Configuring Your Server with cluster.ini

Overview

cluster.ini is the primary configuration file for your DST server cluster. It controls the server name, password, game mode, player limits, and shard topology. The file uses INI syntax with section headers in square brackets. Comments use the -- prefix. A server restart is required for any changes to take effect.

File Location

/dst/Cluster_1/cluster.ini

[NETWORK] Section

This section controls how the server presents itself to players and to Klei's backend.

[NETWORK]
cluster_name = My DST Server
cluster_password = secretpassword
cluster_description = A dedicated server running Don't Starve Together.
max_players = 16
game_mode = survival
pvp = false
pause_when_empty = false
offline_server = false

Key options:

• cluster_name — The name shown in the server browser. Cannot be blank if you want browser visibility.
• cluster_password — Leave empty for a public server. Set a string for a password-protected server.
• max_players — Maximum concurrent players. Default is 16. For Master+Caves setups, keep this at 16–24.
• game_mode — Valid values: survival, endless, wilderness. Determines respawn rules and world reset behavior.
• pvp — Set to true to enable player-vs-player combat.
• pause_when_empty — Set to true to pause the simulation when no players are online. Useful for saving resources.
• offline_server — Set to true to run without Klei authentication. The server will not appear in the browser.

[GAMEPLAY] Section

[GAMEPLAY]
require_password = false
voting_enabled = true

• require_password — When true, the client password prompt is enforced even if cluster_password is empty.
• voting_enabled — Allows players to vote on kicks and other in-game actions.

[SHARD] Section

This section must be present when running a multi-shard setup (Master + Caves).

[SHARD]
shard_enabled = true
is_master = true
enable_cave = true

• shard_enabled — Set to true to enable multi-shard support.
• is_master — Always true in cluster.ini. Individual shard identity is set in each shard's server.ini.
• enable_cave — Set to true if you are running a Caves shard. The Caves process must also be running.

Game Modes Explained

Minimal Working Example

The following is a minimal cluster.ini for a survival server with no password and caves disabled:

[NETWORK]
cluster_name = Test Server
cluster_password =
max_players = 6
game_mode = survival
pvp = false
pause_when_empty = true
offline_server = false

[GAMEPLAY]
voting_enabled = false

Notes

• The file must be saved as plain text with Unix line endings (LF), not Windows (CRLF), or the parser may reject it silently.
• All values are case-sensitive where they are strings (e.g., survival not Survival).
• An empty cluster_password line leaves the server open to all players.

Related

• Installing Don't Starve Together Dedicated Server
• Understanding the DST Server Directory Structure
• Setting Up and Running the Caves Shard
• Server Password and Whitelist Access Control