How to Fish Max Players: Player Count & Co-op Guide
Wondering how many people can play How to Fish together? Learn official lobby player limits, how to invite friends via room codes, how to expand your party to 8–16 players with the More Players Mod, and master the shared team treasury.
How Many Players Can Play How to Fish? (Max Players Guide)
In How to Fish, the official co-op multiplayer mode natively supports 1 to 4 players (with lobby room limits expanded up to 8 players in Patch 1.0.4). You can also play 100% Solo offline, with enemy and boss HP dynamically scaling down for a lone angler. For larger groups wanting to exceed vanilla caps, the community More Players Mod (BepInEx) expands session capacity up to 16–32 players. Steam Deck is fully supported with seamless PC crossplay.
1 Player (Offline)
Complete the game alone with dynamic boss HP scaling.
2 – 4 Players
Official Steam peer-to-peer room codes, shared boat & communal treasury.
8 – 32 Players
Community BepInEx More Players Mod for massive multi-angler sessions.
Player Capacity & Platform Support
1 – 4 Players
Standard lobby capacity documented on the official Steam Storefront release (Source: official Steam store metadata).
Up to 8 Players
Native client expansion introduced in official Patch 1.0.4 notes allowing larger cooperative sessions.
8 – 32 Anglers
Supported via community BepInEx plugins (e.g. Extended Co-op Lobby on Thunderstore; requires all clients to install matching mods).
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:
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").
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.
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.
Multiplayer Co-op SessionHow the Shared Treasury (Communal Wallet) Works
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.
Shared Treasury Balance UISquad 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.
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).
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Dazed Games\How to Fish\Saves~/.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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 DiscussionsOfficial 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.- 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).
Frequently Asked Questions: Multiplayer & Player Limits
Q:What is the max player count in How to Fish?
The official base lobby cap in How to Fish is 4 players (with support expanded up to 8 players natively in Patch 1.0.4). For larger squads of 8 to 16 players, the community More Players Mod (BepInEx) can be used.
Q:How many people can play How to Fish together?
Between 1 and 4 players can play natively in an official co-op lobby on Steam. With the More Players Mod installed, up to 16 players can join the same chaotic fishing and skeet shooting session.
Q:Is How to Fish crossplay?
How to Fish supports crossplay between Steam PC and Steam Deck players seamlessly via Steam P2P networking. Console crossplay is not available as the game is currently only released on Steam (PC/Linux).
Q:Does everyone need the More Players Mod to join?
Yes, all players in an expanded 8+ player session must install the compatible BepInEx More Players Mod version to ensure character synchronization and prevent desync disconnects.
Q:How does the shared treasury work in How to Fish multiplayer?
All players share a single communal wallet. Gold from any fish caught and sold by any squadmate deposits directly into the shared bank, and shop purchases or weapon upgrades spend from this common fund.
Q:Can you play How to Fish solo without other players?
Yes! How to Fish is completely playable in single-player solo mode. Fish HP and boss encounter scaling dynamically adjust for a lone angler. Note that session type is locked upon world creation — if you create a Solo world, you cannot later convert it to an online lobby without editing save files. For full solo strategies, see our dedicated Solo Guide.
Related Campaign, Economy & Modding Guides
5-Island Progression
Step-by-step island unlock roadmap
8-Player Lobby Mod
Expand sessions up to 16/32 players
Fast Money Farming
Airborne trickshots for shared gold
Performance & FPS
Steam Deck settings & desync fixes