The Isle
← All how-to articles

Server Browser

Play on Unofficial Servers

Unofficial servers are community-run private servers — usually with active staff, custom rules, and tighter-knit player bases than the chaotic officials. To join one, you set the Session Filter to Unofficial in the in-game browser and search by name. Whole process takes under a minute once you know where to click.

  1. 01
    Make sure you're on the Evrima branch

    Unofficial servers run on the Evrima public branch, not Legacy. If you haven't switched yet, follow our install & branch-switch guide first — then come back.

  2. 02
    Launch The Isle and click Play

    From the main menu, click Play to open the server browser.

  3. 03
    Set the Session Filter to Unofficial

    At the top of the server browser, find the Session Filter dropdown. Switch it from Official to Unofficial. The list will repopulate with community-run servers.

  4. 04
    Search by name

    Type the exact server name into the Filter By Name field. Partial matches usually work, but the closer to exact, the better — popular names get cloned by lookalike servers.

  5. 05
    Refresh the list

    Click the Refresh button in the bottom-right of the browser. Empty result? Wait a few seconds and refresh again — the list sometimes takes a beat to populate.

  6. 06
    Select the server and click Connect

    Click the server's row to highlight it, then click Connect. You'll spawn in the lobby / character-select flow.

  7. 07
    Server full? Hold there and keep refreshing

    Popular servers fill up fast. Leave the server highlighted and hammer the Refresh button — the moment a slot opens you can press Connect again.

The Isle in-game server browser with Session Filter set to Unofficial and a server name typed in the Filter By Name field
The in-game server browser — set the Session Filter to Unofficial and search by name

Alternative — Steam server browser

If the in-game browser keeps coming up empty, you can use Steam's built-in server browser to favorite a server and join from there.

  1. 1. Open the Steam desktop client.
  2. 2. In the top menu bar, click View → Game Servers.
  3. 3. Set the game filter to The Isle and click Refresh.
  4. 4. Find the server in the list, right-click it, and select Add server to favorites.
  5. 5. Launch The Isle, go to the Favorites tab — your saved server will be there to connect from.

Heads up: not every Isle server publishes a Steam A2S query port, so some unofficial servers won't appear in this list. If yours doesn't, stick with the in-game browser.

Quick tips

  • • Spell-check the name. A single missing character will drop the server out of the search.
  • • Refresh often when full. Slots free constantly — keep tapping Refresh and Connect.
  • • Check the server's Discord first. Most communities post downtime, patch wipes, and queue rules there.
  • • Verify your game files (Steam → Properties → Installed Files) if the server browser comes up totally blank — a bad install can hide all servers.

Looking for a server?