How to Connect to a Server in The Forest

Last modified on Aug 10, 2023 in the forest

By Dalton Whalen

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Youtube

Overview

In the dangerous world of The Forest, you survive a plane crash, leaving you stranded within a mysterious forest. Discover the mystery of the forest as you survive against a society of mutant cannibals that wish for your demise. Explore, build, and survive around the large trees and deep underground caverns. With a dedicated server of The Forest, team up with friends or online players and brave the dark together. Find food, create fires, and build camps to survive another night. To start the fun, you’ll need to learn how to connect to a The Forest server, so we have written this Apex Hosting tutorial to help you get started.
 

Generating a Server Login Token

1. Visit the Game Server Account page from Steam.
2. Ensure you are logged in before proceeding.
3. Near the bottom of the page, enter 242760 as the App ID.
   
4. (Optional) Fill in the memo to keep track of the token.
5. Press Create to generate a new login token on the page.
6. Copy the Login Token before proceeding.
   

Adding the Login Token to the Panel

1. Navigate to the Apex Server Panel, then stop the server.
2. In the left-hand menu, enter the Customizations page.
3. Here, find Steam Server Login Token (GSLT) and its matching text field.
   
4. Paste the token from earlier into the field.
5. Once done, return to the main panel page and restart the server.

 
The server will now start up and will be available for players to connect and play normally!
 

Connecting In-Game

1. Navigate to Steam and launch The Forest on your computer.
2. From the main menu, select Multiplayer, then Join Game.
   
3. In the left-hand side, select Dedicated (Internet)
4. Within the filter text box, enter the server’s name, then press refresh.
5. After a few moments, the server will appear, allowing you to press Join.
   
6. (Optional) Within the next prompt, enter the server or admin password as required.
7. Press Join once more to connect to the game and begin playing.
   

Note: Your server name can be checked or changed through the Apex Server Panel’s Customizations page. When in the customizations page, search for the “Server Name” text field. Either confirm the name, or change it to the desired server name. If any changes were made, ensure the server is restarted before attempting to join.

Connecting Through Steam

If for some reason you are unable to join through the in-game server browser, you can also connect from the Steam server manager directly. This method is not always consistent, so we advise sticking with the in-game browser when possible.

1. From the Apex Panel main page, scroll down to the IP Address:Port section.
   
2. Copy the entire server address for later.
3. Open the Steam application, then go to View > Servers.
4. Here, press Add a Server to open up another window.
5. Paste the entire address, then press Add this address to favorites.
   
6. Refresh the page, highlight the server, then press “Connect”.
7. The game will now open and begin connecting you to the server.

Common Issues

I can’t find my server on the in-game browser:
When you first try to view the Dedicated (Internet) section of the browser, the server may not immediately appear. It can take a bit of time for the game to properly locate the server and display it in the list. If no servers still appear, ensure the name you are filtering matches the one found in the customizations page

Steam does not show the server as online:
If the server is not appearing as online through the Steam server manager, ensure the server is started up and online through the server panel. After a few minutes, refresh the page and see if it appears normally. Otherwise, ensure the correct server address is being entered within the prompt. You can check for the server by pressing “Find Games at this Address” before adding it to favorites.
 

Helpful Links

Steam Game Server Account Page
The Forest Steam Link
The Forest Guides