1. Introduction

Windows Game Server (WGS) is a free, open-source management application that makes installing, running and managing Windows game servers straightforward. Every essential operation is available from a single window — no command-line knowledge required for day-to-day use.

2. Installation

2.1 Pre-built binary (recommended)

1. 1
   Download — Grab the latest release zip from the GitHub Releases page.
2. 2
   Extract — Unpack to a permanent folder, e.g. C:\WGS\
3. 3
   Run — Double-click WindowsGameServer.exe — the app starts immediately.
4. 4
   .NET Runtime — If you see a runtime error, install .NET 8 Runtime from dotnet.microsoft.com.
5. 5
   SteamCMD — WGS downloads SteamCMD automatically the first time you install a game.

2.2 Build from source

Requires .NET 8 SDK.

git clone https://github.com/MadBee71/WindowsGameServer.git
cd WindowsGameServer/WGS
dotnet publish -c Release -o publish

3. First Launch

When the app opens for the first time you will see an empty server list. The left sidebar contains:

• Dashboard — global system metrics and server status summary
• Server list — all configured servers with their current status
• + Add Server — opens the new server creation dialog
• Icon toolbar — quick access to Settings, Dashboard, Backups, CPU Affinity, Discord, Web API, Info and more

4. Adding a Server

1. 1
   Open dialog — Click the + Add Server button in the left sidebar.
2. 2
   Select game — Pick from 50+ pre-configured games in the dropdown.
3. 3
   Name — Give the server a recognisable name (e.g. Valheim — Family).
4. 4
   Install folder — WGS suggests a path automatically. Change it if needed.
5. 5
   Create — Click "Create server" — it appears with status Not Installed.

5. Install & Update

WGS uses Valve's SteamCMD to download game files. SteamCMD is fetched automatically into WGS's AppData folder on first use.

1. 1
   Select server — Click a server in the left list.
2. 2
   Install / Update — Click Install / Update in the server detail view.
3. 3
   Login — Most games download anonymously. Games marked * (The Forest, Arma 3, ETS2, Wreckfest, Assetto Corsa, etc.) require a Steam account — set credentials in Settings → Steam Login.
4. 4
   Progress — The console shows real-time download percentage from SteamCMD.
5. 5
   Done — When the download finishes the status changes to Stopped.

6. Starting & Stopping

Control buttons in the server detail view:

Status colours

7. Automation & Auto-Start

• Auto Start — starts the server automatically when WGS is launched
• Auto Restart — restarts the server after a crash (default delay: 10 s)
• Auto Restart Max Retries — suspends auto-restart if the server crashes more than N times within 10 minutes (default 5) to prevent crash loops
• Auto Update — runs Install/Update on a configurable interval while the server is running; stops and restarts automatically

8. Server Settings

8.1 General fields

8.2 Performance settings

Each server can be restricted to specific CPU cores and assigned a Windows process priority. Changes apply on the next startup.

9. Firewall

WGS manages Windows Firewall rules automatically when Firewall Auto-Manage is enabled (default: on).

• On server start: WGS adds inbound TCP + UDP rules for game, query and Steam ports
• On server stop: those rules are removed automatically
• If Auto-Manage is off: add rules manually in Windows Defender Firewall
• Rules use netsh advfirewall — administrator rights are required

9.2 UPnP Automatic Port Forwarding

WGS can automatically open and close port forwarding rules on your router using UPnP. Enable in Settings → UPnP Port Forwarding.

• When a server starts — WGS requests port mappings for game, query and Steam ports from the router
• When a server stops or errors — those mappings are removed automatically
• Use the Test UPnP button in Settings to verify your router supports it
• Requires UPnP to be enabled in your router's administration interface

10. Ports & Networking

Before startup WGS checks whether the required ports are free locally. A port-in-use warning is logged but startup continues.

11. Console & RCON

11.1 Console

The Console tab shows server output in real time. Messages are colour-coded:

6.2 Batch Operations

Start, stop, restart or backup multiple servers at once using batch mode.

1. 1
   Activate — Click the ☑ icon button next to the sort dropdown in the server list header.
2. 2
   Select — Checkboxes appear next to each server. Tick the ones you want, or click All to select everything.
3. 3
   Action — Use the batch toolbar buttons: ▶ Start, ■ Stop, ↺ Restart, 💾 Backup.
4. 4
   Deactivate — Click the ☑ icon again to exit batch mode. All selections are cleared automatically.

11.2 RCON remote console

RCON is the Valve Source protocol for sending admin commands over the network. Works with Rust, 7 Days to Die, and other Source-based games.

1. 1
   Set RCON port & password — Fill in RCON Port and RCON Password in the server's Settings tab.
2. 2
   Start the server — RCON becomes available when the server process is running.
3. 3
   Connect — Click "RCON: Connect" in the Console tab.
4. 4
   Send a command — Type the command and press Enter or click Send.

12. Config Editor

The Config tab lets you browse and edit server configuration files directly inside WGS — no file manager or text editor needed.

• Click the Config tab in the server detail view
• WGS scans the install folder and lists all recognised configuration files
• Click a file name to load its contents into the built-in text editor
• Edit the content, then click Save to write changes to disk

13. File Browser v1.1.0

The Files tab provides a full in-app file manager for the server's install directory — browse, manage and transfer files without leaving WGS.

• Browse — navigate the server's folder tree directly in WGS
• Rename — rename any file or folder
• Delete — delete files and folders (with confirmation)
• Download — save a file to any location on your PC
• New folder — create directories as needed
• Upload — copy a file from your PC into the current directory

14. Performance Charts

The Charts tab displays real-time CPU and RAM usage history for the selected server while it is running.

• CPU % chart — process CPU usage as a percentage of total system CPU capacity
• RAM chart — working-set memory consumption in MB
• History window: last 6 minutes — 180 data points sampled every 2 seconds
• Charts reset automatically when the server is stopped

15. Bandwidth Monitoring v1.1.0

WGS monitors network traffic in real time — both globally across the machine and per server based on active TCP/UDP connections.

• Global I/O — total bytes in/out per second across all network interfaces, shown in the sidebar status bar
• Per-server I/O — each server's estimated share of network traffic, calculated from its proportion of active connections
• Connection count — number of active TCP connections for each server process
• Data refreshes every 2 seconds; history kept for the last 6 minutes

16. Mod Manager

The Mods tab manages server-side modding frameworks:

• Oxide / uMod — for Rust and other supported games. Downloads the latest Oxide release and installs it into the server folder
• Minecraft plugins — for Paper/Spigot servers. Displays the contents of the plugins folder

17. Steam Workshop

The Workshop tab is visible for games that support Steam Workshop (e.g. Arma Reforger). It uses SteamCMD to download Workshop items.

1. 1
   Find the item ID — Open the Workshop page in a browser. The ID is the number in the URL: steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=XXXXXXXXX
2. 2
   Enter the ID — Paste the Workshop item ID into the input field in the Workshop tab.
3. 3
   Download — Click Download. WGS runs SteamCMD and shows progress in the console.
4. 4
   Done — The item appears in the Installed Items list with its local folder path.

• Click Remove next to an item to delete it from disk
• Workshop content: %APPDATA%\WGS\steamcmd\steamapps\workshop\content\

18. Player Statistics

The Players tab shows session history for everyone who has connected. Data is stored in a local SQLite database and survives restarts.

• The Total Playtime view shows cumulative playtime per player across all sessions
• Accuracy depends on each game's log format for join/leave detection
• Stored in: %APPDATA%\WGS\player_stats.db

19. Backups

• Backup Enabled — activates automatic backups for this server
• Backup Retention — number of backups to keep (default 5); older ones deleted automatically
• Create Backup button — takes an immediate backup
• Backup All (Dashboard) — backs up every server at once
• Restore — extracts a backup into the install folder (stop the server first)
• Stored in: %APPDATA%\WGS\backups\<server-id>\

20. Server Templates v1.1.0

Server Templates let you save a complete server configuration and redeploy identical servers in seconds. Access from Tools → Server Templates.

1. 1
   Save as template — Open any configured server → click "Save as Template" → give it a name and optional tags.
2. 2
   Browse templates — Open Tools → Server Templates — filter by game category or tag.
3. 3
   Deploy — Click "Deploy" → choose a name and install path → new server created instantly with all settings pre-filled.
4. 4
   Edit / Delete — Pencil icon to rename; trash icon to remove permanently.

• Templates capture: game type, ports, max players, startup arguments, RCON settings, CPU affinity, process priority and automation settings
• Stored in: %APPDATA%\WGS\templates.json

21. Scheduled Tasks

The built-in scheduler runs actions automatically at set times. Add tasks in the Schedule tab of any server.

22. Dashboard

Click Dashboard in the sidebar to open the live system overview. Data refreshes every 2 seconds.

• CPU Usage — overall processor load as a percentage
• RAM — used and free memory in GB with percentage bar
• Drives — usage and free space for every connected drive
• Server Count / Online / Stopped — server status summary
• Global network I/O — total bytes in/out per second across all servers
• Backup All — triggers an immediate backup of every configured server

23. Discord Notifications

WGS posts rich embed messages to a Discord channel via a webhook URL. Configure in Settings → Discord Notifications.

1. 1
   Create webhook — Discord: channel Settings → Integrations → Webhooks → New Webhook → Copy URL.
2. 2
   Paste URL — WGS Settings → Discord Notifications → paste into "Webhook URL".
3. 3
   Enable — Check "Enable Discord notifications" and choose which events to send.
4. 4
   Test — Click "Test" to send a test embed immediately.
5. 5
   Save — Click "Save". The URL is encrypted with Windows DPAPI before writing.

24. Discord Remote Control Bot

The Discord bot lets you control your servers from any Discord channel. Configure in Settings → Discord Remote Control Bot.

1. 1
   Create a bot — discord.com/developers → New Application → Bot → Reset Token → Copy Token.
2. 2
   Set permissions — OAuth2 → URL Generator: "bot" scope + Read Messages + Send Messages. Invite the bot.
3. 3
   Get channel ID — Developer Mode in Discord → right-click your control channel → Copy Channel ID.
4. 4
   Configure WGS — Settings → Discord Remote Control Bot. Paste the Bot Token and Channel ID.
5. 5
   Restrict access — Enter comma-separated Discord User IDs in "Allowed User IDs". Leave blank to allow everyone.
6. 6
   Save & test — Click Save, then "Test connection".

Bot commands

25. Web Dashboard & REST API v1.1.0

WGS includes a built-in HTTP server with a browser-accessible dashboard and REST API. Enable in Settings → Web Remote Control.

1. 1
   Enable — Check "Enable Web API" and choose a port (default: 8765).
2. 2
   Token — An access token is generated automatically. Copy or customise it.
3. 3
   Save — Click Save — the API starts immediately; status indicator turns green.
4. 4
   Browser UI — Navigate to http://localhost:8765/ui — dashboard with server controls and a real-time log viewer.
5. 5
   Remote access — Use your LAN IP from other devices. For internet access, add port forwarding.

REST endpoints

26. User Management v1.1.0

WGS supports multiple user accounts for the Web Dashboard and REST API. Manage in Settings → User Management.

Audit log

Every significant action is recorded in SQLite. View in Settings → User Management → Audit Log.

• Logged events: login, logout, start/stop/restart, update, backup, create/delete user, change role, reset password
• Each entry: timestamp, username, action, details
• Stored in: %APPDATA%\WGS\users.db

27. Multi-Machine Management v1.1.0

WGS supports a master/slave architecture — run WGS as an agent on any PC or VPS and control it remotely from your main window.

• Slave machine: enable the Web API (section 25) and note the URL + token
• Master machine: Settings → Remote Machines → Add Machine → enter URL and token
• The master polls each slave every few seconds and shows all remote servers in the Machines sidebar tab
• Click a remote server to open its detail view with console, controls and metrics

28. Supported Games

WGS ships with 50+ built-in game plugins. Games marked * require a Steam account to install — all others download anonymously.

28.1 Setting up Steam login

1. 1
   Open Settings — Click the Settings icon in the left toolbar.
2. 2
   Steam Login tab — Select the Steam Login tab.
3. 3
   Enter credentials — Type your Steam username and password. Credentials are encrypted with Windows DPAPI before being stored on disk.
4. 4
   Save — Click Save. WGS will use these credentials automatically when SteamCMD requires a login.

28.2 Steam Guard — email code

If Steam Guard is enabled on your account, SteamCMD will pause and request a verification code the first time you log in from a new machine.

1. 1
   Click Install / Update on a game that requires a Steam account.
2. 2
   SteamCMD will print: Enter the current code sent to your email address.
3. 3
   Check your email for the 5-character code from Steam.
4. 4
   Type the code into the console input field at the bottom of the Console tab and press Enter.
5. 5
   SteamCMD caches the session — subsequent installs on the same machine will not ask again.

28.3 Steam Guard — mobile authenticator

1. 1
   Click Install / Update on a game that requires a Steam account.
2. 2
   SteamCMD will pause waiting for Steam Guard approval.
3. 3
   A login approval notification appears on your phone. Open the Steam app.
4. 4
   Tap Approve on the login request — no code entry needed. SteamCMD continues automatically.
5. 5
   SteamCMD caches the session for this machine.

29. Custom Plugin Creator

The Plugin Creator lets you add any game server without writing code. Open from Tools → Plugin Creator.

Placeholder variables

29.2 Import / Export plugins

Plugins can be exported to a .cs source file and imported on another machine.

• Export: Tools → Export Plugin → select a plugin → save as .cs file
• Import: Tools → Import Plugin → select a .cs file — compiled in memory and registered immediately without restarting WGS

30. Troubleshooting

31. Keyboard Shortcuts

32. File Locations

WGS stores configuration in Windows AppData and writes nothing permanent to its own installation directory.