Automation · Lightweight
Host a Factorio Server
Run a Factorio 2.0 dedicated server with persistent saves and mods, managed settings, backups, Server Actions, and UDP gameplay access.
Factorio uses UDP for gameplay and stores saves, mods, and configuration under /factorio. Swarm Hosts currently pins the server to Factorio 2.0.77 (headless build 84539) through an exact upstream image digest.
- Server Actions
- Backups
Validated public launch
Hardware and runtime
What Factorio needs
Catalog minimums are a starting point. World size, player count, content, and game settings can require more resources.
- CPU
- 2+ cores
- Memory
- 2+ GiB
- Player traffic
- UDP
- Persistent backup scope
- 4 catalog-declared paths
- Persistent data: /factorio
- Gameplay: assigned UDP port
- First start: creates a save automatically when none exists
- Files: saves, mods, and server settings persist across restarts
- Ready signal: the server log reports Hosting game at IP ADDR:
- Minimum resources: 2 CPU and 2 GB RAM
Launch workflow
From host to running server
Use Settings → Factorio Settings for managed game configuration after launch. Use Files & Backups for saves, mods, and configuration files, and create a backup before replacing a save or changing a mod set. Platform backups include /factorio/saves, /factorio/config, /factorio/mods, and /factorio/scenarios.
- Choose Factorio.
- Select the target Swarm Host or Swarm Zone.
- Set the available Factorio launch fields and resource limits.
- Launch and wait for the server to create or load its save.
Networking
How players connect
Players can use Factorio's multiplayer browser or direct-connect flow with the published host and assigned UDP port shown on the Swarm Server.
The image and empty-volume startup are tested locally. Full acceptance for a new adapter release still includes relay-backed discovery, a completed client join, fresh-player selector parsing, every mutating action, restart persistence, and cleanup of the disposable validation server.
Managed shared relay when the game, host, and current relay path support it.
Catalog-backed Server Actions
Tools Swarm Hosts exposes for Factorio
Availability comes from the production catalog and verified game guide. Controls stay typed and bounded to the workflow the game supports.
Server status
Read the pinned Factorio version, save, settings, and online-player summary.
Discover players
Refresh known and currently online Factorio players for trusted selections.
Access lists
Refresh persisted Factorio bans, whitelist members, and administrators.
Broadcast message
Send a server-authored message to every connected force.
Save map now
Save the active map and wait for a correlated, structurally valid save archive.
Kick player
Disconnect a currently online Factorio player.
Ban player
Disconnect and persistently ban a known Factorio player.
Unban player
Remove a player from the persisted Factorio ban list.
Add to whitelist
Add a known player to the whitelist; the first entry restricts server access.
Remove from whitelist
Remove a player from the whitelist; removing the last entry allows everyone.
Promote administrator
Grant Factorio administrator rights to a known player.
Demote administrator
Remove Factorio administrator rights from a selected administrator.
Mods & Content status
Manifest Only
Factorio mods remain a manifest-only manual-files workflow under /factorio/mods. Mod archives execute code and must match the pinned game/DLC version. Swarm Hosts does not resolve portal versions, dependencies, updates, order, or exact rollback in this integration.
The existing Mods & Content contract remains manifestonly: desired Factorio mod names can be recorded, while compatible archives and any portal credentials are managed manually. Mod ZIPs live under /factorio/mods and execute code in the game runtime.
- Compatibility depends on Factorio 2.0.77, enabled DLC, dependencies, and each mod's declared version constraints.
- The current integration does not promise portal discovery, dependency resolution, automatic updates, load ordering, drift repair, or exact-version rollback.
- Back up saves, configuration, and the complete mod set together before a change. Restart the server after changing mods and verify the load log before players rejoin.
- UPDATEMODSONSTART is disabled by default so a restart does not silently replace executable content.
Know before launch
Current boundaries
- Production hosting supports Windows 10/11 or Linux with Docker Desktop in Linux-container mode on Windows, or Docker Engine or rootful Podman on Linux.
- Managed shared relay when the game, host, and current relay path support it.
- Allowed on public launch surfaces after focused Swarm Server validation.
Windows 10/11 + Linux
Ready to host Factorio?
Connect the Windows or Linux computer you already own, then follow the game-specific launch path.