Enshrouded Server Unavailable or Full — Fix Connection Errors

“Unavailable,” “full,” and “not visible” are similar player reports, but they have different causes. Avoid wiping a save or reinstalling the server before you know which layer failed: process startup, server discovery, network reachability, version matching, or access roles.

First, is the server actually online?

Start with the server console or log. Keen’s Dedicated Server FAQ identifies HostOnline / Host_Online log messages as normal signs that the server completed startup. If those lines never appear, solve the startup problem before adjusting a router or asking players to change their client settings.

A server that reaches HostOnline but vanishes after a game patch may simply be on a different build from the clients. Update the dedicated-server files, restart cleanly, and confirm the player client finished its Steam update.

Is the server hidden by the browser filter?

The game browser can filter dedicated servers, password-protected sessions, full sessions and other result types. Keen specifically tells players to enable the dedicated-server option in the server filter. Check those filters before treating a missing result as a network failure.

When browser discovery is unreliable, Keen also documents adding the server through Steam > View > Game Servers > Favorites by IP. That is a useful diagnostic: if Steam can favorite the server while the game filter hides it, the server may be reachable but filtered.

Why does a server show as full?

The dedicated configuration uses slotCount, with an official allowed range of 1 to 16. A full lobby may be genuinely at its slot limit. It can also be intentional: the role system supports reservedSlots, so players joining with a lower-permission password can see a lobby as full while an Admin or Friend role retains capacity.

Review both slotCount and the userGroups configuration. Do not solve a role-policy problem by increasing slots beyond the machine’s capacity. Keen’s server requirements guidance scales CPU expectations for active player count.

Could the password or role be wrong?

Dedicated servers can use multiple user groups, each with a password and permissions. Keen documents Admin, Friend, Guest and Visitor presets, and explains that the joining password determines the group. A player using the wrong password may not receive the expected access level or reserved slot behavior.

Use unique role passwords and keep them private. For a detailed configuration explanation, read server password settings. Do not edit role configuration while the process is running; stop the server, back up enshrouded_server.json, edit, then restart.

Could this be a network issue?

Enshrouded uses IPv4 for dedicated hosting and documents queryPort 15637 as the default. Confirm the host firewall, router forwarding and configured port all agree. A private server that works on the same LAN but fails for remote friends normally needs network diagnosis, not a save reset.

Use the ordered checks in dedicated server ports. Test from a remote connection when possible; testing from the same home Wi-Fi cannot prove public router forwarding works.

What should you not do first?

• Do not delete the save folder because the browser is empty.
• Do not disable every firewall rule or expose a wide range of ports.
• Do not change slots, roles and router rules all at once.
• Do not edit config files during a running session.
• Do not assume “full” means the server process has crashed.

Copy savegame/ while the process is stopped before testing a configuration change. Keen says world saves are generated every five minutes, so a clean stop makes a backup more trustworthy.

Related guides

• Dedicated server setup
• Dedicated server ports
• Server password settings
• Server performance troubleshooting

Sources: Keen Games dedicated server FAQ, Keen Games server configuration, and Keen Games server roles documentation. Last verified 2026-10-19.