# How NetCraftGames takes your game online

> You submit a multiplayer game that already works; an AI-assisted intake reads it, deterministic checks verify it, you receive a connection configuration, and we deploy and operate the server within 24 hours of a complete submission.

*NetCraftGames (NCG) by Charging Bull Software. Last updated: 2026-10-03. Canonical page: https://netcraftgames.com/how-it-works/*

## The short answer

NetCraftGames turns a finished multiplayer game build into a running, monitored server. The owner submits the build and says which engine and transport it uses. The service inspects the submission without running it, works out the connection settings, deploys the server on an isolated Linux machine in `us-east-1`, and gives players an address to join. If something is wrong, the owner gets an email that names the problem and the fix.

> **Launch status**
>
> NetCraftGames is pre-launch and is not accepting customers. This page describes the designed flow. Parts of it are built and tested locally; none of it has run for a paying customer. See [launch status](https://netcraftgames.com/status/).


## Before you start: what must already exist

NetCraftGames starts where your game ends. These must be true before step 1:

- **Multiplayer already works.** Two people can play together over the internet. We never write or fix networking.
- **There is a server program.** It runs on its own machine, without a window, on Linux x86-64. A game where one player is the server needs a dedicated server mode first.
- **It does not depend on an online service for its server.** Photon, PlayFab, Steam, Firebase and similar services run their own cloud.
- **Browser games** send WebSocket connections through our gateway. A Node.js 24 or Python 3.12 server is prepared with `ncg pack`, because our servers run your code but never install packages.

[Check if your game qualifies](https://netcraftgames.com/can-you-host-my-game/): five questions, about two minutes, nothing uploaded. If something is missing, it gives you the one change and a prompt for your AI.

## The five steps


1. **Submit your game.** Choose your engine and transport, then upload a Linux x64 server build as a `.tar.gz`, or connect an existing WebRTC adapter. Your game must already have working multiplayer networking; NetCraftGames hosts and configures it but does not write it.
2. **We read your code without running it.** A static, bounded reader inspects the archive and files for unsafe paths, size, embedded credentials, and the networking surface: engine, transports, ports, settings and health endpoint. An optional AI layer can explain what was found but cannot override the reader. Nothing you submit runs on the NetCraftGames control servers.
3. **You receive a connection configuration.** You get the address, port and protocol your game client must use, plus any proposed changes to your own config files. You review and apply them; nothing is changed in your project behind your back.
4. **We deploy within 24 hours.** The server starts on an isolated Linux machine in us-east-1. We verify the installed file hash, a health check and a game-level join probe. If a step fails, you receive an email with the problem and a concrete fix, and you resubmit.
5. **Players join.** Players connect with the configuration. Empty servers shut down automatically after ten minutes with no players when your server reports player counts, so you do not pay for idle hours.


## What you do and what we do

| Stage | You | NetCraftGames |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Before submitting | Build a working Linux x64 dedicated server (or a WebRTC adapter) and test it with a client | Nothing. We do not write or fix your networking |
| Intake | Upload the build and state engine and transport | Read the archive and files without running them, find ports and settings |
| Configuration | Review and apply the proposed connection config in your project | Propose allowlisted changes only; you approve them |
| Deploy | Rebuild your client with the config if needed | Start the server on an isolated machine, verify the installed hash, check health and a join probe |
| Operate | Decide when it is awake or asleep, read reports | Meter usage, shut down empty servers, save state, email incidents |

## What happens after the server is live

- **Wake and sleep.** You can wake or sleep a server from the dashboard. Waking reserves capacity first; sleeping saves your state and stops the machine.
- **Idle shutdown.** If your server reports its player count, it is saved and shut down after ten continuous minutes with zero players. See [idle shutdown](https://netcraftgames.com/guides/idle-shutdown-empty-servers/).
- **Usage.** Hours are weighted by server size. A standard server uses one hour per hour; startup is not counted. [Pricing](https://netcraftgames.com/pricing/) has the details.
- **Incidents and player reports.** Failed health checks, failed saves and similar events become incidents. Player reports go to a review queue; there are no automatic bans.

## What it does not do

NetCraftGames does not create multiplayer for a game that has none, does not certify that a game is bug-free or secure, does not run Windows or macOS servers, and does not relay WebRTC media. The [fact sheet](https://netcraftgames.com/facts/) lists every limit in one place.

## Where to go next

Pick your engine on the [engines page](https://netcraftgames.com/engines/), read what [the AI reads and never does](https://netcraftgames.com/trust/), or see [what happens when a connection fails](https://netcraftgames.com/connection-failures/).

## Related pages

- [Can NetCraftGames host my game?](https://netcraftgames.com/can-you-host-my-game/): Five plain questions tell you if NetCraftGames can host your multiplayer game: Yes, Almost with the one change to make, or Not yet. Nothing is uploaded.
- [The 24-hour promise, with the conditions stated plainly](https://netcraftgames.com/24-hour-promise/): What NetCraftGames means by "online and server ready in 24 hours": a processing target, when the clock starts and pauses, exclusions and open questions.
- [What the AI reads, and what it never does](https://netcraftgames.com/trust/): The exact boundaries of AI in NetCraftGames: what a static reader and optional AI see in your submission, and the things that never happen, with limits stated.
- [What happens when a connection fails](https://netcraftgames.com/connection-failures/): When your game does not connect, NetCraftGames emails the exact problem and a concrete fix, then you resubmit. The 19 failures it detects and how each is fixed.