How do you change Enshrouded server difficulty settings?

Edit enshrouded_server.json next to the server executable and restart the server. Individual gameSettings values only take effect when gameSettingsPreset is set to Custom — otherwise the preset overrides them.

How do you make the Shroud timer longer in Enshrouded?

Raise shroudTimeFactor in gameSettings. It multiplies your survival timer inside the Shroud and is the most commonly changed setting on private servers.

Can you turn off durability on an Enshrouded server?

Yes. Set enableDurability to false in gameSettings and tools and weapons stop wearing out.

What is dayTimeDuration measured in?

Nanoseconds. The default of 1800000000000 is 30 minutes of real time, and the setting accepts anything from 2 to 60 minutes expressed the same way.

Hosting

Enshrouded server settings

All 55 configuration options, with defaults and ranges

Enshrouded servers are configured through enshrouded_server.json, sitting next to the server executable. There are 55 settings in total. The one that catches people out: individual gameSettings values are ignored unless gameSettingsPreset is set to Custom — with any other preset the server overrides them.

Total settings

With a numeric range

Preset or toggle

Commonly changed

The settings most people change first

Setting	Default	Range	What it does
`enableDurability`	true	true / false	Whether tools and weapons wear out with use. Turning this off removes repair upkeep entirely.
`enemyDamageFactor`	1	0.25 – 5	Multiplies the damage enemies deal to players.
`enemyHealthFactor`	1	0.25 – 4	Multiplies enemy health.
`gameSettingsPreset`	"Default"	—	Applies a bundled difficulty preset. Set this to Custom before individual settings take effect.
`resourceDropStackAmountFactor`	1	0.25 – 2	Multiplies the size of resource stacks dropped by gathering.
`shroudTimeFactor`	1	0.5 – 2	Multiplies your survival timer inside the Shroud. The single most-changed setting for players who find Shroud exploration too tight.
`tombstoneMode`	"AddBackpackMaterials"	AddBackpackMaterials / Everything / NoTombstone	What happens to your items on death — whether a recoverable tombstone is created and what it keeps.

Combat and difficulty

Setting	Config group	Default	Range or options	What it does
`aggroPoolAmount`	gameSettings	"Normal"	Few / Normal / Many / Extreme	How many enemies may attack you at once. Higher settings let groups swarm instead of queueing.
`bossDamageFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.2 – 5	Multiplies boss damage only.
`bossHealthFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.2 – 5	Multiplies boss health only, separately from ordinary enemies.
`enemyDamageFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 5	Multiplies the damage enemies deal to players.
`enemyHealthFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 4	Multiplies enemy health.
`enemyPerceptionRangeFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.5 – 2	Scales how far away enemies notice you. Lower values make stealth viable.
`enemyStaminaFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.5 – 2	Multiplies enemy stamina.
`gameSettingsPreset`	—	"Default"	—	Applies a bundled difficulty preset. Set this to Custom before individual settings take effect.
`pacifyAllEnemies`	gameSettings	false	true / false	Makes enemies passive. Effectively a peaceful mode.
`playerHealthFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 4	Multiplies maximum player health. Shown in game as a percentage.
`playerManaFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 4	Multiplies maximum player mana.
`playerStaminaFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 4	Multiplies maximum player stamina.
`threatBonus`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 4	Adjusts how much threat your actions generate against enemies.

Survival pressure

Setting	Config group	Default	Range or options	What it does
`curseModifier`	gameSettings	"Normal"	Easy / Normal / Hard	How likely the Shroud curse is to take hold. The easiest option disables the mechanic.
`enableDurability`	gameSettings	true	true / false	Whether tools and weapons wear out with use. Turning this off removes repair upkeep entirely.
`enableStarvingDebuff`	gameSettings	false	true / false	Whether running out of food applies a penalty rather than just removing the well-fed bonus.
`foodBuffDurationFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.5 – 2	Multiplies how long food buffs last.
`fromHungerToStarving`	gameSettings	600000000000	5 minutes – 20 minutes	How long you stay merely hungry before starvation begins.
`playerBodyHeatFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.5 – 2	Multiplies how much body heat you carry, so a higher value buys more time in cold regions before hypothermia sets in.
`playerDivingTimeFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.5 – 2	Multiplies how long you can stay underwater.
`shroudTimeFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.5 – 2	Multiplies your survival timer inside the Shroud. The single most-changed setting for players who find Shroud exploration too tight.

World and gathering

Setting	Config group	Default	Range or options	What it does
`dayTimeDuration`	gameSettings	1800000000000	2 minutes – 60 minutes	Length of the in-game day, given in nanoseconds in the config file — 1800000000000 is 30 minutes.
`enableGliderTurbulences`	gameSettings	true	true / false	Whether wind turbulence affects glider flight. Turning it off makes long glides predictable.
`factoryProductionSpeedFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 2	Multiplies production speed at crafting stations.
`fishingDifficulty`	gameSettings	"Normal"	VeryEasy / Easy / Normal / Hard / VeryHard	How demanding the fishing minigame is.
`miningDamageFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.5 – 2	Multiplies damage dealt to terrain and ore when mining.
`nightTimeDuration`	gameSettings	720000000000	2 minutes – 60 minutes	Length of the in-game night, in nanoseconds like the day setting.
`plantGrowthSpeedFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 2	Multiplies farm crop growth speed.
`randomSpawnerAmount`	gameSettings	"Normal"	Few / Normal / Many / Extreme	How many randomised spawn points populate the world.
`resourceDropStackAmountFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 2	Multiplies the size of resource stacks dropped by gathering.
`tamingStartleRepercussion`	gameSettings	"LoseSomeProgress"	KeepProgress / LoseSomeProgress / LoseAllProgress	What happens when you startle an animal you are trying to tame.
`tombstoneMode`	gameSettings	"AddBackpackMaterials"	AddBackpackMaterials / Everything / NoTombstone	What happens to your items on death — whether a recoverable tombstone is created and what it keeps.
`weatherFrequency`	gameSettings	"Normal"	Disabled / Rare / Normal / Often	How often weather changes.

Experience and perks

Setting	Config group	Default	Range or options	What it does
`experienceCombatFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 2	Multiplies experience gained from combat.
`experienceExplorationQuestsFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 2	Multiplies experience from exploration and quests.
`experienceMiningFactor`	gameSettings	1	0 – 2	Multiplies experience gained from mining.
`perkCostFactor`	gameSettings	1	0.25 – 2	Multiplies the cost of perks.
`perkUpgradeRecyclingFactor`	gameSettings	0.100000	0 – 1	How much is returned when recycling perk upgrades.

Server and connection

Setting	Config group	Default	Range or options	What it does
`enableTextChat`	—	false	—	Turns text chat on or off.
`enableVoiceChat`	—	false	—	Turns voice chat on or off.
`ip`	—	"0.0.0.0"	—	Bind address. 0.0.0.0 listens on every interface and is correct for almost all hosts — change it only if you know why.
`logDirectory`	—	"./logs"	—	Where server logs are written.
`name`	—	"Enshrouded Server"	—	The server name shown in the in-game browser.
`password`	userGroups	"AdminXXXXXXXX"	—	Join password. Leave empty for an open server.
`queryPort`	—	15637	—	UDP port used by the server browser to query status.
`saveDirectory`	—	"./savegame"	—	Where world saves are written, relative to the server executable.
`slotCount`	—	16	—	Maximum simultaneous players. Enshrouded supports up to 16.
`tags`	—	[	true / false	Labels shown against your server in the browser, used for filtering.
`voiceChatMode`	—	"Proximity"	—	Whether voice chat is heard only nearby or across the whole server.

Player permissions

Setting	Config group	Default	Range or options	What it does
`canAccessInventories`	userGroups	true	—	Whether the group may open chests and containers.
`canEditBase`	userGroups	true	—	Whether the group may build and edit inside player bases.
`canEditWorld`	userGroups	true	—	Whether the group may reshape terrain outside bases.
`canExtendBase`	userGroups	true	—	Whether the group may extend base boundaries.
`canKickBan`	userGroups	true	—	Whether the group may kick or ban other players. Admin-level only.
`reservedSlots`	userGroups	0	—	Slots held open for this group when the server is full.

Frequently asked

How do you change Enshrouded server difficulty settings?: Edit enshrouded_server.json next to the server executable and restart the server. Individual gameSettings values only take effect when gameSettingsPreset is set to Custom — otherwise the preset overrides them.
How do you make the Shroud timer longer in Enshrouded?: Raise shroudTimeFactor in gameSettings. It multiplies your survival timer inside the Shroud and is the most commonly changed setting on private servers.
Can you turn off durability on an Enshrouded server?: Yes. Set enableDurability to false in gameSettings and tools and weapons stop wearing out.
What is dayTimeDuration measured in?: Nanoseconds. The default of 1800000000000 is 30 minutes of real time, and the setting accepts anything from 2 to 60 minutes expressed the same way.

Keys, defaults and ranges are read directly from the configuration and documentation shipped inside the free server download — see the dedicated server guide for how to get it. The descriptions are ours.