Host Settings and ConVars

Changing ConVars and Settings

If you're starting a lobby, settings can be configured from the main menu before creating it by clicking Lobby Rules. From there, you can choose between most core gameplay settings, manage map-vote sources, and save reusable rule presets.

Viewing current settings

Players can view any settings that are set to non-default values in the pause menu by clicking Lobby Info (or Server Info, if on a dedicated server).

Lobby Map Selection

A lobby host makes two separate map choices before starting the game: the map the lobby launches on and the maps that can appear in later votes.

Starting Map

The one map loaded when the lobby starts
Vote Rules

The source pools used for later map votes
Custom Maps

Specific package idents added to the vote candidates

Starting Map

Click the map preview on the Create Lobby screen to open Choose Starting Map. Selecting a map here changes only the map used to launch the lobby. It does not limit later votes to that map's source pool.

The Official, Verified, Compatible, size, and search controls in this browser are browse filters. They decide which maps are shown while choosing the starting map; they do not change the lobby's map-vote rules.

Vote Rules

Use Lobby Rules → Map Vote to choose the actual source pools used for later votes. The Vote Rules button in the starting-map browser opens these settings directly.

The normal source pools are Official, Verified, and Compatible. They can be combined with specific maps from the custom list. If every normal source pool is disabled, votes use only the selected custom maps.

Custom Maps

Use Manage Custom Maps under the Map Vote rules to add individual map packages. You can enter either form:

org.map
https://sbox.game/org/map

The browser also links to all map packages on sbox.game so you can browse outside the game and paste a package link or ident. The package must exist, be an unarchived map, and not be blocked by TTT.

Custom maps are added to the eligible vote candidates alongside any enabled source pools. They are not guaranteed to appear on every ballot. Maps that do not target TTT can still be added explicitly; if one has no weapon or pickup spawns, TTT will attempt to generate weapon placements automatically.

Rule presets and the starting map

Named rule presets save the custom map list, but they do not save which map should be used as the next lobby's starting map.

When a preset is created or updated, the current starting map is added to its custom vote candidates. Starting a lobby does the same. Changing the starting map later does not silently remove the previous map from the custom list.

Most rule settings are native s&box ConVars. Saved ConVars are stored in config/convar/game.json. Each value appears under a convar. key:

"convar.ttt_rtv_enabled": {
  "Value": "False",
  "Timeout": 1781214253,
  "DeleteAt": 0
}

Only edit Value if editing the game.json file directly. Do not edit Timeout or DeleteAt.

The key in game.json includes the convar. prefix. The console command does not.

In `game.json`	In server console
`convar.ttt_rtv_enabled`	`ttt_rtv_enabled false`

Running the command in console is easiest

Setting a ConVar from the server console applies it through the game and lets the engine write any saved value back to game.json. If you edit game.json by hand, stop the server first and preserve valid JSON.

Host Settings

When do changes apply?

Applies	Meaning
Live	The running game will read or apply the change immediately.
Next round	The value will change once the next round starts.
Round end	The value matters when round-end logic runs.
New votes	New map votes read the value when they are created.
New player	The value applies when a new player component is created.
Dedicated only	Dedicated server console or dedicated lifecycle behavior.

Time

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Haste Mode`ttt_haste_mode`	`True`	`True` / `False`	Next round	Enables haste mode. The public timer starts shorter and hidden time is added as players die.
Haste Start Time`ttt_haste_starting_minutes`	`5`	`1` to `30`	Next round	Public round timer duration before haste overtime starts.
Haste Time Per Death`ttt_haste_minutes_per_death`	`0.5`	`0` to `5`	Next round	Minutes added to the hidden round limit each time a player dies. `0.5` is 30 seconds.
Max Rounds`ttt_max_rounds`	`6`	`1` to `20`	Next round	Number of rounds before the match ends and a map vote begins.
Round Time`ttt_round_time_minutes`	`5`	`5` to `60`	Next round	Round duration when haste mode is off.

Roles

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Traitor Percentage`ttt_traitor_pct`	`0.25`	`0.05` to `1`	Next round	Fraction of round players assigned as traitors.
Max Traitors`ttt_traitor_max`	`32`	`1` to `64`	Next round	Maximum number of traitors that can be assigned.
Detective Percentage`ttt_detective_pct`	`0.13`	`0` to `1`	Next round	Fraction of round players assigned as detectives when enough players are present.
Max Detectives`ttt_detective_max`	`32`	`0` to `64`	Next round	Maximum number of detectives that can be assigned.
Detective Min Players`ttt_detective_min_players`	`8`	`0` to `64`	Next round	Minimum round player count before detectives can be assigned.

Visuals

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Player Cosmetics`ttt_allow_player_cosmetics`	`True`	`True` / `False`	Next round	Allows players to use their s&box head, face, and neck cosmetics.
Full Body Cosmetics`ttt_allow_player_full_body_cosmetics`	`False`	`True` / `False`	Next round	Allows players to use their full s&box clothing loadout. Only matters when player cosmetics are enabled.

Karma

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Karma`ttt_karma`	`True`	`True` / `False`	Next round	Enables karma penalties, rewards, and low-karma damage scaling.
Auto-kick`ttt_karma_low_autokick`	`False`	`True` / `False`	Round end	Bans non-staff players below the low-karma threshold for 30 minutes at round end.
Auto-Kick Threshold`ttt_karma_kick_threshold`	`300`	`0` to `1100`	Round end	Karma value below which low-karma auto-kick applies.
Starting Karma`ttt_karma_starting`	`1000`	`0` to `1100`	New player	Karma assigned to newly-created player components.
Damage Threshold`ttt_karma_damage_threshold`	`800`	`0` to `1100`	Live damage checks	Karma value below which outgoing damage is reduced.
Friendly Damage Penalty`ttt_karma_kill_penalty`	`30`	`0` to `100`	Round end	Friendly damage penalty scale before internal karma math.
Round Recovery`ttt_karma_round_increment`	`15`	`0` to `100`	Round end	Karma restored at round end when the player teamkilled nobody.
Teamkill Recovery`ttt_karma_round_heal_on_teamkill`	`10`	`0` to `100`	Round end	Karma restored at round end when the player killed a teammate.
Enemy Kill Bonus`ttt_karma_enemybonus`	`10`	`0` to `100`	Round end	Karma awarded for killing an enemy role.

Voice

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Proximity Voice`ttt_proximity_voice_enabled`	`False`	`True` / `False`	Live	Uses distance-limited voice for normal alive-player voice. Team voice and dead/alive filtering are separate.
Proximity Voice Range`ttt_proximity_voice_range`	`800`	`200` to `5000`	Live	Voice range in world units when proximity voice is enabled.

Spectator

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Prop Possession`ttt_spectator_prop_possession_enabled`	`True`	`True` / `False`	Live	Allows spectators to possess and push props while in freecam.

Movement

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Bunny Hopping`bhop`	`False`	`True` / `False`	Live	Allows players to chain well-timed jumps on landing to build momentum.
Auto Bunny Hop`bhop_auto`	`True`	`True` / `False`	Live	Allows holding jump to keep jumping while bunny hopping is enabled. Only matters when `bhop` is enabled.

Loot

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Scaled Weapon Spawns`t.pickup.random_weapon_budget`	`True`	`True` / `False`	Next round	Scales random map weapon spawns by eligible player count. Only affects random weapon spawns.
Minimum Random Weapons`t.pickup.random_weapon_budget_min`	`20`	`0` to `200`	Next round	Minimum random map weapons to spawn before player-count scaling.
Weapons Per Player`t.pickup.random_weapon_budget_per_player`	`4.5`	`0` to `8`	Next round	Random map weapon target added per eligible player.
Primary Weapon Ratio`t.pickup.random_weapon_budget_primary_fraction`	`0.6`	`0` to `1`	Next round	Preferred share of budgeted random weapons that should be primaries.

Map Vote

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Rock the Vote`ttt_rtv_enabled`	`True`	`True` / `False`	Live	Allows players to start Rock the Vote map-change votes. Votekick and admin-forced map votes are unaffected.
Vote Options`ttt_mapvote_option_count`	`10`	`1` to `12`	New votes	Maximum number of maps shown in a map vote.
Map Pools`ttt_mapvote_pool`	`Official;Verified`	See below	New votes	Map source pools used for generated map vote options.
Custom Maps`MapVote.AlwaysInclude`	empty	Package idents	New votes	Specific map packages added to the eligible vote candidates. This is a lobby setting and dedicated-server config field, not a ConVar.
Player Count Filter`ttt_mapvote_filter_by_players`	`False`	`True` / `False`	New votes	Prefers pool maps whose authored size range fits the current lobby size. Explicit custom maps remain eligible.
Show Map Tags`ttt_mapvote_show_tags`	`True`	`True` / `False`	New votes	Shows approved map package tags on map vote cards.

More map/vote commands are listed below in Map and Vote Commands.

Map Vote Pools

ttt_mapvote_pool accepts Official, Verified, and AllCompatible. Use semicolons, commas, plus signs, or newlines to combine pools. All and Any are accepted shortcuts for all currently playable source pools.

The lobby UI calls MapVote.AlwaysInclude Custom Maps. These maps join the eligible candidate set; they are not pinned to every ballot. Leave ttt_mapvote_pool empty to use only the custom list.

The t.server.mapvote.* mutation commands write server_settings.json, apply to the next generated map vote, and reject changes while a map vote is already active.

MapVote.AlwaysInclude and MapVote.NeverShow are not ConVars. They live in server_settings.json because they are package-ident lists of specific maps to include or block (see Server Hosting).

Forensics

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Killer DNA Range`ttt_killer_dna_range`	`550`	`0` to `3000`	Next round	Maximum attacker distance that can leave DNA on a body.
Killer DNA Base Time`ttt_killer_dna_basetime`	`100`	`0` to `600`	Next round	Starting DNA lifetime before distance-based decay is applied.
Require Identified Body`ttt_killer_dna_require_identified_body`	`True`	`True` / `False`	Live	Requires a corpse to be identified before its DNA can be collected.

We don't suggest changing Forensics values

These convars are hidden by default and are still somewhat WIP. Changes won't be visible to players in your lobby or server and they might cause unexpected behavior- you have been warned!

Moderation

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Auto-AFK`ttt_auto_afk`	`True`	`True` / `False`	Live	Automatically marks idle alive players as AFK after 2.5 minutes of inactivity.

Dedicated Lifecycle

These dedicated-server ConVars are not part of the lobby rules screen, but they are useful to operators.

Setting	Default	Range	Applies	Description
Empty Server Reset`t.dedicated.empty_reset`	`True`	`True` / `False`	Dedicated only	Reloads an empty dedicated server back to its boot map after everyone leaves.
Empty Reset Delay`t.dedicated.empty_reset.delay`	`600`	`0` or higher	Dedicated only	Delay in seconds before the empty-server reset runs.

Map and Vote Commands

Command	Description
Rock The Vote`rtv`	Starts a Rock the Vote map-change vote if `ttt_rtv_enabled` is true. Players can also type `/rtv` or `!rtv` in chat.
Votekick`votekick PLAYER`	Queues a public votekick. Players can also type `/votekick` or `!votekick` in chat.
Force Map Vote`ttt_forcemapvote`	Admin/host command that starts or schedules the map-vote flow. It is not blocked by `ttt_rtv_enabled`.
Change Level`changelevel MAPIDENT`	Host-console command that changes to a map ident. Use carefully during live operation.
Map`map MAPIDENT`	Alias for `changelevel`.
Scene`scene SCENEFILE`	Host-console scene change command for scene files. Use map idents for normal server operation.
Official Maps`t.maps.official`	Dedicated-server-console-only command that prints the official map source list.
Verified Maps`t.maps.verified`	Dedicated-server-console-only command that prints the verified map source list.
Compatible Maps`t.maps.compatible`	Dedicated-server-console-only command that discovers and prints compatible unverified map packages. This can take longer than the static source-list commands.
Print Map Vote Settings`t.server.mapvote.print`	Dedicated-server-console-only command that prints current map vote source settings from `server_settings.json`.
Set Map Vote Pool`t.server.mapvote.pool.set Official,Verified`	Dedicated-server-console-only command that updates `MapVote.Pool` in `server_settings.json`.
Add AlwaysInclude`t.server.mapvote.alwaysinclude.add org.map`	Adds a map ident to `MapVote.AlwaysInclude`.
Remove AlwaysInclude`t.server.mapvote.alwaysinclude.remove org.map`	Removes a map ident from `MapVote.AlwaysInclude`.
Add NeverShow`t.server.mapvote.nevershow.add org.map`	Adds a map ident to `MapVote.NeverShow`.
Remove NeverShow`t.server.mapvote.nevershow.remove org.map`	Removes a map ident from `MapVote.NeverShow`.

The t.server.mapvote.* mutation commands write server_settings.json, apply to the next generated map vote, and reject changes while a map vote is already active.

Scheduled direct map changes are available through Mod Menu → Tools → Map Tools. There is currently no console-command equivalent for scheduling a direct change at the end of the round or map.

Troubleshooting

If settings are not applying:

Make sure server_settings.json is in the correct game ident's data folder.
Make sure saved ConVars are edited under config/convar/game.json or your host's ConVar panel.
Restart the dedicated server after editing files by hand.
Check that your JSON is valid.
In game.json, edit only Value.
Check the server console for [server.settings], [lobby.settings] applied, and [server.launch] messages.

Example Success Messages

Successful load: [server.settings] loaded path=server_settings.json schema=3 lobby=True map_pool=Official;Verified always_include=0 never_show=0

Applied settings: [lobby.settings] applied source=dedicated launch_map=thieves.rooftops native_map=thieves.rooftops public, 6 rounds, 5m, prep 20s, haste 5m +0.5m/death, open catalog, official + verified pool, 10 vote maps