Adventure Administrators

You can add other Travelers as administrators of your Adventure. Admins can start, stop, and manage the server without needing you to be online.

Adding an Admin

1. Go to your Dashboard
2. Click on your Adventure
3. Open the Admins panel
4. Search for the Traveler by email or username
5. Click Add to grant them admin access

What Admins Can Do

• Start and stop the Adventure
• View server status and connection info
• View logs and performance data

What Admins Cannot Do

• Delete the Adventure
• Change billing settings or purchase credits
• Remove the owner or other admins

Removing an Admin

To remove an admin, go to the Admins panel and click the remove button next to their name.

Adventure Auto Shutoff

You can optionally cap how long an Adventure stays on. When the timer is set, the Adventure stops itself after that many minutes so it does not keep running unattended.

This is a maximum runtime, not an idle or empty-server shutoff. The Adventure stops when the timer expires even if people are still playing.

Set a timer

1. Open the Adventure on RealmHost.
2. Open the Options tab.
3. Turn Auto Shutoff to Enabled (green). Leave it Disabled (gray) if you want the Adventure to stay on until you stop it.
4. Enter how many minutes the Adventure should stay on. The minimum is 6 minutes.
5. Click Save in the top-right of that option. Save is gray until you change something, then blue.

Notify me when it stops

After Auto Shutoff is saved, a Notify on Auto Shutoff option appears. Turn it Enabled and click Save if you want an email when the timer stops the Adventure. It is off by default.

When the timer starts

The timer starts when the Adventure becomes active, and it starts again if you stop and start it. Remaining time is shown on the Adventure card while the timer is armed.

What happens when time is up

When the countdown reaches zero, the card says the Adventure is initiating auto shutoff. After the Adventure is fully stopped, it says Auto Shutoff Complete. You can close that message with the X in the top-right corner.

The Adventure is stopped automatically — the same kind of stop you would do yourself. Game servers shut down and the cloud host is stopped so you are not billed for compute until you start again. Your world data stays on disk. Delete the Adventure if you want the host removed entirely.

Turning Auto Shutoff Disabled and saving cancels a pending auto-stop and turns off the notify option.

What this is not

Auto shutoff does not wait until the server is empty or idle. A later option for that is not available yet.

Connecting to Your Server

After launching an Adventure, your server’s connection details are displayed on the dashboard.

Finding Your Connection Info

1. Go to your Dashboard
2. Select your Adventure from the left sidebar
3. Look at the Info panel — you’ll see the IP address and port for each component

Sharing with Friends

Copy the IP and port and share them with your friends. They can connect using the game’s built-in server browser or direct connect option.

The exact steps depend on the game:

• Barotrauma: Steam server browser or direct connect with IP:Port
• Foundry VTT: Share the URL shown in the connection info (e.g., http://IP:30000)
• Minecraft: Add server with the IP:Port in the multiplayer menu
• Valheim: Steam server browser or direct connect with IP:2456 (UDP). See Valheim Dedicated Servers.

Troubleshooting

• Make sure your Adventure status shows Active (green)
• If you just launched, wait 1-2 minutes for the server to fully start
• Check that your friends are using the correct port number

Create an Adventure

Create an Adventure from the Dashboard or from a game page. The walkthrough stays on the site banner (not inside the Dashboard sidebar). Nothing is saved until you choose Save for Later or Launch.

Start the walkthrough

1. Sign in at realmhost.org
2. Open Dashboard → Adventures → Create a New Adventure, or open Games, pick a game, and choose Create Your Adventure
3. If you are not signed in, sign in first. You return to the same create page, with the game still selected when you started from a game page

Walk through the steps

1. Details — name your Adventure, choose a game (already filled in from a game page), pick a version only if more than one is available, and set the player count
2. Adventure Options — optional auto shutoff and notify settings
3. Configuration — traveler-facing game settings. This step is skipped when the game has none. Some games (for example Valheim) need a valid public/password combination before you can Launch. See Valheim.
4. Admins — people who can help run the Adventure
5. Sizing and launch — choose server size. The Cost Estimator sits under the size selector (Hours running, Period, Currency) and updates when you change size, above the wallet and Launch block. See your credit balance and remaining runtime in 6-minute cycles, add credits if needed, then Launch. This last page also offers Notify when Ready; check it if you want one email when the world is running. It is saved with Launch or Save for Later.

Use the arrows at the four corners to move forward and back. Back on the first page asks you to confirm, then leaves the walkthrough without creating an Adventure.

Save for Later or Launch

• Save for Later (on every page after the first) stores the Adventure in Plan. Finish it from the Dashboard. You can save even if game settings are not ready to Launch yet.
• Launch starts the Adventure. You need at least 1 hour of credits at the selected size, and game settings must meet the game’s rules. If credits are short, Launch stays off and the page asks you to add credits. You can add credits in the walkthrough without leaving.
• Closing or leaving before Save for Later or Launch does not create an Adventure. Back on the first page confirms first.

A hosting key is optional. If you have one, it is attached automatically.

Using the Dashboard

The Dashboard is where you switch between your Adventures. A left sidebar lists them under Adventures; the adventure you pick opens as a full page.

Open the Dashboard

1. Sign in at realmhost.org
2. Go to Dashboard in the site header
3. The left sidebar lists Adventures. Open it to expand the list downward in that same sidebar (not a second panel). Loading appears until your adventures are ready. Knowledge Base is a button at the bottom of the sidebar; it opens the guides in the same view as an adventure.

Create a New Adventure

1. Open Adventures in the sidebar if it is not already expanded
2. Choose Create a New Adventure
3. You leave the Dashboard for the full-page create walkthrough (name, game, options, configuration, admins, size). You can also start from a game page.

See Create an Adventure for the full create flow, including Save for Later and the 1-hour credit requirement to Launch.

Open an Adventure

1. Open Adventures in the sidebar so the list drops down under it
2. Select the adventure by name
3. It opens as a full page with tabs for Info, Options (including Auto Shutoff), Configuration, Sizing, start/stop, and delete. While the Adventure is queued or provisioning, Notify when Ready appears next to the timer. Check it if you want one email when the world is running, then you can leave the page.

The sidebar collapses so the adventure can use the view pane.

Change Server Size

1. Open the adventure and choose the Sizing tab
2. Pick a Server Size (for example 2 GB / 2 vCPU)
3. Choose Apply. A warning appears on the adventure card (not a browser dialog)
4. Proceed to save the new size, or Cancel to keep editing. The size you picked stays selected.

• On a computer, reopen the sidebar from the narrow rail on the left
• On a phone, reopen it from the control at the top-left of the view pane

Knowledge Base

1. Open the Dashboard sidebar
2. Choose Knowledge Base at the bottom
3. Guides open in the main view. The sidebar collapses the same way as when you open an adventure.

Show Deleted Adventures

Deleted adventures stay hidden by default. Check Show Deleted Adventures in the Adventures list to see them.

On a Phone

The sidebar fills the screen until you close it or select an adventure. Use the top-left control on the view pane to open it again.

Valheim Dedicated Servers

You can host a Valheim world as a RealmHost Adventure. Set a server name, optional join password, and world name, then connect from the game.

Create a Valheim Adventure

1. Sign in at realmhost.org
2. Open Dashboard → Adventures → Create a New Adventure, or open Games and choose Valheim
3. Walk through Create an Adventure: name, Valheim quest, options, configuration, admins, size
4. On Configuration, set SERVER_NAME (default: Valheim by RealmHost)
5. Set SERVER_PASSWORD if the server is public (see Password below), or turn PUBLIC off for a passwordless private server
6. Set WORLD_NAME (default: Dedicated) — this must match the save file names below
7. Launch when you have at least an hour of credits and the public/password rules pass, or Save for Later and finish from the Dashboard

See Create an Adventure for the full walkthrough.

Valheim allows up to 10 players.

Join the server

After the Adventure is Active, open the Info panel for the IP and port.

• Default connect port is 2456 (UDP). A second port, 2457, is used automatically.
• In Valheim, join from the Steam server browser or use direct connect with IP:2456.
• If you set a join password, enter it when prompted. Passwordless join is only for servers with PUBLIC off.

See Connecting to Your Server for where to find the IP and port on the dashboard.

Save files

World data lives on the Adventure save volume. Stopping and starting the Adventure reloads the same world. It does not create a new empty world.

Use SFTP to download or upload saves. The SFTP home directory is the save volume, so you will see:

<WORLD_NAME> must match the WORLD_NAME environment variable (default Dedicated). If you change WORLD_NAME, the server looks for a different pair of .db / .fwl files and will generate a new world if they are missing.

Do not delete the server/ folder — that is the game install.

Back up both .db and .fwl together. Restoring only one file will not load the world.

See World Data & Persistence for stop vs destroy and retention.

Password

• A public server needs a join password of at least 5 characters. Turn PUBLIC on only after you set that password.
• Leave SERVER_PASSWORD empty only with PUBLIC off (a private server). Passwordless public servers are not allowed.
• If you do set a password, it must be at least 5 characters even when PUBLIC is off.
• The dashboard shows why a combination is invalid and will not save or start the Valheim Server until you fix it.

Mods and crossplay (optional)

Vanilla is the default. These options are off unless you turn them on:

Restart the Valheim Server component after changing these settings.

Troubleshooting

Friends cannot see the server — Share IP:2456. Make sure the Adventure is Active and wait a couple of minutes after start for SteamCMD to finish updating.

World reset after restart — Confirm WORLD_NAME still matches the files under saves/worlds_local/ and that both the .db and .fwl files are present.

Cannot join with a password — The password must be at least 5 characters. The dashboard blocks save and start when a public server has no password or a password shorter than 5 characters.

Nobody can join except a short list of players — If saves/permittedlist.txt has any Steam IDs, Valheim treats that as a whitelist and everyone else is blocked. Clear the file (leave it empty) to allow all players again.

World Data & Persistence

Your game world data is stored on a persistent volume that survives server stops and restarts. You never lose progress just because you stopped your server.

How It Works

When you create an Adventure, a dedicated storage volume is provisioned for your game data. This volume contains:

• World saves and map data
• Player data and inventories
• Server configuration files
• Mods and plugins (where applicable)

Stopping vs Destroying

Data Retention

• Active account (positive balance): Data is stored indefinitely at no extra cost.
• Zero balance: Data is retained for 60 days. You’ll receive email notifications before deletion.
• After 60 days at zero balance: Volumes are permanently deleted.

Tips

• Stop your server when you’re not playing — your world data stays on disk and you are not billed for compute until you start again. Delete the Adventure when you are finished with the cloud host.
• If you’re going to be away for a while, make sure your account has a positive balance to avoid the 60-day retention window.
• Consider using SFTP to download important world files as a local backup.

Credit Display and Rounded Amounts

When you view costs in dollars or another currency, RealmHost rounds those numbers so they are easier to read. Billing still uses Credits.

Credits vs other currencies

Credits are the precise unit RealmHost uses for charges. Other currencies (for example USD) are converted for display and rounded.

If amounts are shown in a non-Credit currency, you will see this notice on Cost Estimator, Transaction History, Billing Summary, and Account preferences:

Non-credit values are rounded for display. Actual charges are calculated in Credits. Change your display preference on your Account page to see exact values.

Change your display preference

1. Sign in and open Account
2. Under Preferences, find Balance Display / Credit Display
3. Choose Credits for exact values, or another currency for rounded display
4. Choose Save Changes

The Cost Estimator has its own Currency selector for that estimate only. Changing it does not update your account preference.

Wallet and Billing Summary still calculate charges in Credits even when the numbers on screen are in another currency.

See Credits and Refunds for how Credits are spent.

Credits and Refunds

Credits pay for hosting while your server is running, and refunds are issued only for errors in the automated billing system.

What a credit is

Credits are the currency used for server hosting. You purchase credits and spend them while the server is running. Stopping the server stops compute spending.

1 credit = 1 billing cycle (6 minutes) on the smallest server.

See the Pricing page for the live dollar value of a credit. This article does not list a dollar rate because that rate can change.

When you view costs in dollars or another currency, those figures are rounded for display. Actual charges are calculated in Credits. Change Credit Display on your Account page to see exact Credit values. See Credit Display and Rounded Amounts.

Server sizes

Larger servers cost more credits per cycle:

Compute and storage

• Compute time is deducted every 6 minutes while the server is running. Compute time while stopped is free.
• Storage is $0.10/GB per month, billed per cycle whether the server is running or stopped. A typical 5 GB volume is about $0.50/month. Volume data is retained for 60 days after the balance hits zero.

Example

3 hours on a Medium server is 3 × 10 cycles/hour × 2 credits/cycle = 60 credits.

See Pricing for the current dollar amount.

Refunds

Refunds are only issued for errors in the automated billing system and are issued in credits — we do not issue monetary refunds for purchased credits. Refunds are not issued for credits consumed by running Adventures. If you believe you’ve experienced a billing error, contact us at support@realmhost.org with your account details.

Update Your Foundry VTT Version

How to upgrade (or reinstall) Foundry VTT on your Adventure.

Option 1: Update Through Foundry’s UI

The simplest way to update is through Foundry’s built-in updater.

1. Open your Foundry VTT instance in a browser
2. On the Setup screen, look for the Update Software notification or button
3. Select the version you want to install and click Update
4. Foundry will download and install the new version automatically
5. The server restarts — you’re done

This works because your Foundry installation lives on a persistent volume. Updates made through the UI survive container restarts.

Option 2: Force Upgrade via Environment Variables

If the built-in updater isn’t working, or you need to do a clean reinstall, use the Force Upgrade option.

1. Go to your Adventure’s management page
2. Find the Foundry VTT component
3. Open the Environment Variables section
4. Set START_VERSION to the version you want (e.g., 12.343)
5. Set FORCE_UPGRADE to true
6. Restart the Adventure component

When the container starts:

• The existing Foundry installation is deleted
• The new version is downloaded and installed fresh
• FORCE_UPGRADE automatically resets to false — you don’t need to turn it off manually

Note: After a force upgrade, you may need to re-enter your Foundry VTT license key on the Setup screen. Your worlds, modules, and data are preserved — only the application files are replaced.

Finding Your Foundry Version

To check which version you’re currently running:

1. Open your Foundry VTT instance in a browser
2. The version number is displayed at the bottom of the Setup screen (e.g., “Version 12 Build 343”)

Troubleshooting

“Software license verification failed” — This happens after a force upgrade. Go to the Setup screen and enter your license key. You can find it at foundryvtt.com under your account → Purchased Licenses.

Update didn’t take effect — Make sure you restarted the component after changing the environment variables. The force upgrade only happens on the next start.

Worlds or modules missing after update — Your data directory (/foundry/data) is separate from the application. If worlds are missing, check that the volume is still attached on the Adventure management page.