A Core Keeper world that is always there
Core Keeper is built around a shared underground world, but a player-hosted session disappears when its host logs off. A dedicated server keeps the base, farms and tunnels available around the clock, so the group can explore on different schedules without leaving a gaming PC running.
GHosting installs the official native Linux dedicated server in an isolated container in Europe or North America. Updates, process management and the public address are handled by the panel, while your saves remain in a separate data directory.
PC cross-play without port forwarding
Core Keeper normally offers Steam relay connections through a Game ID. Supplying a public UDP port also turns on Direct Connections, which is how Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store and GOG players can share one server. GHosting allocates and proxies that port automatically.
Players can join with the server address, port and password. Steam players may still use the generated Game ID, so enabling cross-play does not remove the familiar Steam connection method.
Simple settings, durable saves
The panel exposes the choices that are safe to apply after launch: join password, player limit, seasonal event override and an optional daily restart. The initial world uses Normal mode because changing between creative and non-creative worlds after creation is not supported by the game.
Files and SFTP give you access to the dedicated-server data path for world transfers and backups. The Steam runtime is updated in place without treating the save directory as disposable.
Choosing a Core Keeper plan
Core Keeper is lighter than many 3D survival servers, but world size and simultaneous exploration still add load. The entry plan starts above the bare minimum to reduce avoidable out-of-memory failures during world generation and updates.
- 3 GB Miner: a small private group of up to four
- 4 GB Explorer: a regular group of up to eight
- 6 GB Titan: a busy long-running world with extra headroom
Bringing an existing world across
A world that started as a player-hosted session can move onto the server. Stop the server first, replace the world data under the dedicated-server data directory using Files or SFTP, then start it again. The base, farms and tunnels come across as they were.
Take a copy of both the world files and the player data before you replace anything, and do it while the server is stopped. Core Keeper writes on shutdown, so swapping files under a running server is the reliable way to lose an evening.
Try the real server for 48 hours
A verified account can start one 48-hour Miner trial with no payment card and no automatic renewal, subject to available capacity. It is the same 3 GB server, panel, settings and file access as the paid plan.
Direct connections are on from the first boot, so the useful first test is the one that decides everything: get the friend who bought the game on a different store connected. Continue during the retention window and the same world, password and address stay in place.
Regions and flexible billing
Pick Europe or North America based on where most of your group plays. Core Keeper is comfortable over a reasonable route, though mining together at speed is where a distant host starts to feel sticky.
Choose pay once or optional automatic renewal. A pay-once server stops at the end of its term, while a subscription renews for the amount and cadence accepted at checkout until you cancel. Renew inside the seven-day grace window and the same world comes straight back. Past that the server is deleted, so download the world data if you are pausing between content updates. Your first server is covered by a 72-hour money-back guarantee.