Set Game Mode on a Space Engineers Server

This guide shows you how to switch a Space Engineers dedicated server between Survival and Creative mode. You’ll learn where the setting lives in the server files, how to change it, and what happens to your world when you do. No plugins or mods are required—just access to the server’s file system.

What You’ll Need

• Administrator access to the machine hosting the Space Engineers server (either local or via FTP/SSH).
• The server must be stopped while you edit the configuration file.
• A text editor like Notepad++ or VS Code (plain Notepad works too, but be careful with line endings).

Step-by-Step

1. Stop the server. If the server is running, shut it down cleanly through your control panel or by stopping the process. Editing while running can cause your changes to be overwritten.
2. Locate the Sandbox.sbc file. This is the main world configuration file. It’s usually found in the server’s Save folder, inside a subfolder named after your world (e.g., /Save/MyWorld/Sandbox.sbc). If you have multiple worlds, check the folder modification dates to find the active one.
3. Back up the file. Copy Sandbox.sbc to a safe location. This is your rollback if something goes wrong.
4. Open Sandbox.sbc in a text editor. It’s an XML file—you’ll see tags like <Scenario> and <Settings>.
5. Find the <Settings> section. Scroll down until you see a block of settings. Look for a line that contains <GameMode>. It will look like <GameMode>Survival</GameMode> or <GameMode>Creative</GameMode>.
6. Change the value. Replace the text between the tags with the mode you want: Survival or Creative. Keep the tags intact—do not delete the angle brackets.
7. Save the file. Use Ctrl+S or File → Save. Make sure it saves as Sandbox.sbc with the same encoding (UTF-8 is standard).
8. Restart the server. Start the server again. It will load the world with the new game mode.
9. Verify the change. Join the server and check the top-left corner of the screen. It should display “Survival” or “Creative” next to the player info. You can also press Alt+F10 to open the admin screen—the game mode is listed there.

Common Mistakes

• Editing while the server is running. The server may overwrite your changes on shutdown, or you might corrupt the file if it’s being written to.
• Editing the wrong Sandbox.sbc. If you have multiple worlds, you might edit a backup or an unused world. Always check the folder path.
• Using the wrong capitalization. The value must be exactly Survival or Creative with a capital S or C. Lowercase values may not be recognized.
• Deleting or adding extra tags. Accidentally removing a closing tag or adding a stray character can break the XML, causing the server to fail to load the world.
• Forgetting to back up. If you make a mistake, you’ll need that backup to restore the world.

Tips

• Use a tool like XML Notepad to edit the file safely. It validates the structure and prevents accidental syntax errors.
• Consider using the in-game admin tools. If you’re an admin on the server, you can switch game mode per-player using the Alt+F10 menu without editing files. However, that only affects that player, not the whole server.
• For a dedicated server, the file method is the only way to set the default mode. The in-game “Game Mode” setting in the world settings menu is not available on a dedicated server—it’s only in single-player.
• If you want to allow both modes, set the server to Survival and use admin tools to switch specific players to Creative when needed. This gives you flexibility without a restart.
• Write down the current settings before you change anything. If you need to revert, you’ll know exactly what to put back.

Troubleshooting

• Server won’t start after editing. This is almost always a malformed XML. Restore your backup and try again, being careful to only change the text inside the <GameMode> tags.
• The game mode didn’t change. Check that you edited the correct file. Also, verify that the server actually stopped—some control panels restart the process automatically. Wait a few minutes after stopping before editing.
• The game mode changes but resets after a while. This can happen if a plugin or a scheduled task overwrites the file. Check your server’s plugin folder and any automation scripts.
• Players are stuck in the old mode. If you changed the server mode, existing players may still have their personal mode set. Have them press Alt+F10 and change their own mode, or restart the server again after a clean shutdown.
• You can’t find the <GameMode> tag. In some older versions, the setting might be named <GameMode> but located in a different section. Use Ctrl+F to search for “GameMode” and check all occurrences. If it’s missing entirely, add it inside the <Settings> section, but be careful to place it correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing the game mode affect my existing structures?

No. Your grids, blocks, and inventory remain intact. The mode only changes the rules: in Survival, you need resources and tools to build; in Creative, you have unlimited resources and instant building.

Can I have both Survival and Creative on the same server?

Yes, but not as a server-wide setting. The server has a default mode, but an admin can override it per player using the Alt+F10 admin screen. So you can run a Survival server and grant Creative to specific players.

Will my mods break if I switch modes?

Mods that rely on Survival mechanics (like realistic thrusters or inventory sizes) will still be active, but they may behave differently in Creative. Most mods work fine, but some might not have Creative-specific adjustments.

How do I set a different mode for a new world?

When you create a new world on the server, you can specify the mode in the world creation settings. For an existing world, you use the method above.

Is there a command to switch modes without editing files?

No, there is no console command to change the server-wide game mode. You must edit the Sandbox.sbc file and restart.

What if I want to switch back and forth often?

Consider using the admin per-player override instead of changing the server default. That way you don’t need to restart the server each time.

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