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Don’t Starve Together multiplayer starts with one player hosting a world. The host chooses a save slot, playstyle, and visibility; friends then join through the game’s browser or an available platform invite flow. Choose Friends Only for a private session, Public for open online access, or Local Only when everyone is on the same local network.
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The game is available on Steam for PC, Mac, and Linux; PlayStation 4 and 5; Xbox One; Nintendo Switch; iOS; and Android. Official pages list those platforms but do not clearly establish a current PC-to-console cross-play policy, so plan on playing within the same supported platform ecosystem unless you verify compatibility for your exact versions separately.
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Pick the multiplayer setup that fits your group
Your best method depends on where the players are, whether you want one screen or separate devices, and whether the world must remain available when the original host is absent.
| Setup | Players’ distance | How players connect | Privacy or network setting | Important requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard online game | Over the internet | One player hosts; others browse for or join the host’s listing | Friends Only or Public | Players should be online in the same supported platform ecosystem |
| Switch online split-screen | Same room, with online access | Two players share a Switch while the hosted world can be joined online | Public or Friends Only | Two configured controllers and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership for both split-screen players |
| Switch offline split-screen | Same room | Two players share one Switch without internet play | Local Only | Two configured controllers; start with PLAY OFFLINE |
| Switch LAN | Same local network | Players browse games with the LAN connection filter | Local network listing | Each joining player must browse with the LAN filter |
| Offline dedicated server | Local network | Players connect to a server running separately from an individual game session | Not publicly listed in offline mode | Steam-related functionality is unavailable offline; the documented player range is 1–64 |
How standard online multiplayer works
Klei describes the game as a standalone multiplayer expansion in which players can cooperate privately or find friends online. In practical terms, the host owns the setup decision for that session: the host selects the world’s save slot, playstyle, and visibility before generating the world.
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Before anyone starts
- Make sure every player is using a supported platform and is online.
- Use the same supported platform ecosystem unless you have separately confirmed cross-platform compatibility for your exact editions. The official platform listings do not, by themselves, confirm PC-to-console cross-play.
- Decide whether the world should be restricted to the host’s friends or open to any online player.
- If you want a persistent world that is not tied to a normal player-hosted session, consider dedicated hosting instead; its configuration requirements are substantially higher.
Host a world
- From the game’s multiplayer menu, select Host Game.
- Choose the save slot you want to use. The host’s selection determines which existing world is opened or where the new world is created.
- Choose the server playstyle offered by the game.
- Set the server visibility. Select Friends Only for a private session limited to the host’s friend list, or Public if any online player may join.
- Generate or start the world, then have your friends look for the corresponding listing or use the platform’s available invite flow.
Join a friend’s world
- Open the game’s join or browse option.
- Browse the connection type that matches the host’s setup.
- Select the host’s listing. A Friends Only world should be visible to the host’s friends; a Public world can be visible to online players more broadly.
- If the host sent a platform invitation, accept it through the platform’s normal invite interface and allow the game to open the session.
The host should tell friends which visibility mode was selected. A friend searching for a local listing while the host created an internet session, or searching online when the host selected a local-only mode, will not be looking in the right place.
What the visibility settings mean
Friends Only
Friends Only is the practical choice for a private internet game. It limits joining to the host’s friend list rather than exposing the world to any online player. Use it when your group already knows who should enter the session.
Public
Public permits open online joining. It is useful when you want other players to be able to find the world, but it is not the setting for a closed friends-only session.
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Local Only
Local Only is intended for players on the same local network. Klei’s Nintendo Switch documentation distinguishes it from internet visibility: local-only games are limited to the local-area network.
Nintendo Switch split-screen: two people on one console
On Nintendo Switch, Don’t Starve Together supports split-screen play. The setup begins in the Switch system menu because both controllers must be assigned before the second player can join.
Online split-screen procedure
- From the Nintendo Switch Home Menu, open Controllers and configure both controllers.
- Start Don’t Starve Together and wait at the main menu.
- Player 2 presses the join button on the second controller. The default button is +.
- Player 1 selects Host Game.
- Choose the save slot and server playstyle.
- Choose Public or Friends Only, depending on who should be able to join online.
- Once both split-screen players are ready, Player 1 presses + to generate the world.
Online Switch split-screen has a specific subscription rule: both split-screen players need active Nintendo Switch Online memberships. If either player lacks the membership, Klei says the split-screen server defaults to offline mode and uses cached inventory data.
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Offline split-screen procedure
- Start the game with PLAY OFFLINE.
- Have Player 2 press + to join on the second configured controller.
- Choose Host Game.
- Use Local Only for the session.
This mode is for two people sharing the console without online participation. It does not provide an internet lobby for remote friends.
Nintendo Switch LAN play
LAN play is different from both online matchmaking and split-screen. Players use separate systems on the same local network and locate the host through the LAN browser.
- Have the host create a local-network game using the appropriate local setting.
- On each joining Switch, open Browse Games.
- Set the connection filter to LAN.
- Select the game listing that appears on the local network.
If the listing does not appear, first confirm that every system is connected to the same local network and that the joining player is browsing with the LAN filter rather than an internet connection filter.
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Can Don’t Starve Together cross-play between PC and console?
The official platform information confirms releases across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, but the official pages consulted do not clearly confirm a current cross-platform multiplayer policy. That means the safe assumption for organizing a session is to keep everyone within the same supported platform ecosystem.
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Do not treat the fact that two versions are both available as proof that their online services interoperate. Check the current compatibility information for the exact platforms, editions, and account systems in your group before buying or scheduling around cross-platform play.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Dedicated servers: when a separate host is worthwhile
A dedicated server is mainly useful for groups that want a persistent world and are comfortable configuring a server outside the ordinary in-game host flow. It separates the server process from a player’s active game session, which can be useful for an organized group that returns regularly.
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Documented limits and offline behavior
- Klei’s command-line guide documents a configurable maximum of 64 players.
- The same guide recommends leaving the default tick rate at 15 updates per second unless you are changing it for a LAN game.
- An offline dedicated server is not publicly listed; only players on the local network can join it.
- Steam-related functionality is unavailable in offline dedicated-server mode.
Those limits are important when choosing a server architecture. An offline dedicated server is not a substitute for an internet lobby: its documented reach is the local network. The command-line guide also assumes that the operator is prepared to manage configuration rather than simply pressing Host Game in the client.
When not to use one
For a small group that plays together occasionally, the normal host flow is simpler. A dedicated server adds operational work without changing the core visibility choices that determine who can enter a regular session. Use it when persistence and independent server operation justify that complexity.
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The friend cannot see the host’s listing
- Confirm the host selected the intended visibility. A Friends Only listing will not behave like a Public listing.
- Confirm that the joining player is browsing the correct connection type. A LAN game must be sought through LAN browsing; an internet game must be sought through the online browser or invite flow.
- Verify that both players are online and using the same supported platform ecosystem.
- On Switch, check whether the host intended split-screen, LAN, or online play. These are separate connection paths.
The Switch second player cannot join split-screen
- Return to the Nintendo Switch Home Menu and configure both controllers under Controllers.
- At the game’s main menu, have Player 2 press the controller’s join button, default +.
- If the session is meant to be online, verify that both split-screen players have active Nintendo Switch Online memberships. Without both memberships, the documented fallback is offline mode.
A LAN game does not appear
- Make sure the systems are connected to the same local network.
- Open Browse Games and change the connection filter to LAN.
- Check that the host did not create an internet-only listing while the joiner is searching locally, or create a local-only listing while the joiner is searching online.
The group expected cross-play but cannot connect
Official platform lists are not a cross-play guarantee. If members are on different ecosystems, compatibility remains unresolved by the cited official pages. Organize the session with players on the same ecosystem or verify current cross-play support for the precise platform combination before troubleshooting invitations.
Host responsibilities and world access
The host controls the save slot and visibility settings for the hosted world. Decide who should be responsible for opening that save before the group begins, especially if the world is intended to be a recurring cooperative game. Friends can join only when the host’s world is available through its selected connection method.
For a private group, Friends Only provides a narrower access boundary than Public. For a local gathering, Local Only keeps discovery on the local network. These settings are choices about who can discover the session, not interchangeable labels for the same type of connection.
Quick start checklists
Remote friends on separate devices
- Same supported platform ecosystem and online status.
- Host selects Host Game, save slot, playstyle, then Friends Only or Public.
- Friends open the corresponding join or browse option, or accept an available platform invite.
- If no listing appears, match the browser’s connection type to the host’s visibility and network mode.
Two players sharing a Switch
- Configure both controllers in Home Menu → Controllers.
- At the main menu, Player 2 presses +.
- Player 1 hosts, chooses the save slot and playstyle, and selects the appropriate visibility.
- For online split-screen, both players need Nintendo Switch Online.
- For offline split-screen, start with PLAY OFFLINE and use Local Only.
Separate systems on one LAN
- Connect every system to the same local network.
- Host the local game.
- Joiners open Browse Games and set the filter to LAN.
What Klei’s official guidance establishes
Klei’s support description summarizes the intended experience: “Cooperate with your friends in a private game, or find new friends online.” The practical implementation is the host-and-join flow above, with visibility settings determining whether the session is limited to friends, open to online players, or confined to a local network.
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