Co-op Operations Manual • 2026

How to Play With Friends: Co-op Multiplayer & Shared Treasury Guide

Fishing is vastly more chaotic with a crew. Learn how to host and join multiplayer lobbies via Steam invites and room codes, master the single communal team treasury, coordinate squad roles, and find teammates safely.

Network Architecture & Lobby Capacities

Player Capacity & Platform Support

Steam P2P & Room Codes

Vanilla BaselineOfficial

1 – 4 Players

Standard lobby capacity documented on the official Steam Storefront release (Source: official Steam store metadata).

Patch 1.0.4 Native LobbyOfficial Patch

Up to 8 Players

Native client expansion introduced in official Patch 1.0.4 notes allowing larger cooperative sessions.

Community Mod ExpansionModded

8 – 32 Anglers

Supported via community BepInEx plugins (e.g. Extended Co-op Lobby on Thunderstore; requires all clients to install matching mods).

Connection Guide

How to Host, Invite & Join Friends

Joining games in How to Fish utilizes Steam Peer-to-Peer networking with direct friend invites and room codes:

Method 1: Direct Steam Friend Invite

The fastest way to connect with friends on your Steam Friends list on PC or Steam Deck:

Launch How to Fish and select "Play Co-op" / "Host Lobby" from the main menu.
Choose your save slot and launch the island session.
Press Shift + Tab to open the Steam Overlay.
Right-click your friend's name in your friends list and select "Invite to Game" (or have them click "Join Game").

Note: Ensure your Steam profile status is set to "Online" so friends can see your active session.

Method 2: Room Invite Codes (Crossplay & Deck)

Useful for inviting players not on your friends list or across different system environments:

While in an active session, open the pause menu to locate the Room Invite Code.
Copy or share this session code with your squad members via chat or Discord.
Connecting players select "Join Game by Room Code" in the co-op menu, paste the code, and confirm connection.

Disclaimer: Specific UI button placements and room code string lengths may be refined across minor patches (Source: community guide observations, third-party unverified).

Cooperative Action

Squad Fishing on Forest Island

When fishing together, lines do not tangle. Multiple players can hook different targets simultaneously or focus fire on a single leaping apex catch to juggle it in mid-air with automatic weapons.

Multiple anglers fishing cooperatively in How to Fish

Multiplayer Co-op Session

Core Economy Rule

How the Shared Treasury (Communal Wallet) Works

100% Shared Gold Pool

In How to Fish co-op multiplayer, players do not possess separate private bank accounts. All funds are held in a single Communal Team Treasury:

Collective Income Deposits

• Fish Sales: Every fish sold by any player deposits 100% of the proceeds into the team balance.
• Trickshot Multipliers: Payout bonuses earned from aerial trickshots and campfire cooking benefit the whole squad.
• Bounties & Trophies: Turning in high-tier boss drops (e.g. Delicacy Puffer Meat $1,400, Bing Bong Exotic Meat $2,200, source: data/bosses.ts) rewards collective team funds.

Collective Expense Deductions

• Gear & Weapon Purchases: Buying an SMG ($450) or high-tier firearm instantly subtracts gold from everyone.
• Ammo & Bait Refills: Buying bait crates or firearm ammunition draws from the shared treasury.
• No Private Wallets: Currently, there is no official toggle for individual wallets in the vanilla game.

Shop vendor screen showing shared communal wallet balance

Shared Treasury Balance UI

Squad Budgeting Priority Advice

To avoid bankruptcy in early islands, follow this golden spending rule: Prioritize progression essentials before vanity firearms. Ensure the squad buys the $10 Navigation Radar and at least one Pull Back Rod ($250) before spending thousands on experimental sniper rifles or casino roulette bets.

Progression Persistence

Host World State, Quest Progress & Save File Safety

Understanding what gets saved to the host vs what connects to the client is critical to avoid lost campaign milestones:

Host Saves World Progress

Island progression (unlocked bridges, defeated bosses, boat passes) is tied to the Host's save file (Source: community observations and host-migration behavior, unverified / subject to official patch updates). If players leave and reconnect to the same host, the world state is fully preserved.

Client Inventory Persistence

Client equipment, rods, and hotbar loadouts are managed through session cache (Source: community observations, subject to official patch updates).

Local Save Directory Locations (For Manual Backups):

Windows PC:%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Dazed Games\How to Fish\Saves

Steam Deck (SteamOS / Proton):~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/4001890/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Dazed Games/How to Fish/Saves

* Always create a quick copy of your `Saves` folder before hosting large 8-player sessions or installing multiplayer mods.

Squad Meta

Recommended 4-Player Co-op Team Roles

Coordinating roles across your 4-angler squad significantly improves team synergy and collective gold yield during boss encounters and farming runs:

Tackle Leader

The Master Angler

Loadout: Pull Back Rod ($250) + High-Tier Lures

Mission: Hooks apex targets, executes 3-stage charge tension, and flings fish 15m+ into the air for the squad.

Pairs with SMG gunners to maximize airborne bullet hover hang time.

Multiplier Carry

The Airborne Skeet Gunner

Loadout: Submachine Gun (SMG) ($450) + 9mm Ammo ($10/50 rds)

Mission: Maintains sustained bullet hover juggles on airborne targets to stack trickshot multipliers up to 7.0x+.

Multiplies gold yields for the entire shared communal treasury.

DPS Specialist

The Precision Sniper

Loadout: High-Caliber Heavy Sniper + .50 Cal Ammo ($25/10 rds)

Mission: Hits 2.0x no-scope airborne headshots and neutralizes distant boss weak points (e.g. Albatross wings).

Deals burst single-target damage during intense apex boss breaches.

Support & Logistics

The Campfire Quartermaster

Loadout: Whetstone Knife T2 + Campfire Cooker

Mission: Collects beach fish and provides instant 1.5x campfire roasting right at the water's edge.

Guarantees +50% extra vendor payouts on every squad catch (Source: in-game campfire 1.5x multiplier).

Looking for Squadmates (LFG) & Official Community Discord

Need a reliable crew to tackle the Albatross air battle or Bowhead Whale leviathan? Connect with verified community anglers:

Steam Community Discussions (LFG)Official Forum

Join active matchmaking threads in the official Steam Discussions hub. Browse player posts categorized by region and language:

Visit Steam Community Discussions

Official Developer DiscordCommunity Server

Find voice channels, patch changelogs, and LFG lobbies in the developer's Discord server (accessible via pinned announcements in Steam Community Discussions).

* Note: Always access Discord invites directly through official Steam announcements to ensure security.

Crucial Online Safety & Anti-Scam Guidelines

Never share Steam passwords or Steam Guard codes: Legitimate lobby hosts only need your Steam friend invite or room code.
Do not send raw save files to unknown users: To prevent potential corrupted data injection, keep your save files private.
Avoid clicking unverified external links: Only download game mods from reputable platforms (e.g. Thunderstore / BepInEx).