The Game.ini explainedFine-tuning for breeding, engrams and experience

Published on September 2, 2026 · last updated on November 8, 2026

Why there is a second file

The split looks arbitrary, but there is logic to it: the GameUserSettings.ini describes how the server is run - passwords, rules, rates. The Game.ini describes how the game itself works.

All entries belong under the same section, which, as in the GameUserSettings.ini, sits above the values in square brackets. If this line is missing or misspelled, the entire file is ignored - by far the most common mistake.

Breeding: the most important block

For most servers, breeding is the main reason to touch this file at all. In the default state, raising large creatures takes many hours in one stretch - unrealistic for people with a job.

• Maturation time - how fast babies grow up. The most effective value of all.
• Incubation time - how long eggs take to hatch.
• Mating interval - how long it takes until you can breed again.
• Cuddle interval and imprint value - determine how often you have to look after a baby and how much an imprint is worth.

What matters is how they interact: if you speed up maturation a lot without adjusting the cuddle interval, a full imprint becomes practically impossible - the creature is grown up before it could get enough attention. This is covered in detail in Breeding, hatching and imprinting.

Engrams and experience

Two more blocks that many servers adjust:

• Engram points per level. In the original game, they are not enough for all blueprints. If you want to spare your group the hunt for points, increase them - or hand out so many that everyone can learn everything.
• Experience curve. Sets how much experience each level costs, and with it the maximum level for players and creatures.
• Stats per level. How much health, weight or damage a point gives - adjustable separately for players and tamed creatures.

Be careful with the experience curve: it is entered as a long list, and a mistake in it can stop leveling up from working at all. Back up the file before changing it.

Stack sizes and harvest per resource

Two settings that make everyday play noticeably more pleasant:

• Stack sizes. How many units of an item fit into one slot. Larger stacks mean fewer boxes, less walking - and, as a side effect, fewer objects in the world.
• Harvest amount per resource. Unlike the global multiplier, you can adjust each resource individually here - for example more metal without berries overflowing.

Both are entered per item, which makes the file long quickly. Start with the resources your group actually needs in bulk.

Replacing or disabling creatures

The Game.ini also lets you change creature spawns: replace one species with another or remove it from the world entirely. The classic use case is creatures that cause constant trouble on a particular map.

Two notes: changes affect newly spawned creatures, not existing ones. And if you remove a species, check whether it is needed for a recipe or a resource.

Procedure and backup

As with the GameUserSettings.ini: stop the server, edit the file, start the server. You can edit it in the config editor or via WebFTP and SFTP.

Because the Game.ini quickly grows to several hundred lines, a copy is especially worthwhile here - see Back up and move your save. And do not change everything at once: if you touch ten values at the same time and then notice strange behavior, you will be searching for a long time.

Frequently asked questions