Server hosting for TTT is still early and subject to change. This page documents the current dedicated-server setup.

This page does not explain how to install or start a baseline s&box dedicated server. For general s&box dedicated server setup, see: s&box Dedicated Servers

For the easiest and most stable server hosting on s&box, your best option is using physgun.

Live package ident:

thieves.terrortown

TTT dedicated config file:

server_settings.json

This file lives under the package's game data folder.

steamcmd/ttt/data/thieves/terrortown/server_settings.json

The game creates this file with active defaults the first time a dedicated server starts without one. We recommend launching the server with the game once before attempting configuration, like so:

Choose the server startup map with the native s&box dedicated launch command as shown above.

The map ident after the game ident is the boot map. TTT also uses that boot map as the empty-server reset map.

Do not configure the startup map in server_settings.json. The old Server.StartupMap field is deprecated and ignored.

Typical dedicated launch shape (replace port with your port):

-headless +game thieves.terrortown thieves.rooftops +hostname "Test" +port 00000 +net_query_port 00000 +net_hide_address 0

The generated file includes the full curated map list. This shortened example shows the current editable shape.

server_settings.json

{
  "SchemaVersion": 1,
  "Server": {},
  "Lobby": {
    "MaxPlayers": 24,
    "Privacy": 0,
    "MinPlayerCount": 2,
    "MaxRounds": 6,
    "RoundTimeMinutes": 5,
    "PrepareDurationSeconds": 20,
    "HasteMode": true,
    "HasteStartingMinutes": 5,
    "HasteMinutesPerDeath": 0.5,
    "MapVoteOptionCount": 8,
    "AllowPlayerCosmetics": true,
    "ProximityVoiceEnabled": false,
    "ProximityVoiceRange": 2000,
    "KarmaEnabled": true,
    "KarmaLowAutoKick": false,
    "RockTheVoteEnabled": true
  },
  "MapVote": {
    "Maps": "thieves.rooftops;thieves.whitehouse;thieves.minecraft_t5"
  },
  "AdminSteamIds": []
}

server_settings.json is a dedicated-server bootstrap file.

• It is read once per server process.
• Edit it while the server is stopped, then restart the dedicated server.
• Missing fields are backfilled with defaults on startup.
• Values from this file survive map changes and full server restarts.
• Runtime console edits do not write back into server_settings.json.

Some settings are also real console variables. Changing them in the server console affects the running server.

• Runtime console edits survive normal map travel during the same server process.
• Runtime console edits are lost on full server restart unless you also set the matching value in server_settings.json, pass the ConVar from your launch tooling, or persist it through another server-manager mechanism.
• Most lobby/bootstrap-only fields have no live console command yet.

Normal map changes, RTV map changes, admin-forced map votes, and empty-server resets snapshot the current host settings before travel. That is why live changes such as ttt_karma 0 or ttt_rtv_enabled 0 carry to the next map in the same process.

Generated by the game for future migrations. Leave this alone.

Currently no active settings are required under Server. Older configs may contain:

"StartupMap": "thieves.rooftops"

This field is ignored. Set the startup map in the native launch command instead as described earlier.

Only KarmaEnabled and KarmaLowAutoKick are stored in server_settings.json. The lower-level karma tuning values below are runtime ConVars.

Example:

ttt_karma 0
ttt_karma_low_autokick 1
ttt_karma_low_amount 250

The dedicated map vote pool is configured through:

"MapVote": {
  "Maps": "thieves.rooftops;thieves.dolls;throwupproducs.islandtropical"
}

Separate map idents with semicolons, commas, or newlines.

orgident.mapident;orgident.mapident

Duplicate entries are collapsed. Maps outside the built-in curated list are ignored for dedicated map vote rotation. Make sure at least one valid map remains.

You can print the current built-in map whitelist from the server console with:

t.server.maps

The old MapVote.Whitelist and MapVote.Blacklist fields are migrated into MapVote.Maps when possible. Use MapVote.Maps going forward.

Dedicated servers can bootstrap admins with:

"AdminSteamIds": [
  00000000000000000,
  11111111111111111
]

Use SteamID64 values. Invalid or zero IDs are ignored.

AdminSteamIds bootstraps Admin role assignments from server_settings.json. Live role edits are stored separately in admins.json in the same data area and survive map transitions and server restarts.

Useful role commands:

The listen host/founder is derived per session and is not written to admins.json.

These are launch/convar/runtime options, not fields inside server_settings.json.

If your settings are not applying:

• Make sure the file is named server_settings.json.
• Make sure the file is in the correct game ident's data folder.
• Restart the dedicated server after editing server_settings.json.
• Check that your JSON is valid.
• Check the server console for [server.settings] messages.
• Check the server console for [lobby.settings] applied to confirm the resolved lobby/rule settings.
• Check the server console for [server.launch] messages to confirm the native boot map.

Useful successful load message:

[server.settings] loaded path=server_settings.json lobby=True vote_maps=18 admin_count=1

If an old config still contains Server.StartupMap, you may see:

[server.settings] loaded path=server_settings.json lobby=True vote_maps=18 admin_count=1 legacy_startup_map_ignored=thieves.rooftops

Useful default/backfill messages:

[server.settings] missing path=server_settings.json; created active defaults. Edit server_settings.json and restart the dedicated server to customize settings.
[server.settings] defaults_backfilled path=server_settings.json

Useful failure message:

[server.settings] failed_to_load path=server_settings.json error=...

Useful launch message:

[server.launch] boot_context game=thieves.terrortown boot_map=thieves.rooftops launch_map=thieves.rooftops source=GameNetworkManager.OnStart dedicated=True

Useful applied settings message:

[lobby.settings] applied public, 6 rounds, 5m, prep 20s, haste 5m +0.5m/death, curated, 8 vote maps

• server_settings.json is read once per server process.
• Restart the dedicated server after editing server_settings.json.
• Runtime console changes are convenient for the current process, but should be mirrored into config or launch tooling if they need to survive a full restart.
• Not every server_settings.json field has a matching live ConVar yet.
• Keep Lobby.MaxPlayers aligned with any external server-manager player limit.
• Set the startup map with the native launch command, not server_settings.json.
• Dedicated server support is still early and may change.