Mini PCs are a popular alternative to full-sized desktops if you just need something for basic tasks like browsing the web, writing, or tweaking a simple spreadsheet. Their small form factor has also made them extremely popular with self-hosting enthusiasts, since they don’t take up space, have a low cost of entry, and consume almost no electricity.
They also make fantastic little PCs if you want to start hosting your own game servers, which is probably my favorite self-hosting activity. Here are some great ones to get out with your friends.
4Factorio
The factory builder that defined a genre,Factoriois a game you can easily sink a weekend (or three into) into, and it is all the more engrossing with friends.
If you host your own dedicated server, you can easily set up the world to run while you’re disconnected. That means you don’t have to wait around for your factories to process materials either-just set everything up, then get on the next day to a mess of processed materials.
You and your friends can get on or off whenever you like-no waiting for the host to put up the game. If someone feels like optimizing something at 4 A.M, they can!
3Rust
Rustis a game that is both loved and hated for its community, which can be a bit of an acquired taste.
If you don’t feel like being chased by a dozen scantily-dressed people trying to bludgeon you to death with a rock, you can self-host aRustserver instead.
I’ve hosted Rust servers in the last for my friends and I and we had a blast (literally). Hosting your own server frees you up to stage games like capture the flag, King of the kill, or anything else you may think up.
It is a great way to playRust—which has excellent game mechanics—without as much toxicity.
2Project Zomboid
Project Zomboidis famously unforgiving, but it gets easier when you have a few friends providing backup. Whether you’re cleaning hordes of zombies, attempting to loot a building, or just trying to navigate, it is definitely a game where you’ll appreciate the help.
Plus, it gives you someone to blame when you inevitably get trampled by a zombie stampede.
TheProject ZomboidServer, like many others, can be downloaded through SteamCMD (which instantly simplifies installation), and the actual setup process iswell-documented on the wiki.
Unfortunately, getting mods running on aProject ZomboidServer is a bit tedious. It is extremely particular about load order, and you have to manually add each mod to a server configuration file in the correct order.
Just remember not to spend too much time on the server alone early on—eventually the power goes out, and your friends will wish you hadn’t wasted all the running water.
1Minecraft
Minecraftis one of the most popular games of all time, and it is better with friends, especially when you’re hosting your own server.
JavaMinecrafthas tens of thousands of mods available for more than a dozen different versions of the game.
Self-hosting your own Minecraft server lets you pick and choose which mods you want. If troubleshooting compatibility issues isn’t your cup of tea, there are also community-made mod packs that usually deliver a much more streamlined performance.
BedrockMinecraftservers tend to run better, which gives you better performance on ultra-low-power devices, but they’re less moddable than the Java editions.
Whichever you choose, both versions ofthe server softwareare freely available from Microsoft, and the Java version has been extensively documented ontheMinecraftcommunity wiki.
Of course, you should take some security precautions before you go wild self-hosting games.
