Project Zomboid is a survival role-playing game continuously evolving, incorporating features such as native multiplayer. Which its players love because who doesn’t like an open-world game with friends? Stay here to know how to create your own server and play with friends.
Project Zomboid’s Own Host VS Paid Host
Something that players always want is to join games with friends; for that, it is necessary to create a Project Zomboid server; this is achieved in two ways: Be the host of the server or pay for a page to be the host.
| Feature | Own server | Paid server |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Generally cheaper in the long run if you already have the hardware. It can even be free. | Monthly or per-use cost, may be higher in the long term, but nothing out of the ordinary. |
| Control | Full control over settings and mods. | You have almost the same control as with your own hosting. |
| Privacy | Greater privacy, as data is stored locally. | Dependence on the provider for data security and privacy. |
| Maintenance | Requires technical expertise and time. | Maintenance is managed by the provider, which less burden on the user. |
| Performance | Can be affected by host PC hardware; and variable performance. It depends on the allocated RAM. | The servers are optimized for Project Zomboid. |
| Availability | The server is only active when the host is online. | Always available, allowing players to connect at any time. |
| Scalability | Is Limited by local hardware; may require computer component upgrades. | Easily scalable as needed; capacity can be adjusted according to the number of players. |
| Technical Support | It depends on the user creating the Project Zomboid server. | Professional technical Support is available, which facilitates troubleshooting. |
| Initial Setup | Can be complex and time-consuming to set up properly | Setup quick and easy , often with vendor assistance. |
Steps to create a Project Zomboid server
To set up a Project Zomboid game server, you must meet a few requirements. If you are the host, you must have enough RAM to avoid performance loss (8 GB should be enough) and a good internet connection to avoid lag or loss of connection while playing the game.
Once these requirements are met, just continue with the following steps:
- Open the game
- In the menu on the main screen, click on ‘Host’.
- Configure the server name and add RAM (6 GB, for example).
- Click on ‘Create a new setting’ and next.
- Configure the server file as you wish (In this section, we recommend removing the ‘Public’ selection if you want it to be private).
- Click ‘Save’ and start the server.
Some considerations to take into account when creating a Project Zomboid server is that you can configure the port, but we recommend leaving the default one and opening it from the Router configuration so we make sure that everything is secure. Also, if we leave the ‘Public’ checkbox activated, our Project Zomboid server will be public and will appear in the Steam server list.
Invite friends to the server
To invite your friends to your server, while being a host you have to start the server, enter the map and then get to the pause menu, now you have to click on invite and look for your friends (they have to be added in Steam) and send them an invitation to join.
Modded Project Zomboid Server
To create a modded Project Zomboid server you must configure the server file directly from the game and access the ‘Mods’ tab where you can see the Mods that the host is subscribed to in the Steam Workshop.
When creating a Project Zomboid server with mods, we recommend using a Mod Manager, which will allow you to manage how the Mods behave, as there are some that need to start before others in order for them to work properly.
The set of plugins that are recommended for creating a Project Zomboid server with mods are: Mod Manager, Mod Manager: Server, and Mod Manager: Enhanced Loader. These are available for free from the Workshop. But remember to use more RAM memory resources to avoid lack of performance on you modded server.