from Facepunch, useful for testing that your server install works at all:

| Ident               | What it is                                                   |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `facepunch.walker`  | Facepunch's first-party walker shooter.                      |
| `facepunch.sandbox` | The Facepunch sandbox / building game.                       |
| `garry.scenemap`    | The classic scene map (used as a starting map).              |
| `garry.flatgrass`   | The flat-grass map that's been a Garry's Mod staple forever. |

Treat these as a smoke test, not a recommendation — what's actually fun depends on your community. Browse sbox.game for what's currently popular.

Local projects (developers) [#local-projects-developers]

If you're developing your own game, point `+game` at a `.sbproj` file path on disk instead of an ident:

```
+game "C:\Projects\my-game\my-game.sbproj"
```

See [Local Projects](/docs/sbox/local-projects) for the full workflow.

Related Guides [#related-guides]

* [Launch Parameters](/docs/sbox/launch-parameters)
* [Change Game & Map](/docs/sbox/change-game-and-map)
* [Local Projects](/docs/sbox/local-projects)
* [Troubleshooting](/docs/sbox/troubleshooting)