ECO is a unique survival game where you work together to build a civilization while keeping the planet's ecology in balance. With your own server you decide the rules, the world size and whether a meteor is heading for the planet. This guide walks you through the setup step by step.
What makes ECO special?
Unlike most survival games, ECO is not just about building and surviving. The game features a full economic system with shops, currency and trade. Players can form a government, draft laws and hold elections. Meanwhile, you need to monitor the ecology: cutting too many trees or building polluting industry can destroy the ecosystem. This makes ECO particularly well suited for larger groups that enjoy cooperation.
Server requirements
- 4 GB RAM (8 GB for 20 or more players)
- 2 CPU cores minimum, 4 recommended
- 10 GB disk space
- .NET Runtime (included with the server)
- Windows or Linux
The server is not particularly heavy, but the ecology system continuously calculates the impact of player actions on flora, fauna and climate. Larger worlds and more players increase CPU usage.
Installation
Download the ECO Server via SteamCMD:
app_update 739590 validateAfter installation, start the server and a web interface opens on port 3001. Through this web interface you configure everything: world settings, player management and server configuration. On a headless Linux server, access the web interface via the server's IP address.
World settings
When creating the world you set crucial parameters:
- World size: small (0.5 km2) to large (4 km2). Larger worlds offer more space but need more players to keep the society running.
- Meteor: the meteor is the end goal. Configure how many days until impact and how heavy the tech requirements are to avert it.
- Day length: how long an in-game day lasts in real time. Default is 24 real hours equals 1 in-game day.
- Collaboration mode: controls how strongly players depend on each other's specializations.
Government and legislation
The government system is one of ECO's strongest features. As server owner you can decide:
- Whether elections take place and how often.
- What types of laws players can propose (pollution taxes, building restrictions, nature reserves).
- Whether the government is active from the start or only after a population threshold is reached.
Let players draft laws and vote. This creates dynamic gameplay and interesting discussions about sustainability versus progress.
Network and ports
ECO uses the following default ports:
- TCP/UDP 3000 for game traffic
- TCP 3001 for the web interface
Open both ports in your firewall. You can optionally password-protect the web interface or restrict access to specific IP addresses.
How many players are ideal for an ECO server?
The sweet spot is 10 to 30 active players. Fewer than 10 makes the economic system too shallow: there are not enough specializations to keep the society interesting. More than 30 can destroy the ecology too quickly, unless you scale the world size and difficulty accordingly. A small, active group often provides the best experience.
Can I disable the meteor?
Yes, you can fully disable the meteor in the world settings. Without the meteor, ECO becomes an open-ended sandbox experience where players build and manage the ecology at their own pace. Many servers keep the meteor enabled as motivation for cooperation, but it is entirely optional.
Does ECO run well on Linux?
Yes, the ECO Dedicated Server runs excellently on Linux. The server uses .NET, which is available cross-platform. Installation and configuration are nearly identical to Windows. Linux is actually preferred for long-running servers because it has less overhead and runs more stably over extended periods.
Looking for reliable hosting for your ECO world? HostValues VPS hosting offers the stability and processing power that ECO needs to run smoothly.
