How to Configure Your Barotrauma Server (serversettings.xml)
A breakdown of every key setting in serversettings.xml — player limits, play styles, karma, respawn modes, traitors, and bots.
Where the File Lives
serversettings.xml is generated on first run inside Servers/<ServerName>/serversettings.xml. Edit it while the server is stopped, then restart.
Core Settings
<serversettings
name="My Barotrauma Server"
password=""
maxplayers="16"
isPublic="true"
playstyle="Casual"
language="English"
AutoRestart="true"
KarmaEnabled="true"
AllowSpectating="true"
AllowVoteKick="true"
VoteKickPercentage="0.6"
TraitorProbability="0.2"
BotCount="0"
RespawnMode="Permadeath"
DisableBotConversations="false"
/>
Setting Reference
name — The server name shown in the browser. Keep it concise; long names get truncated.
password — Leave blank for a public server. Case-sensitive. Share it out-of-band to your crew.
maxplayers — Hard cap on connected players. Barotrauma is balanced around 2–8; higher counts work but submarines get crowded.
isPublic — true lists the server in the Steam browser. false makes it direct-connect only.
playstyle — Affects browser filter and some defaults. Options:
| Value | What it means |
|---|---|
Casual |
Normal difficulty, respawn on, karma on |
Roleplay |
Same as Casual but flags the server for the roleplay filter |
Hardcore |
Permadeath, karma off, harsher settings |
Sandbox |
Free-form, less structured, admin tools encouraged |
AutoRestart — Automatically restarts the round if all players disconnect. Useful for persistent servers.
KarmaEnabled — Tracks player behavior and restricts griefers. Strongly recommended on public servers; disable for trusted friend groups or PvP.
AllowVoteKick — Lets players initiate kick votes. VoteKickPercentage sets the threshold (0.6 = 60% of players must agree).
TraitorProbability — Each round has this probability of assigning a traitor. 0 disables traitor missions entirely. 1 guarantees a traitor every round.
BotCount — Number of AI crew members. 0 for player-only crews. Bots fill roles and help smaller crews manage large submarines.
RespawnMode — How death is handled:
| Value | Behavior |
|---|---|
Permadeath |
No respawn until next round |
Disabled |
Always respawn (permadeath off) |
MidRoundRespawn |
Respawn after a delay mid-round |
DisableBotConversations — Suppresses bot dialogue during rounds. Useful if bot chatter feels immersion-breaking for your group.
Applying Changes
Save the file, then restart the server. There is no hot-reload — changes only take effect after a full restart.