Hosting game servers using Docker on a VPS makes the setup clean, consistent, and easy to manage. In this guide, we use a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 or Ubuntu 22.04 and turn it into a powerful game server host for real servers, including Minecraft, Steam or Source-based games, Valheim, and Palworld.
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We want to set up a few details to prepare our Ubuntu server for hosting game servers, including VPS firewall, Docker networking, and filesystem layout.
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We start by preparing the VPS by installing essential tools, configuring the firewall, and setting up the correct timezone. This setup keeps your VPS secure and ready for Docker and game servers.
Run the system update and upgrade with the following command:
Install the required tools on your server with the command below:
Set the correct timezone on your server and verify it with the commands below:
To configure UFW firewall rules, we only allow SSH now and configure game ports later:
Enable UFW firewall and check its status with the commands below:
At this point, you must install Docker and Docker Compose. Docker will containerize each game server, which keeps them isolated and easy to manage, and Docker Compose allows defining multi-container servers in a single file.
Add Docker's official repository and install it with the following commands:
Add user to Docker group to run Docker commands:
Remember to log out and then log in to apply the changes.
Verify your Docker and Docker Compose installation by checking their versions:
Now you must create the directory structure and common variables to organize files and persistent data so servers can be updated and restarted safely.
Create the directories with the following command:
You can also create an env file for defaults, which is optional, with the command below:
The .env simplifies environment variables for all servers.
Note: To get your real user UID/GID, you can use the id command and replace it in the above file.
Networking mode affects latency, port mapping, and server connectivity. Here are the two modes for Docker networking:
You can start with bridge mode, which maps only the ports you need, and try host mode if your Steam or Source server has connectivity or latency issues.
Create a shared bridge network for container DNS with the command below:
This network ensures servers can talk to each other if needed.
Minecraft is the most popular Java server. To deploy the game server, we use the itzg/minecraft-server image for easy setup.
Create a docker-compose.yml in /opt/game-servers/minecraft/ with the following command:
Open firewall port for it with the command below:
Navigate to the Minecraft game server directory:
Export the env file and run the Minecraft game server with the commands below:
You can check logs using this command:
Everything is persisted in /opt/game-servers/minecraft/data.
This template uses SteamCMD to install or update a server on container start and then launch it. You can reuse it for CS2, Valheim, ARK, and others by setting environment variables. You will need the following factors:
Create a minimal Dockerfile with a non-root user with the following command:
Then, create a start.sh file, which installs or updates the server and then launches it:
Now set up a docker-compose.yml with correct APP_ID, START_CMD, and ports with the command below:
Adjust the firewall rules with the following commands:
Start the server with the commands below:
Note: For host networking for lower latency and fewer NAT quirks, you can change the compose service:
Then, remove the external network under that service. With host mode, open the exact ports on the VPS firewall because there’s no Docker NAT. To do this, you can run:
You can use the same Steam template for different games by changing ports, START_CMD, and APP_ID.
Open required firewall ports and start the server:
For Valheim, typical ports are 2456–2458/udp:
You must consider protecting game data and keeping servers updated. To create backups, you can use the simple tar command.
For Minecraft:
For the Steam generic server:
You can automate the backups with a cron job, for example, take backups daily at 4:
To keep your Minecraft game server updated, you can pull and recreate the image with the following commands:
For the Steam server, the start.sh runs app_update every start. If the Dockerfile has changed, rebuild and recreate it:
Docker keeps container logs at /var/lib/docker/containers/.../json.log. You can avoid huge log files with the following config under each service:
You can prevent a single game server from using too much CPU or RAM by adding the following config:
Note: deploy is used by Swarm. For Compose alone, some runtimes still apply cgroup limits. Alternatively, you can use:
Compose v2 still accepts these service-level keys for cgroup constraints.
By following this guide, you have successfully transformed a basic Ubuntu VPS into a powerful, organized, and secure platform for hosting multiple game servers using Docker.
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Docker provides isolation, ensuring that each game server runs in its own contained environment. This prevents conflicts between dependencies, makes updates and rollbacks easier, and simplifies management.
Bridge Mode (Default): Docker creates a private internal network for containers, and you must manually map ports. This is more secure and ideal for running multiple game servers on one VPS. Host Mode: The container shares the VPS's network stack directly, eliminating the NAT layer. This can reduce latency and solve connectivity issues for some Steam/Source games, but it is less isolated. It is recommended to start with Bridge mode and switch to Host only if you experience problems.
The best resource is the official SteamDB site. Search for your game and look for the "App ID" of the dedicated server tool, not the client game.