How to create a Garry's Mod DarkRP server?

DarkRP is the most-played roleplay gamemode in Garry's Mod: players take on jobs, earn money and bring a town to life. Creating a DarkRP server requires installing the right gamemode and configuring it cleanly. Here's the process to follow.

1. Start from a working GMod server

DarkRP is added on top of a Garry's Mod server that's already up and running. If you don't have one yet, start with our guide How to create a Garry's Mod server to install it via SRCDS or with a host.

2. Install the DarkRP gamemode

Download DarkRP from the Steam Workshop or its official GitHub repository, then place the folder in garrysmod/gamemodes/. Then launch the server with +gamemode darkrp and a suitable map such as rp_downtown. The RP map must also be present (via a Workshop addon).

3. Configure jobs, economy and rules

• Jobs: edit jobs.lua to create police officer, mayor, dealer, citizen… with their weapons and salaries.
• The economy: set the starting money, salaries and the price of entities in the DarkRP configuration files.
• Doors and shipments: configure the purchasable weapons and zones for coherent RP.

4. Add Workshop addons

A DarkRP server thrives on its addons: custom jobs, weapon systems, HUD, F4 menu. The cleanest approach is to create a Workshop collection that the server loads automatically. We cover the method in How to install addons on a Garry's Mod server.

Add your addons one by one and test each time: an incompatible addon can prevent DarkRP from starting. If it crashes, remove the last one you added.

Do it the easy way

Configuring DarkRP by hand takes time. On a Fly-Serv Garry's Mod server, the FlyPanel panel lets you select the DarkRP gamemode, link your Workshop collection and edit the Lua files without leaving the browser. All of it on Ryzen 9 7950X3D with Anti-DDoS included. Launch your DarkRP server from €2.99/month on the Garry's Mod hosting page.