Getting Started with Your Core Keeper Server
Core Keeper is the top-down survival sandbox where you and up to 7 friends descend into a glowing underground world, mine the buried Core, fight bosses, and dig your way to new biomes. This guide walks you through deploying your DoomHosting Core Keeper server and getting your party connected in under 5 minutes.
Step 1: Deploy Your Server
- Go to your DoomHosting Panel and find your Core Keeper server in the list, or order one if you haven't yet.
- The server installs automatically. Pterodactyl downloads the latest Pugstorm dedicated build via SteamCMD, which takes about a minute on a fresh deploy.
- When the Status light goes green, click Start. The console shows
Server startedand you are ready to connect.
Step 2: Connect from the Game
- Launch Core Keeper.
- From the main menu pick Co-op, then Join Game by ID (or Join Multiplayer).
- Your Server IP is displayed at the top of the Overview tab in the panel in the format
1.2.3.4:7777. - Paste the IP into the in-game prompt. Connection takes a few seconds.
The server is bound to a specific port assigned by the panel. Paste the IP exactly as shown. Wrong port is the most common reason connections fail.
Step 3: Configure Your Server
Core Keeper server settings live in ServerConfig.json in the root of your server directory. Edit through the panel Files tab or via SFTP.
| Field | What it controls |
|---|---|
worldName |
The world's display name |
worldMode |
0 normal, 1 Hard, 2 Casual |
worldSize |
0 small, 1 medium, 2 large, 3 huge |
gameId |
Optional 8-character join code for private servers |
maxConnections |
Max players (default 8) |
serverIPAddress |
Leave blank, auto-detected |
serverPort |
Set by the panel, do not change |
Restart the server after editing so the changes take effect.
Step 4: Install Thunderstore Mods
Core Keeper mods live on Thunderstore. Client installs typically use r2modman, but for a dedicated server you upload manually.
- Download the mods you want from Thunderstore (each is a
.zip). - In the panel Files tab, navigate to
BepInEx/plugins/. IfBepInEx/does not exist, install BepInExPack from Thunderstore first. - Extract each mod's
.zipcontents intoBepInEx/plugins/. - Restart the server.
All players who join must have the same mod set installed locally. Core Keeper requires client-side mod parity for joinable sessions.
Troubleshooting
Players can't find the server: confirm you are using the IP from the panel, port included. The server must be Running, not Starting or Stopped.
Server starts then crashes: open the Console tab and read the last few lines. The most common cause is a BepInEx mod conflict. Move the suspect .dll out of BepInEx/plugins/ and restart.
World did not save: Core Keeper saves on graceful shutdown and every few minutes during play. If you killed the container hard, the last 1 to 5 minutes of progress may be lost. Use the panel Restart button rather than force-stopping.
Need help? Open a ticket from the panel Support tab, or use the live chat on the Core Keeper hosting page. Support is 24/7.