The easiest way to play Starbound with a Steam friend is to enable the game’s Steam multiplayer option, launch a character, open your friend’s Steam profile, and choose Join Game. For people on the same network, connect to the host computer’s local IPv4 address. For friends over the internet, either forward TCP port 21025 to the host computer or use a virtual-LAN overlay. In every method, the host’s server process must be running before anyone connects.
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Choose the connection method that fits your group
Starbound supports several multiplayer arrangements. Your choice depends mainly on whether everyone uses Steam, whether the computers share a local network, and whether the host can change router settings.
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| Method | Setup effort | Works across the public internet | Host PC must stay available | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam invite | Low | Yes, through Steam’s connection flow | Usually yes | Quick sessions with Steam friends |
| LAN | Low | No, local network only | Yes | Same home or campus network |
| Port forwarding | Medium/high | Yes | Yes | Direct self-hosting with router access |
| Virtual LAN | Medium | Yes, through the overlay | Yes | When router forwarding is unavailable |
| Managed hosting | Paid setup | Yes | No personal PC required | Always-on worlds and groups |
The first four choices let one of you host from a computer you control. A managed server is a separate paid-service category; check its supported game version, mods, region, pricing, uptime and backup policy before paying, because those details vary by provider.
Before anyone connects
Install the same game build
Have every player update Starbound and confirm that the game starts normally in single-player. The available setup guidance does not define a current, universal mod-compatibility matrix, so matching the game’s build and using the same mod set is the safest starting point. If one player has extra or different mods, remove them temporarily while diagnosing a connection problem.
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Decide who will host
The host is the computer that runs the multiplayer server or starts the session. That computer needs to remain on, connected to the network and running the server for the entire session. Closing the game or server process ends that hosted world for the other players.
Allow the game through security software
Windows Firewall or third-party security software can block a server even when the address and port are correct. When Windows asks whether to allow Starbound or its server component, allow it on the network profile you actually use. If no prompt appears, create an allow rule for the game/server traffic and test again. Only open the required port and keep unrelated firewall rules unchanged.
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Steam is the lowest-friction option when everyone owns the Steam version and is already friends there. Both players must enable the game’s Steam multiplayer setting.
- Launch Starbound.
- Open Options and enable multiplayer through Steam.
- Ask your friend to open Options and enable the same setting.
- Start or load the character who will host.
- Open the friend’s Steam profile and select Join Game.
- When the game presents the character screen, choose the character that should enter the session.
If the profile has no usable Join Game action, check that both players are online in Steam, that the game is running for the host, and that both Steam-multiplayer toggles are enabled. A direct address-based connection is a useful fallback when the invitation flow does not work.
What Steam’s platform label does and does not guarantee
The current Steam store feature list labels Starbound with Online Co-op and Cross-Platform Multiplayer. Those are broad storefront feature labels, not a promise that every PC, console or storefront combination can connect to every other one. Verify the exact editions and storefronts in your group before planning a cross-device session; the label alone does not establish compatibility for a particular combination.
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Method 2: Play over a local network (LAN)
LAN play is appropriate when the computers are on the same reachable home, school or office network. It does not make a server available to friends on a different internet connection.
- Start the Starbound server from the launcher, or run the server executable on the host computer.
- Find the host computer’s local IPv4 address. On a typical home network it is an address assigned by the router, not the public address shown by an internet speed-test site.
- On each client computer, open Multiplayer or Join Game.
- Select a character and enter the host’s local IPv4 address in the server-address field.
- Leave the port at the default 21025 unless you deliberately changed the server configuration.
- Connect after the host server reports that it is running.
Do not enter your own computer’s address on the client. Every guest enters the host’s address. If the computers are connected to different guest networks, isolated Wi-Fi networks or separate routers, they may not be able to reach each other even though both show internet access.
LAN checks when the address is rejected
- Confirm that the host and guests are on the same local network and can communicate with one another.
- Check that the host server process is still open.
- Verify the local IPv4 address again; routers can assign a different address after a reconnect.
- Allow the game/server through the host firewall on the current network profile.
- Use port 21025 unless the host intentionally configured another port, and make sure every client uses that changed value.
Method 3: Host an internet game with port forwarding
Port forwarding makes the host’s server reachable from outside the home network. It requires access to the router and to the host computer’s firewall.
- On the host computer, run
starbound_server.exe. - Give the host computer a consistent private address on the home network, either with a router reservation or another method you understand. This prevents the forwarding rule from pointing at the wrong device after a reboot.
- In the router’s port-forwarding or virtual-server section, forward TCP port 21025 to the host computer’s private IPv4 address.
- Allow the same server traffic through the host computer’s firewall.
- Give friends the host network’s public IP address and the server port. They should enter that public address in Join Game.
- Keep
starbound_server.exerunning while friends play.
Router menu names differ by manufacturer, so there is no single universal click path. The important values are the protocol (TCP), the external port (21025 by default), the internal destination port (21025 by default) and the correct host computer address.
Why forwarding can still fail
A correct-looking rule is not enough if the internet service uses carrier-grade NAT, if two routers are performing NAT (double NAT), or if the forwarding rule targets an old private address. Some routers also prevent a test from the same home network using the public address, so ask a friend on another connection to test. Confirm that the server is listening before changing more router settings.
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Method 4: Use a virtual-LAN overlay
A virtual-LAN application can make geographically separate computers appear to share a private network. The Chucklefish multiplayer guidance describes Hamachi as an alternative when forwarding a physical router port is not practical.
- Install the same virtual-LAN application on every player’s computer.
- Have the host create a virtual network and share its network ID and password privately.
- Have each friend join that virtual network.
- Start
starbound_server.exeon the host. - Find the host’s IPv4 address assigned by the virtual-LAN application.
- In Starbound‘s Join Game screen, enter that virtual-network IPv4 address and the server port, normally 21025.
This approach avoids configuring the physical router, but it adds another application, login and network path. The overlay can introduce its own firewall, relay or connectivity problems. Keep its network ID and password private, and remove former players from the virtual network when they no longer need access.
Method 5: Run a dedicated server
A dedicated server separates the server process from the normal in-game invitation flow. It is useful when the host wants a persistent world or wants to restart the game client without stopping the server.
- Open the Starbound installation folder.
- Open the
win32folder identified by the updated 1.0 multiplayer guide. - Run
starbound_server.exe. - Use the server configuration stored in the game’s
storagefolder when you need to adjust the server deliberately. - Give players the appropriate address: the host’s local IPv4 address for LAN, public IP plus forwarding for internet play, or virtual-network IPv4 address for an overlay.
- Leave the server executable running for the entire time players need access.
A dedicated server is still self-hosting: the computer, power, internet connection, firewall and backups remain your responsibility. A managed host can remove the need for a personal PC to stay online, but evaluate version support, mod support, region, pricing and uptime for the specific provider rather than assuming every service offers the same Starbound environment.
Addresses and ports: which value should you give friends?
| Players’ situation | Address to enter | Port |
|---|---|---|
| Same local network | Host’s local IPv4 address | 21025 by default |
| Different networks, direct hosting | Host’s public IP address | TCP 21025 forwarded to the host |
| Virtual-LAN overlay | Host’s virtual-network IPv4 address | 21025 by default |
| Steam Join Game | Use the Steam profile action rather than manually supplying an address | Handled by the connection flow |
The local IPv4 address is only meaningful inside the local or virtual network. A public IP is the address friends on the internet can try, but it works only when the router and firewall pass the server traffic to the correct computer.
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Troubleshoot in this order
- Match the game build and mods. Confirm that everyone is running a compatible build. Remove nonessential mods from all players while testing; there is no definitive current compatibility matrix covering every mod combination.
- Start the host first. The server process must be running before a guest selects Join Game.
- Use the right address. LAN guests need the host’s local IPv4 address, not their own address and not automatically the public IP. Overlay users need the host’s virtual-network address.
- Check the default port. Use TCP 21025 unless the host intentionally changed the configuration, and use the same changed port everywhere.
- Review firewall permissions. Allow Starbound and the server executable on the active network profile. Check both the host firewall and any security suite that filters network traffic.
- Verify router forwarding. For internet hosting, forward TCP 21025 to the host’s current private IPv4 address. A rule aimed at a different device will not work.
- Investigate NAT conditions. Carrier-grade NAT or double NAT can prevent unsolicited inbound connections even when the rule is correct. Contact the internet provider or place the forwarding rule on the outer router if two routers are involved.
- Test the overlay if forwarding is impossible. Have everyone join the same virtual network and use the host’s overlay IPv4 address.
- Use direct Join Game when Steam fails. A correctly reachable server address can isolate whether the problem is the Steam invitation flow or the underlying network path.
Keeping a shared world reliable
Tell players when the host is available
Because a self-hosted server depends on the host computer, agree on play times or announce when the server is running. A guest cannot reconnect to a stopped process, powered-off computer or disconnected network.
Keep the connection details private
Share a public IP, forwarding information and virtual-network credentials only with people you trust. Remove old overlay members and disable forwarding when you no longer host. Do not publish a home network’s address alongside personal identifying information.
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Change settings deliberately
If you change the server port or configuration, record the new value and provide it to every player. A client using the default 21025 will fail against a server deliberately moved to another port.
Can you play without Steam?
The Steam toggle and profile-based Join Game method require Steam. Players who are not using that flow can still use the address-based arrangements described above: LAN, direct internet hosting with TCP 21025 forwarded, or a virtual-LAN overlay. The exact compatibility of a non-Steam edition with a particular Steam installation is not established by the broad Steam storefront labels, so verify the editions and builds in your group rather than assuming they will connect.
What to expect from each setup
Steam invite
Choose this for a quick session with friends already on Steam. It minimizes networking work, but the host normally needs to remain in the session and both players must enable Steam multiplayer.
LAN
Choose this for computers on one reachable network. It avoids public exposure and router forwarding, but it cannot connect a friend who is elsewhere on the internet.
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Choose this when you control the router and want direct internet access. It offers a straightforward address-and-port connection, while requiring careful firewall, NAT and private-address management.
Virtual LAN
Choose this when router forwarding is unavailable. It can bridge separate locations through a shared virtual network, at the cost of another dependency and another layer to troubleshoot.
Dedicated or managed hosting
Choose a dedicated process when you need the server separated from the game client. Choose managed hosting only after checking the provider’s current support for your game version, mods, location, backups and expected uptime; no specific provider is required to follow the self-hosted instructions above.
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