SOTF BepInEx & Thunderstore Mod Setup Guide

Sons of the Forest uses BepInEx IL2CPP x64 as its modding framework. This guide covers installing BepInEx on a dedicated server, uploading mods via FTP, and understanding which mods need to be on the server vs just the client.

Server-Side vs Client-Side Mods

Client-Only Mods (most mods)

  • Installed only on each player's game
  • UI mods, HUD changes, visual tweaks
  • DO NOT need to be on the server
  • Players can install independently

Server-Side Mods (few exist)

  • Must be in BepInEx/plugins/ on the SERVER
  • Game logic, spawn, economy changes
  • Example: ServerQueFix
  • Often also requires client install

Step 1: Get BepInEx IL2CPP x64

Sons of the Forest requires the IL2CPP variant of BepInEx (not the standard mono build). Get it from Thunderstore:

  1. 1

    Visit the SOTF Thunderstore page:

    https://thunderstore.io/c/sons-of-the-forest/
  2. 2

    Search for BepInExPack_IL2CPP by BepInEx.

  3. 3

    Download the manual .zip file (not r2modman install).

  4. 4

    Extract the zip — you'll see folders like BepInEx/, doorstop_config.ini, and winhttp.dll.

Step 2: Upload to Server Root

The server root is where SonsOfTheForestDs.exe (Windows) or SonsOfTheForestDs (Linux) lives — typically:

/home/steam/steamapps/common/Sons Of The Forest Dedicated Server/

Upload all extracted BepInEx files to this root via FTP/SFTP. Final structure should look like:

SonsOfTheForestDs  (or .exe on Windows)
BepInEx/
  config/
    BepInEx.cfg
  plugins/       <-- your server-side mod DLLs go here
  core/
doorstop_config.ini
winhttp.dll      (Windows only)

Step 3: Configure BepInEx

Edit BepInEx/config/BepInEx.cfg on the server. Key settings:

[Logging.Console]
Enabled = true          # Set false to suppress console log spam

[Logging.Disk]
Enabled = true          # Log to BepInEx/LogOutput.log for debugging

Step 4: Install Server-Side Mods

  1. 1

    Download the mod .zip from Thunderstore (manual download).

  2. 2

    Find the .dll file(s) inside the zip.

  3. 3

    Upload the .dll to BepInEx/plugins/ on the server.

  4. 4

    Restart the server. Check BepInEx/LogOutput.log to confirm the mod loaded.

Client Mod Managers (for players)

r2modman

The original Thunderstore mod manager. Free, open source.

Download from Thunderstore

Gale Mod Manager

Newer alternative with a modern UI. Also supports Thunderstore packages.

Find on Thunderstore

Notable Server-Compatible Mods

ServerQueFix

Improves the server join queue behavior — helps players reconnect after disconnects. Install on server AND client.

Most SOTF mods are client-side. Always check a mod's Thunderstore page for whether it requires a server install. Browse the full catalog at thunderstore.io/c/sons-of-the-forest/

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