> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.playflowcloud.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Quick Start - Any Game Engine
> Choose your networking framework and deploy your first game server on PlayFlow Cloud
# Choose Your Quick Start Guide
Select the networking framework you're using to get started with PlayFlow Cloud.
## Video Tutorial
This video demonstrates deploying Unity games to PlayFlow Cloud. The concepts apply to all Unity networking frameworks.
## Popular Networking Frameworks
PlayFlow's backend is engine-agnostic — it hosts any headless Linux dedicated server over the REST API. Unity is the first-class SDK, and the guides below cover the most common setups.
High-level networking library with clean API and battle-tested architecture
Deploy Mirror games for web browsers with secure WebSocket connections
High-performance networking with prediction and lag compensation
Deploy Fish-Net games for web browsers with secure WebSocket connections
Unity's official Netcode for GameObjects (NGO)
Deploy a Godot dedicated server using the REST API
For other engines, frameworks, or custom networking solutions
**Not sure which framework to choose?**
* **Mirror**: Great for beginners, large community, stable and mature
* **Fish-Net**: Best performance, advanced features, actively developed
* **Unity Netcode**: Official Unity support, good integration with Unity services
## Generic Setup
If you're using a different framework or custom networking solution, follow these general steps.
**Not using Unity?** The Unity plugin and the Unity prerequisites below only apply to Unity projects. For any other engine (Godot, Unreal, custom C++/Go/Node servers, etc.), skip the Unity tooling and use **Option 2: Manual Upload** together with the [REST API](/fundamentals/api) — PlayFlow runs any headless Linux dedicated server. The [Godot quickstart](/quickstart/godot) is a worked example.
**Prerequisites (Unity)**
If you're building with Unity, make sure you have completed the following setup steps first:
Install the PlayFlow SDK into your Unity project.
Install the required Linux modules for dedicated server builds.
### 1. Unity Project Setup
Before uploading your server, ensure your Unity project is correctly configured.
#### Configure Your Networking
Your game needs a networking transport. Make sure you have one set up. Take note of the **Port** you are using (e.g., `7777`). You will need this later.
#### Ensure Server Auto-Start
Your dedicated server build must start the server automatically when it launches. Most networking libraries have a setting for this, often called "Start on Headless" or similar. Ensure this is enabled so your server doesn't just launch and sit idle.
### 2. PlayFlow Account & Project Setup
First, you'll need an account.
1. Visit [app.playflowcloud.com](https://app.playflowcloud.com).
2. Sign up with your email or connect with your GitHub/Google account.
Organizations help you manage your game projects and teams. You'll be prompted to create one after signing up. Give it a name (e.g., your studio name).
Projects in PlayFlow represent individual games.
1. From your organization dashboard, click **Create Project**.
2. Give your project a name and click **Create**.
### 3. Upload Your Game Server
You can upload your game server build either directly from the Unity Editor using the PlayFlow plugin (recommended) or manually through the dashboard.
This is the easiest method for Unity developers.
1. In your PlayFlow project dashboard, go to **API Keys** and copy your **PlayFlow API Key**.
2. In the Unity Editor, open the PlayFlow window (**PlayFlow → PlayFlow Cloud**).
3. Paste your API key into the token box.
4. Select your game server scene from the list.
5. Click **Upload Server**.
The plugin will automatically build a headless Linux server and upload it directly to PlayFlow.
This method works for any game engine.
1. Build a **headless Linux server** from your game project.
2. Create a `.zip` file containing your server executable and all its dependencies.
* PlayFlow defaults to running `Server.x86_64`. If your executable has a different name (e.g. `GameServer.x86_64`), pass `executable_path` when creating the build — see the [API guide](/fundamentals/api#upload-a-build).
3. In your PlayFlow project dashboard, navigate to the **Builds** tab and click **Upload Build**.
4. Upload your `.zip` file.
### 4. Configure and Deploy
For clients to connect, you must tell PlayFlow which port to open.
1. Go to the **Configuration** tab in your project.
2. Under **Network Configuration**, add a new port.
3. Set the **Port Number** to match the one your networking transport uses (e.g., `7777`).
4. Set the **Protocol** (usually UDP for games).
5. Save your settings.
Now you're ready to launch your server.
1. Navigate to the **Servers** tab.
2. Click **Create Server**.
3. Select the build you just uploaded.
4. Choose a region and an instance type.
5. Click **Launch Server**.
Once the server status changes to "Running", it's live.
1. Click **Details** on your running server.
2. In the **Network** section, read the public **host** and **port** for each mapping.
3. Use that host and port in your game client to connect.
Always read the connection details from the server's response — never hardcode them. Each entry in the response's `network_ports[]` array gives you the `host` and the **`external_port`** to connect to. The external port is allocated by PlayFlow's proxy and is **different from the internal port** your server listens on (it is not `7777`). TCP ports return a hostname (for example `relay.computeflow.cloud`) while UDP ports return a proxy IP address, so treat the host as a host string, not always a raw IP.
## Next Steps
Congratulations! Your first server is running. Now you can explore more of PlayFlow's features.
Learn more about how dedicated servers work on PlayFlow.
Learn to manage servers programmatically from your game.
Learn how to create lobbies and match players together.