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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe quickest way to play SCP: Secret Laboratory with friends is for everyone to install the Steam version, open the in-game server browser, and select the same public server. If your group needs control over the rules, map rotation, access, or player list, install the separate Secret Laboratory Dedicated Server tool and host your own server. Everyone needs a compatible 64-bit Windows PC, broadband internet, and the same current game/server version. A microphone is only needed for in-game voice chat.
What you need before inviting anyone
SCP: Secret Laboratory is a free-to-play multiplayer horror game distributed through Steam as App ID 700330. Steam lists both online player-versus-player and online co-op features, so friends can enter the same multiplayer session, but each person still needs the game installed on their own computer.
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- A Steam installation of SCP: Secret Laboratory on every player’s PC.
- A broadband internet connection for each player. The game is not designed around an offline, local-only friend session.
- Compatible Windows hardware. The current published minimum is 64-bit Windows 10 version 21H1 or newer, or Windows 11.
- A microphone if the group wants to use the game’s voice chat. A headset with an integrated microphone is optional but usually avoids speaker feedback.
- A way to coordinate. Decide on a server name, region or listing details before launching so everyone can select the same entry without guessing.
Steam’s listed minimum graphics requirement is a GTX 1050 Ti-class card with 4 GB of VRAM, alongside an Intel i5-6600-class processor or equivalent and at least 4 GB of RAM. Steam lists 6 GB of RAM as recommended, an RTX 3060-class GPU with 8 GB of VRAM as recommended, DirectX 11, and 8 GB of available storage. Intel integrated graphics are not supported in the published requirements. These are compatibility requirements, not a promise of a particular frame rate.
Choose the right way to play together
| Option | Best for | What everyone does | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Join a public server | A group that wants to start quickly | Launch the game, open the server list, and have every player select the same listing | You do not control the server’s rules, population, moderation, or which other players join |
| Run a dedicated server | A private or more controlled session | Install the separate server tool, configure it with LocalAdmin, start it, and give friends the current connection details | Someone must host and maintain a computer, complete configuration, and keep the server reachable |
Neither route depends on a documented universal party-invite feature. The reliable method is to coordinate the same server listing or connection details. A dedicated server gives your group more control, but it also introduces administration and networking work.
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Fast route: join the same public server
1. Install and check the game on every PC
- Open Steam on each computer and install SCP: Secret Laboratory.
- Let Steam finish the download and any pending update before anyone tries to connect.
- Confirm that each computer meets the published operating-system, processor, memory, graphics, DirectX, storage, and broadband requirements.
- If voice communication matters, connect and test a microphone before joining the match.
Using the same current game build matters. If one player’s client is still updating, that player may not be able to enter the same server as the rest of the group.
2. Pick one listing everyone can identify
- Start the game and open its server browser.
- Agree on a distinctive server name or another identifying detail visible in the list. Read the listing aloud or share a screenshot so nobody chooses a similarly named server by mistake.
- Have every friend select that exact server entry and connect.
- Wait until the group is in the same lobby or round before dividing into roles or starting a voice conversation.
Public servers can fill, empty, change rules, or include players outside your group. If the listing disappears or becomes full, select another server together rather than assuming the game has lost your party.
3. Coordinate once you are inside
Because the public-server route does not give your group administrative control, agree on a simple plan before the round starts: who is joining first, which server listing is the target, and what you will do if it fills. Keep the server name visible while friends connect, then verify that everyone can see and hear the intended teammates. You can change servers together if the first choice has an unsuitable population or ruleset.
Do not assume that a Steam friends list action creates a game-specific party. The documented approach is to use the in-game server list and select the same server manually.
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Voice chat: how push-to-talk works
SCP: Secret Laboratory uses push-to-talk voice chat. In an unmodified client, Northwood’s EULA states that the game listens and transmits microphone audio only while you press and hold the customizable Voice Chat button. A microphone icon indicates that transmission is active.
- Connect your microphone or headset before launching, or select it in the game’s audio settings if multiple input devices are available.
- Open the game’s controls or settings and find the Voice Chat key binding.
- Choose a key that you can hold comfortably without interfering with movement or other actions.
- Enter a server and hold the key while speaking. Release it when you want to stop transmitting.
- Watch for the microphone icon as a quick check that the client is sending audio.
Steam lists a microphone as required for voice chat, not for playing the game itself. You can still join a multiplayer server without planning to speak, but a microphone is necessary if you want to transmit voice through the game’s built-in system.
Northwood’s EULA also says that unmodified servers do not store the audio transmitted through this voice system. That statement applies to unmodified clients and servers; modified software or third-party communication tools may have different behavior and privacy terms.
Controlled route: run a dedicated server
A dedicated server is a separate Steam tool, not an extra menu inside the ordinary game client. Northwood distributes it under Steam App ID 996560. It is the appropriate route when your group wants a session that is easier to control than a public listing, but hosting still requires a computer that can run the server and remain reachable to the players you invite.
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1. Install the server tool
- In Steam, open your Library and search for Secret Laboratory Dedicated Server.
- Install that tool. The official technical wiki also documents installation through SteamCMD for people who prefer a command-line or separate server-machine workflow.
- Use the official installation instructions for the current release rather than copying an old command or configuration from an unrelated version.
The game client and the dedicated-server tool are separate installations. Installing the game alone does not make your PC a server, and installing the server tool does not replace the client needed to play.
2. Complete the first LocalAdmin configuration
- Launch the dedicated-server tool after installation.
- Complete its initial LocalAdmin setup. LocalAdmin is the administration mechanism used during server configuration.
- Record the administrative details securely. Do not paste administrator credentials into a public chat or share them with every player who is merely joining the session.
The exact screens and configuration fields can change as the server tool is updated, so follow the labels shown by your installed version and the current official technical documentation.
3. Set the server identity and rules
- Set a server name that your friends can recognize in the browser.
- Apply the rules and settings appropriate for your group, using the LocalAdmin controls provided by the installed version.
- Start the server and wait for it to finish loading before asking friends to connect.
- Copy the server’s current connection details exactly as displayed by the server workflow.
A clear name helps friends find the right listing, but a name alone is not proof that they have reached your machine. Verify the connected player list or lobby state before beginning a private activity.
4. Give friends the connection details
- Send your friends the current details for the running server through a private channel.
- Have them use the direct-connect or server-list workflow supported by their installed game version.
- Ask each person to confirm the server name or other identifying information after connecting.
- If someone cannot see or join the server, stop and check reachability and version compatibility before changing several settings at once.
The official documentation does not establish one port-forwarding recipe that works on every router and network. Router interfaces, firewalls, carrier-grade NAT, and household network policies differ, so do not assume that a single port number or rule is universally correct. Use the current technical wiki’s networking guidance for your environment, and involve the network administrator if the host is on a managed connection.
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5. Keep the server and clients compatible
Keep the ordinary game clients and the dedicated server on compatible versions. The official technical wiki notes that the server tool can receive updates and that beta branches may be announced through the official SCP: Secret Laboratory Discord. If a client updates while the server remains on an older build, or the server updates while a client is still downloading, connection failures can look like network problems even when the network is working.
- Check Steam’s download queue on both the host and each player’s PC.
- Restart the game or server after an update if the old process is still running.
- Make sure everyone is using the same branch or release channel intended by the host.
- Only then investigate firewall or router behavior.
Dedicated-server networking without false promises
Hosting over the internet has two separate requirements: the server process must be running, and friends must be able to reach the host through the network. A server can appear healthy on the host computer while remaining invisible or unreachable from outside the home network.
Check the host first
- Confirm that the dedicated-server process is still running and has completed startup.
- Confirm that the host computer has broadband internet and has not entered sleep mode.
- Check the operating system’s firewall prompt or rules for the server application, following the permissions appropriate to your network.
- Read the server’s own status or listing information rather than relying only on a friend’s description of what they see.
Then check reachability
- Ask one friend outside the host’s local network to try the supplied connection details.
- If local players can connect but outside players cannot, the problem is likely network reachability rather than the game installation.
- Review the current official technical documentation for your router, firewall, and internet arrangement. There is no single guaranteed port-forwarding instruction for all equipment.
- If the connection uses carrier-grade NAT or another provider-level restriction, a normal home-router change may not be sufficient; contact the network provider or use an alternative hosting arrangement that you have independently verified.
Change one variable at a time and record what you changed. Randomly editing multiple firewall and router fields makes it difficult to identify which setting solved or caused the problem.
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If you would rather not keep a home PC running or deal with router settings, you can rent a server instead: Godlike.Host offers SCP: Secret Laboratory server hosting with its own game panel, free DDoS protection and 24/7 support by live chat or ticket. See the current plans for what fits your group.
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Requirements checklist and what each item affects
| Requirement | Published figure or condition | Why it matters for a friend session |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | 64-bit Windows 10 version 21H1 or newer, or Windows 11 | The listed minimum platform for the Steam version |
| Processor | Intel i5-6600-class CPU or equivalent, minimum | Below this class, the PC may not meet the game’s published baseline |
| Memory | 4 GB minimum; 6 GB recommended | Insufficient RAM can cause instability while the game, Steam, voice services, and other applications are open |
| Graphics | GTX 1050 Ti-class GPU with 4 GB VRAM minimum; RTX 3060-class GPU with 8 GB VRAM recommended | The published graphics baseline; Intel integrated graphics are not supported in the listing |
| Graphics API | DirectX 11 | The listed API requirement |
| Internet | Broadband connection | Required for multiplayer connectivity and especially important for a host |
| Storage | 8 GB available | Space for the game installation and updates |
| Microphone | Required for voice chat | Not required to install the game or enter a server if you do not plan to speak |
These figures come from Steam’s listing observed on October 13, 2026. Requirements and supported versions can change, so check the current store page if you are troubleshooting a later release.
Troubleshooting by symptom
“We cannot find the same public server.”
- Confirm that everyone is looking at the in-game browser, not a different Steam page.
- Search for the exact distinctive part of the server name and compare region or other visible listing details.
- Check whether the server filled, closed, or changed its name while players were joining.
- Restart the browser or game if one client is showing an obviously stale list, then search again.
“One friend is rejected while everyone else joins.”
- Check that the friend’s game is fully updated and on the same release or branch as the server.
- Confirm that the friend meets the operating-system and hardware baseline.
- Try the connection again after restarting Steam and the game.
- If only that player’s network fails, investigate local firewall, security software, or network restrictions rather than changing the server’s rules immediately.
“The dedicated server runs, but friends outside the house cannot connect.”
- Verify that the server process is still running and the host has not slept or lost broadband service.
- Check the host firewall and router using the current technical documentation for that equipment.
- Test from a genuinely external network; two devices on the same home network do not prove internet reachability.
- Consider provider-level NAT or managed-network restrictions if ordinary local configuration does not expose the server.
“Nobody can hear me.”
- Confirm that the intended microphone is connected and selected by the operating system.
- Check the game’s Voice Chat key binding and hold the key rather than tapping it.
- Look for the microphone icon while holding the key. If it does not appear, the client is not indicating transmission.
- Test again in an unmodified client and server before assuming that a third-party modification follows the same privacy or audio behavior.
Privacy, moderation, and content expectations
Push-to-talk limits microphone transmission in the unmodified client to the period when the voice button is held, and the microphone icon indicates that period. Use headphones if other people nearby should not hear the match, and avoid sharing administrator credentials when you host.
Steam describes the game as containing strong violence, firearms used against armed and unarmed players, blood, horror, and potentially disturbing imagery. Tell prospective players what to expect before inviting them, especially if younger or violence-sensitive players may join. Server rules and moderation can vary on public servers; a dedicated server gives your group more control over its own rules but does not remove the game’s underlying horror and violence.
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Which setup should your group use?
- Choose a public server when the priority is getting into a match quickly and you are comfortable sharing the space with other players.
- Choose a dedicated server when you need a controlled player list, custom rules, or a repeatable meeting place and someone is willing to perform LocalAdmin setup and maintain network availability.
- Start public, then move dedicated if your group is learning the game. The public route lets everyone verify that their clients, microphones, and connections work before one person takes on hosting.
For most first sessions, install the game, select one public listing together, and use push-to-talk. Move to the Dedicated Server tool only when the loss of control on public servers is a real problem worth the additional setup and networking responsibility.
Quick Recap
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