Before you start
This guide covers vanilla Terraria on PC. tModLoader worlds and player-character migration are not included in this adapter's initial scope.
Match the Terraria versions on the server and players' PCs. Choose a fresh world or retain a complete original .wld file before import. For a Journey world, use compatible Journey characters; keep each player's character data backed up separately.
Use a Windows 10 or 11 x64 PC. Keep it on, awake, and connected while friends play, with enough memory left for Windows and your own game.
New to Tavern? Apply for the alpha. If you already have a server, keep a separate backup before linking or importing it.
Set up with Tavern
Choose your new world
Choose Terraria and Install a new server. Review the world name, size, difficulty, and optional seed before world creation. These creation choices do not rebuild an existing imported world.
Set access and the greeting
Choose the player limit, password, and message of the day. Tavern fetches the publisher's Windows dedicated-server package; you do not need to configure a separate mod loader for this vanilla guide.
Wait for world creation
Finish setup and start the selected world. Allow first-world generation and readiness checks to finish. If Tavern reports a missing expected world, preserve the files rather than creating a new world over them.
Finish the review and choose Create server. When setup is complete, start it and follow any instructions Tavern shows. Join yourself, then ask a friend to try the connection your group will use.
Bring your friends
Join via IP
In Terraria on PC, choose Multiplayer > Join via IP, select your character, and enter the address, port, and player password shown for the selected server.
Local or direct TCP
The Tavern setup uses a TCP game port, ordinarily 7777. Use the LAN address at home or forward the assigned TCP route for friends elsewhere. This guide does not advertise Playit or console/mobile crossplay.
Changing local ports
For custom ports, stop the selected server and open Networking > Ports. Edit its local ports, save, update any router or tunnel mappings, then start the server and use the updated address. Tavern keeps game-required adjacent ports together and checks for conflicts. These controls require a Tavern build with the Ports section.
Share the connection details from the right server in Tavern. For friends outside your home, test with someone on another network; joining from the host PC alone is not enough.
Make it your world
World creation versus runtime settings
Settings > Game Config exposes game settings from serverconfig.txt. The publisher's included example distinguishes world creation fields from player/password and server controls. A seed or creation difficulty is not a conversion tool for an existing world.
The game's backups and Tavern backups
Tavern includes the native rolling-world-backup count as well as its own server backup operation. Treat these as separate recovery copies. Confirm a completed backup in Tavern before a risky change.
Protect your progress
Tavern can inspect vanilla .wld imports and preserves the source. Player .plr files stay with each player; a server-world backup does not replace character backups. Keep the selected world file and its recovery copies, and review the world identity before restarting an imported world.
In Backups, choose Create backup for this server. Wait for Activity to report completion and check that the backup appears in the list. Do this before updates, imports, or major changes.
Restoring replaces the current world data, so keep a copy of your latest progress first. Use Tavern's stop control and wait for shutdown before turning the PC off.
If something gets stuck
My character cannot enter
Check matching game versions and whether the character is compatible with the world's Journey mode. Then check the player password and assigned TCP connection.
A new empty world appears
Stop and review the selected .wld path and import. Keep the original and avoid automatic replacement creation while investigating the missing expected world.
Do I need to leave my game open?
The dedicated server runs separately from your game client. The host PC, server, and selected connection route need to remain available while friends play.
Sources & testing status
Checked against Tavern's app source and the publisher resources below. Game support is in beta; your installed alpha may differ. This review did not include a new gameplay, restore, or outside-network join test.
The game's documentation may include features Tavern does not yet offer. Use the options available in your version of the app.