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.
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: 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
- Submit your gameChoose 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. - We read your code without running itA 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.
- You receive a connection configurationYou 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.
- We deploy within 24 hoursThe 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.
- Players joinPlayers 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.
- Usage. Hours are weighted by server size. A standard server uses one hour per hour; startup is not counted. 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 lists every limit in one place.
Where to go next
Pick your engine on the engines page, read what the AI reads and never does, or see what happens when a connection fails.