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To install mods on a RimWorld Together server, set up Harmony and RimWorld Together on every player’s Steam client, download the matching Windows or Linux server archive from the project’s GitHub releases, run it from a writable folder, and then define gameplay mods in the server’s administrator tools or ModConfig.json. Every player must use a compatible RimWorld Together version, and the server’s required, optional, and forbidden rules determine who can join.
The safest order is: prepare clients, install and launch the server, configure the mod policy, back up the configuration and save, and only then create a world. macOS is not supported by the official server files.
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What you need before installing anything
RimWorld Together is a multiplayer mod and server application rather than a normal single-player mod list. The server keeps the shared simulation authoritative, while each player connects with a RimWorld client that has the networking mod enabled. Gameplay mods still have to be coordinated because clients must agree with the definitions used by the server and the existing save.
| Requirement | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Every player’s game | A RimWorld installation with Steam Workshop access. Subscribe to Harmony and RimWorld Together, then enable both in the game’s mod list. |
| Server operating system | Windows or Linux server files from the current RimWorld Together GitHub release. The official server package does not support macOS. |
| Server location | A folder the account running the server can write to. Do not use Program Files or another protected directory. |
| Mod policy | An agreed list of required, optional and forbidden mods, including any DLC package IDs that the configuration expects. |
| Network access | A reachable server address for players. Public listing also requires the server-browser setting and a public endpoint that can be reached from outside the host network. |
| Recovery plan | A copy of the save and configuration before changing the enforced mod list or making a major mod change. |
How the server and client mod lists fit together
There are two separate installations to understand. Steam Workshop supplies mods to each player’s RimWorld client. The dedicated server archive supplies the RimWorld Together server executable and its data folders. Installing a Workshop item on one player’s computer does not install it for the server or for the rest of the group.
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After the server is running, its policy tells connecting clients which gameplay mods they must have, which they may use, and which they are not allowed to use:
| Category | Server behavior | Best use | Client consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required/enforced | The server expects the mod and its definitions to be present. | World generation, factions, biomes, world events and other changes that affect the shared simulation. | A player without the required Workshop item, or with an incompatible version, is rejected. |
| Optional | The mod is allowed when the server’s compatibility rules permit it, but it is not imposed on every player. | Cosmetic or otherwise safe additions that do not change the shared world. | Players may be able to join without the item; test this with the exact mod before relying on it. |
| Forbidden | The server prevents a client from using the mod. | Mods that conflict with multiplayer, duplicate server functions or can destabilize the shared save. | A client using the forbidden item is blocked until it is disabled or removed. |
Classify a mod by what it changes, not by its marketing label. A texture-only addition is a candidate for optional status, while a mod that adds factions, alters biome generation or changes world events belongs in the required set. If you cannot establish that a mod is safe to leave optional, treat it as a candidate for testing on a separate save rather than adding it to a live world.
Step 1: Prepare every player’s RimWorld client
- Open Steam Workshop from the RimWorld community hub. Subscribe to Harmony and RimWorld Together on every computer that will join. The server-side archive does not replace these client subscriptions.
- Start RimWorld and enable both items. Open the game’s mod-management screen, confirm that Harmony and RimWorld Together are enabled, and apply the load order requested by the mod if one is shown.
- Restart after subscribing if the items do not appear. Steam may still be downloading Workshop content. Closing and reopening RimWorld forces the game to rescan the installed items.
- Check versions before anyone connects. Keep the RimWorld Together client version compatible with the server release. If one player has an older Workshop build while the host has a newer server archive, resolve that mismatch before troubleshooting individual gameplay mods.
- Agree on a preliminary gameplay list. Write down each Workshop item, its package ID if the server configuration requires one, and whether the group intends it to be required, optional or forbidden. Do this before the first player creates a world.
The in-game server browser may be able to download Steam mods automatically for a joining player, but that is not a substitute for checking the mod list. Automatic downloads do not make an incompatible version compatible, and they do not override a forbidden rule.
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Choose the archive for the host operating system
Open the current release section of the RimWorld Together project on GitHub and download the server archive for Windows or Linux. Do not download a client Workshop item as the server package; the dedicated server is distributed separately. Check the release information and use a server archive compatible with the RimWorld Together version that your players enabled in Steam.
Use a dedicated writable directory
Extract the archive into its own folder before launching it. A location such as a user-owned games or services directory is preferable to a system directory. The server needs to create saves, data and configuration files during its first run, so the account that launches it must have write permission.
On Windows, avoid C:Program Files, C:Program Files (x86) and other locations controlled by User Account Control. On Linux, use a directory owned by the account that will run the service, and check both ownership and filesystem permissions. Keeping the server in a separate folder also makes upgrades and backups easier because the executable, configuration and generated data remain together.
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Linux: grant execute permission
Linux archives may extract the binary without its executable bit. From a terminal in the extracted directory, apply the permission shown in the official example:
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Step 3: Launch the server and let it create its files
- Open the extracted folder. On Windows, run the server executable. On Linux, launch the executable from the terminal after applying the execute permission.
- Watch the first-run output. The initial launch creates the working directories and exposes the server console commands. Allow it to finish creating those files before closing the process.
- Stop it cleanly if you need to edit configuration. Make changes while the server is not writing the same file. Keep a backup of the generated configuration before making a first manual edit.
- Record the address and browser settings. You can use the in-game server browser or connect to the server’s address. If you plan to publish the server in the browser, configure the public endpoint and enable the browser feature in the server settings.
The server-browser endpoint must be reachable from outside the host network. A private address that works on the host’s local network will not make the server publicly discoverable. Firewall rules and router port forwarding vary by network equipment, and the project does not provide one universal configuration for every router, so test from a different network rather than assuming a local connection proves public access.
Step 4: Connect once with RimWorld Together enabled
Start RimWorld with Harmony and RimWorld Together active, then open the in-game server browser or enter the server address supplied by the host. The first successful connection confirms that the client can reach the executable and that the core RimWorld Together versions are compatible.
Do not create the permanent world while the mod policy is still undecided. The first player to join may be responsible for the initial world and mod setup. If that player creates a world with only part of the planned list, adding world-affecting mods later can produce an incompatible save or a different world definition than the group expected.
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Subscribe before configuring
Have each player subscribe to the selected Workshop items before you place them in the server policy. Confirm that the items appear in RimWorld’s mod list and can be enabled. A package ID entered into the server configuration cannot download a mod that Steam has not made available to the client, and a player who has subscribed but left the item disabled can still fail the required-mod check.
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Use administrator tooling or ModConfig.json
RimWorld Together provides in-game administrator tooling for mod management, and the server also uses ModConfig.json for the required, optional, forbidden and package-ID settings. Use one deliberate change at a time, stop the server before editing the file directly, and preserve valid JSON syntax. A missing quote, comma or brace can prevent the configuration from loading.
DLC package IDs are handled alongside mod IDs. Enter them in the order and format expected by the generated configuration. If you are unsure of an ID, use the value exposed by the server’s configuration or administrator interface rather than guessing a name; a display name is not necessarily the package identifier.
Build the required list first
Start with the smallest set that every client must share. Put world-generation, faction, biome and world-event changes in the required/enforced category. These definitions affect the shared map or simulation and should be identical before the world is created.
Then test proposed optional items. An item should remain optional only when the server’s compatibility rules allow clients to differ and the mod does not introduce state that other players need to understand. If a supposedly cosmetic mod causes a rejection or save problem, remove it from the optional list and either enforce it for everyone or forbid it.
Finally, use the forbidden category for known conflicts, duplicate networking functions or mods that the host has decided cannot be used. A forbidden entry is a policy control, not a suggestion: clients must disable the item before they can join.
Step 6: Create a stable world and save
- Back up the current files. Copy the save and the server configuration before the first world is created and again before changing an established mod list.
- Freeze the planned list. Confirm the required, optional and forbidden categories with every player. Include DLC package IDs and verify that each required Workshop item is subscribed and enabled.
- Create the world with the complete required list. World-generation, faction, biome and event mods should be active when the world is generated, not added after the map already exists.
- Record the working configuration. Keep a dated copy of
ModConfig.jsonand note the RimWorld Together server release used to create the save. - Test a join and a save cycle. Have at least one additional player connect, perform an ordinary save, disconnect and reconnect. This catches policy and persistence problems before the group invests time in the colony.
The hosting guidance recommends starting a new save before adding mods, and the wiki likewise recommends creating the world with the planned mod list. For a major change to an existing colony, the safer choices are restoring the backup or starting a new save with the complete intended list. Do not treat a successful boot as proof that a late-added world mod is safe.
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Docker and managed hosting options
Official container image
The project publishes an official container image and an example deployment that uses a persistent data directory. A container can keep the server process isolated from the host and make redeployment repeatable, but it does not remove the need for the same mod-policy work. Persist the directory that contains saves and configuration; otherwise recreating the container can discard the server’s state.
Before starting a container, map the persistent data directory, confirm that the container user can write to it, and keep a backup outside the container as well. Apply the same required, optional and forbidden rules and expose the server’s network endpoint through the container runtime and host firewall.
Managed game-server hosting
A managed host is useful when the server must remain online without leaving a home computer running. The provider generally carries more of the uptime and network-exposure responsibility, while you remain responsible for choosing compatible mods and maintaining a recoverable save.
For a managed option, Godlike.Host offers RimWorld Together game-server hosting with its Pterodactyl-based panel, up to three free backups a day and SFTP/FTP access; see the current plans. RimWorld Together’s code is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, a NonCommercial licence (github.com/RimWorld-Together/Rimworld-Together, 10 Oct 2026).
| Consideration | Self-hosting | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Uptime | You keep the computer and server process running and handle restarts. | The provider supplies an always-on environment, subject to its service terms and maintenance. |
| Operating-system access | Full access to the Windows or Linux files, executable and logs. | Access is limited to the controls and file tools the provider exposes. |
| Backups | You choose where and how often to copy saves and configuration. | Backups may be included, limited or extra; verify retention and restoration before relying on them. |
| Mod and config editing | Directly edit ModConfig.json and the generated data. |
Use the host’s file manager or control panel, if available. |
| Network exposure | You configure firewall, router forwarding and the public endpoint. | The provider normally handles the public network path, but you still need the correct server-browser setting. |
| Cost | There is no stated universal price; you supply hardware, electricity and connectivity. | Pricing depends on the provider, location, resources and billing term; check the current offer. |
| Support | You diagnose permissions, versions and connectivity yourself. | Support scope varies; confirm that RimWorld Together, containers and custom Workshop mods are supported. |
Whichever model you choose, keep an export of the save and configuration that you can restore independently of the host.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The server will not create saves or configuration files
- Move the installation out of
Program Filesor another protected directory. - Confirm that the account launching the process has write permission to the extracted folder and its parent.
- Check that antivirus or endpoint protection has not quarantined the executable or blocked file creation. The project specifically cautions against privileged locations because security software or the operating system can interfere there.
- Stop and relaunch after correcting the location or permissions, then check whether the first-run directories appear.
Linux says the executable cannot be run
- Run
chmod 755 filenamewith the actual binary name. - Verify that you are in the extracted directory and that the file is the Linux release, not a Windows executable.
- Check ownership and mount options if the execute bit is present but the error remains.
A player is rejected for mods
- Compare the player’s RimWorld Together version with the server release.
- Compare the required and forbidden lists with the player’s enabled Workshop items.
- Make sure every required item has been subscribed to and enabled, and that forbidden items are disabled.
- Check package IDs and JSON syntax in
ModConfig.json, including DLC entries and their expected order.
The world becomes unstable after a mod change
- Stop making further changes and preserve the current save for diagnosis.
- Restore the last known-good save and configuration backup.
- If the mod affects world generation, factions, biomes or events, create a new save with the entire planned list instead of adding it to the existing colony.
Players cannot find the server
- Confirm that the server-browser enable setting is on.
- Check that the configured public endpoint is reachable from outside the host network.
- Review the host firewall and router port forwarding, then test from a different network.
- If direct address connection works but the browser does not, focus on the browser setting and endpoint rather than the mod list.
Safe update and maintenance routine
Keep a simple change log containing the server release, RimWorld Together client version, required list, optional list, forbidden list and date of each save backup. Before updating the server or changing a required mod, stop the process and copy the save and configuration. Have every player update or disable Workshop items as a coordinated change, then test a backup or staging save before returning to the main colony.
When removing a mod, reverse the same process: back up first, check whether the mod contributed definitions to the existing save, remove it from the policy, and test the result before deleting the backup. If the result is not stable, restore the previous configuration and save rather than repeatedly changing a live world.
Common questions
Do I install the server files in RimWorld’s game folder?
No. Extract the dedicated server archive into its own writable directory. Keeping it outside protected game-install folders lets it create its data, saves and configuration without elevated permissions.
Can players join without subscribing to every mod?
Only when the server policy and the specific mod permit it. Required items must be present and enabled; forbidden items must be disabled. Optional behavior depends on the server’s compatibility rules, so test rather than assuming that a cosmetic label guarantees safety.
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Is macOS supported?
The official RimWorld Together server files support Windows and Linux. macOS is not listed as a supported server operating system.
Can I add a world-generation mod to an existing save?
The safer practice is to create a new save with the complete planned mod list. Back up the existing save before any experiment, because adding major world-affecting definitions can make the colony incompatible or unstable.
Will Docker automatically preserve my colony?
Only if the deployment maps the server’s data to a persistent directory and you back it up. A container can be recreated without its writable layer, so keep saves and configuration outside the disposable container layer.
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