Settings Guide: Game Rules, Graphics & Block Flags

Settings control global game and server options that affect gameplay, map behavior, UI, and how the game runs. This page summarizes the configurable properties and rules you will encounter when hosting, editing, or inspecting maps and servers in Mindustry.

Where to change settings

In-game: most rules for a map are set when a map is created or when hosting a server. Map-specific rules are visible in map metadata and apply when that map is played.
Dedicated server: run the server jar (java -jar server.jar) on a machine and use console commands (help lists available commands). To host a map use host [mode]. If you want global access, enable port forwarding and open TCP/UDP port 6567.
Desktop builds: run the platform binary (Windows: desktop-release.exe; macOS: Mindustry.app; Linux: Mindustry or desktop-release.jar with a JRE).

Map rules and global gameplay parameters

Maps carry a set of predefined rules that determine core gameplay limits and enemy wave behavior. Common rules include:

Full map size — the map’s total tile dimensions (varies by map; examples: 150x250, 260x260, 450x450, 470x470, 597x597).
Wave Spacing (sec) — time between enemy waves during normal play (examples: 75s, 90s, 120s, 130s, 200s).
Initial Wave Spacing (sec) — delay before the first or early waves (examples: 180s, 280s, 320s, 400s).
Drop Zone Radius (tiles) — radius used for spawn/drop zones on the map (examples: 15, 30.2, 37.5).
Base Unit Cap — cap on base unit count on some maps (example: 26 on certain maps).
Unit Production Speed Multiplier — modifies factory production speed on some maps (example: 2).
Core No-Build Radius — radius around cores where building is disallowed (example values: 37.0, 100).

Maps embed these values into their metadata; they cannot be changed mid-match for non-campaign maps.

Difficulty

The game offers multiple difficulty levels (five difficulties total). Difficulty affects challenge but cannot be changed for non-campaign maps after the map begins.

Server types and hosting

Local/hosted games: can be started from the in-game UI (“Play” → “Create/Host”) and will appear in LAN automatically.
Dedicated servers: standalone, headless programs intended to run continuously. They provide admin commands and are recommended on a dedicated machine (Linux/Windows). Install JRE/JDK 8 or later, run server.jar and configure via console.
When adding a dedicated server to your client, enter the host IP and port; once added it appears in your server list and the client will check its status.

Build and block properties relevant to settings/configuration

Certain block properties are used by the engine and modders; they control how blocks behave in the world and in UI/editor contexts:

configurable (Boolean) — whether the block can be selected/tapped for configuration.
breakable (Boolean) — whether the block can be deconstructed.
floating (Boolean) — whether the block can be placed on liquids.
alwaysReplace (Boolean) — whether this block is forcibly replaced in all placement cases.
expanded (Boolean) — whether the block draws in expanded draw range.
autoSleep (Boolean) — whether the entity is set to sleeping on creation.
instantTransfer (Boolean) — whether the block uses instant transfer checks (used to avoid infinite-transfer loops).
minimapColor (Color) — color used to represent the block on the minimap or map preview.
shadow (String) — shadow region to load; null uses the normal shadow.
parallax properties — blocks can supply parallax/visual settings (shadow, expanded draw, minimap color) used by map preview and rendering.

These flags are used by the map editor, mods, and engine to fine-tune behavior and presentation of blocks.

Keybindings and UI visibility can be toggled in the client options. Common control actions include movement, building placement, pausing building, selecting regions, using unit commands, zooming (mousewheel), opening menus, toggling fullscreen, showing player list and chat, and console access.
Mobile input differs: dragging for movement/scroll, tap & hold for picking up/dropping cargo, and on-screen buttons for build/delete actions.

Map editor and metadata considerations

Map metadata and block settings determine what you can do in an editor and what players will experience on load (size, wave timing, unit caps, no-build zones).
Some blocks expose additional editor-only or scriptable parameters (team identifiers, sensor/world-processor parameters) that maps and scripts use for custom behavior.

Moderation and report settings (user-facing UI)

When reporting content or items in some UI contexts, selectable report categories are provided (examples include sexual content, violence, gore, illegal activity, harassment, bad links, accidental posting, other). These appear where community reporting is supported.

Notes for modders and servers

When creating a dedicated server or building mods, ensure you respect the server port (6567) and Java runtime requirements. Use server commands to host maps and configure modes.
Block and entity flags listed above are exposed in the modding API to control interaction, rendering, and transfer behavior. Use them when developing custom blocks or map features.

This page summarizes the common settings and metadata fields you will encounter when creating maps, hosting servers, or configuring blocks. Settings are authoritative per-map or per-server and should be configured before play for consistent results.