Factorio is all about building an ever-growing automated factory. In multiplayer you work together on a factory that spans the entire map. A headless dedicated server runs without a graphical interface, making it very lightweight and efficient.
Requirements
Factorio is surprisingly lightweight. A server for 4 to 8 players runs fine on 2 GB RAM and 2 vCPU cores. Only with extremely large factories (megabases with thousands of machines) does the CPU become the bottleneck, because Factorio relies heavily on single-thread performance. A KVM VPS with a high clock speed is ideal in that case.
Installation on Linux
- Download the headless server version from
factorio.com/download(you need a Factorio account; the game itself serves as the licence). - Extract the archive:
tar -xf factorio-headless_linux_*.tar.xz - Create a save file:
./factorio/bin/x64/factorio --create ./factorio/saves/myfactory.zip - Edit
factorio/data/server-settings.jsonwith your server name, description and optionally a password. - Start the server:
./factorio/bin/x64/factorio --start-server ./factorio/saves/myfactory.zip --server-settings ./factorio/data/server-settings.json
Ports
Factorio uses UDP port 34197 by default. Open it in your firewall: ufw allow 34197/udp.
Installing mods
Place mods as .zip files in the factorio/mods folder. Also add a mod-list.json file specifying which mods are active. Players who connect are automatically notified if their mod list does not match. Popular multiplayer mods include Krastorio 2, Space Exploration and Bob's/Angel's.
UPS optimisation
UPS (Updates Per Second) is the speed at which the server calculates the game world. The target is 60 UPS. If it drops below that, the game noticeably slows down. Tips to keep UPS high:
- Use belts efficiently and limit the number of active inserters.
- Replace many small boilers with nuclear power or solar panels.
- Limit the number of active biters by containing pollution sources or reducing enemies in the server settings.
Frequently asked questions
Can players join and leave at any time?
Yes, Factorio supports drop-in/drop-out multiplayer. Players connect to and leave the server whenever they want. The server keeps running and saves automatically at regular intervals.
How do I update the server?
Download the latest headless version and extract it over the existing installation. Your saves and mods are preserved. After an update, check that all your mods support the new version.
What is the difference between headless and a normal server?
The headless server runs without a graphical interface, making it much lighter. You do not need a monitor, graphics card or desktop environment. This is the recommended way to run a dedicated server on a VPS.