How to Reset Your Project Zomboid Server World and Start a New Game
Resetting a Zomboid world means making the server create a new game: no dead zombies, no bases and the clock back at zero. You do it by moving the save folder aside, not deleting it, with the server stopped.
Before touching anything: take a backup
In the panel, in the “Backups” tab, create a backup of the server. You can keep up to two of your own; if you already have two, delete the oldest to make room. There's also an automatic daily backup every night, but it won't include what you've done today. The free server has no backups: in “Files”, compress the save folder and download it.
If you want to keep the old game forever, lock that backup: it becomes yours and doesn't get replaced.
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Resetting the game step by step
Stop the server
Only touch the files with the server “Offline”. If you do it while it's running, the server can write over them and leave the save half-done.
Find the save folder
In “Files”, go into .cache/Saves/Multiplayer. Inside there's a folder with the server's name (on NapNodes, the same as its .ini file in .cache/Server). That's where the map, the buildings and what players are carrying are stored.
Move the folder aside, don't delete it
Rename it to something like “napnodes-old-2026-10”. The server won't find it and, on start, creates a new game; the old one stays there in case you change your mind.
Decide what to do with the accounts
Player accounts and passwords aren't in that folder: in Project Zomboid they're in a separate database (the db folder, next to Saves). If you leave it, your players join with the same account but a new character; if you move it aside too, they'll have to register again. For a new season with the same friends, you'd normally leave it.
Change the settings if you want
This is the moment to adjust zombies, loot or when the power and water go out (in the panel's “Settings”, or in the napnodes_SandboxVars.lua file in .cache/Server): sandbox settings only really affect what gets generated from then on, and in a brand-new game everything gets generated. The Zomboid sandbox settings guide explains the ones people change most, and this one covers which mode and settings to choose for playing as a group.
Start it and wait
Press “Start” and watch the console. Once it says the server is running, people can join.
If you change your mind
With the server stopped, delete the new folder and give the old one its name back. If you'd already deleted something, restore the backup from the “Backups” tab.
Mods stay
The Workshop mods in your “Mods” tab aren't removed when you reset: the new game starts with them. If a mod's map doesn't show, check that the map's Mod ID is in the list, in the same order as the Workshop numbers, and that the map is on the Map= line (the mods guide explains how).
Frequently asked questions
How do I wipe my Project Zomboid server world and start over?
With the server stopped, rename the save folder in .cache/Saves/Multiplayer from the panel's “Files”. On start, the server creates a new game.
Do players lose their accounts when you reset a Zomboid server?
Not if you only move the save folder aside: accounts are in a separate database (the db folder, next to Saves). They join with their account but a new character.
Can I get the old game back?
Yes, if you moved it aside instead of deleting it: give it its name back with the server stopped. If you have a backup in the “Backups” tab, you can also restore it from there.
Shall we set it up for you?
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