How to change your Mindustry game mode

How to Change Your Mindustry Game Mode

The game mode decides how your Mindustry server plays: whether players fight waves of enemies, build freely, attack enemy bases, or battle each other. This guide shows you how to change the game mode from the AleForge Panel, and explains what each mode does so you can pick the right one.

Before You Begin

• Access to the AleForge Panel
• A game mode in mind (see Game Modes Explained below)

Tip: Always stop your server before changing startup settings. Players online when you stop the server will be disconnected, so warn them first.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Go to the AleForge Panel and select your Mindustry server.
2. Stop your server.
3. Go to Startup.
4. Change the Game Mode variable to your desired game mode.
5. Start your server.

Once the server is back up, join it and check that the new mode is active.

Game Modes Explained

Mode	What it does	Best for
Survival	Players build defenses and gather resources while enemy waves attack.	Classic co-op play. This is the default mode.
Sandbox	Players can build freely without worrying about resource limits.	Testing designs, learning, and relaxed building.
Attack	Players try to destroy the enemy bases and cores on the map.	Co-op play with a clear objective.
PvP	Teams compete against each other and try to destroy the other teams’ cores.	Competitive play between players.

Note: Attack and PvP work best on maps made for them, such as maps that include enemy cores or multiple team cores. On a map that wasn’t built for the mode, the game may not play as expected.

Choosing the Right Mode

• Playing with friends against the game? Use Survival or Attack.
• Want to build without pressure? Use Sandbox.
• Want players to fight each other? Use PvP.

Changing the Mode From the Console

You can also start a map in a specific mode by using the host command in the Console:

host [mapname] [mode]

If you don’t specify a map or mode, the server defaults to survival and a random map. See Mindustry Console Commands for the full command list.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to try
The mode didn’t change	Make sure you stopped the server before changing Game Mode and started it again after.
The server isn’t behaving like the mode I chose	The map may not be made for that mode. Try a map designed for it, especially for Attack and PvP.
Server won’t start after the change	Check that Game Mode is set to a valid option, then try again.
Players are still seeing the old mode	Have them leave and rejoin the server after it restarts.