How to Play The Forest Multiplayer With Friends

The Forest supports multiplayer on Steam and PlayStation. Steam offers online co-op and LAN co-op, while the PS4 version supports online sessions for up to four players when every online participant has PlayStation Plus. All players should own the game in the same platform ecosystem. PC and PlayStation cross-play is not confirmed by the cited official materials, so do not plan a mixed-platform session around it.

Godlike.Host offers hosted The Forest servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.

Which multiplayer options does The Forest support?

Your best setup depends on where everyone owns the game and whether you want a normal host-based session or a world that remains available without that host.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		7 Days to Die (PS4)	$23.01	Buy on Amazon
2		Away: The Survival Series (PS4)	$34.99	Buy on Amazon
3		Hunting Simulator 2 (PS4) - PlayStation 4	$19.40	Buy on Amazon
4		ARK Ultimate Survivor Edition PS4 Game	$39.59	Buy on Amazon
5		Blair Witch PS4	$46.34	Buy on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Endnight Games developer Anna Terekhova described multiplayer as playing with up to three other friends for the “ultimate survival horror experience.” That wording explains the intended small-group design, but the platform’s current listing is the authority for the console player cap.

What to check before inviting anyone

• Match the platform ecosystem. Confirm whether each person is on Steam or PlayStation before creating a lobby. The cited official listings establish co-op within those ecosystems, not a bridge between them.
• Own the same game edition for that platform. A friend cannot join a Steam lobby with a PlayStation copy, and a console player cannot use a Steam invitation.
• Prepare the online service. On PlayStation, every person joining online needs an active PlayStation Plus entitlement. On Steam, everyone needs the Steam client and a signed-in account that can launch the game.
• Choose the world owner. In a standard co-op game, the host’s save and settings are central to that session. Pick the player whose computer or console will be available whenever the group wants to continue.
• Decide whether LAN is appropriate. Steam’s LAN mode is for players who can reach one another on the same local network; it is not a substitute for internet co-op between separate homes.
• Agree on a save routine. Have the host save before everyone leaves, and decide who will continue the world next time. This prevents a player from returning to an older state or joining the wrong save.

How to play online co-op on Steam

Steam lists both online co-op and LAN co-op for The Forest. The exact menu wording can change between game builds, but the process follows the normal Steam lobby and friend-join flow.

#1 Best Overall

7 Days to Die (PS4)

• Unlimited hours of gameplay
• Explore - Huge, unique and rich environments, offering the freedom to play the game however you want
• Craft - craft and repair weapons, clothes, armour, tools, vehicles, and more
• Build - Take over a ruin, or build from the ground-up. Design your fortress to include traps and defensive positions to survive the undead
• Cooperate or Compete - Includes two player split screen mode, with support for up to 4 players online, in Player versus Player, co-op survival, or co-op creative modes

$23.01

Buy on Amazon

1. Install and launch the game on every PC. Check that each player can reach the main menu and that Steam shows the game as owned and playable on the intended account.
2. Choose the online co-op mode. From the game’s multiplayer or co-op screen, select the option for an online game rather than the LAN option. If the group is physically together on one network, select LAN instead.
3. Have one player host. The host creates the game, selects the relevant save or starts a new world, and waits for the lobby to become available. The host should be the person able to keep the session running for the group’s planned play time.
4. Invite friends through Steam. Use Steam’s normal friend overlay, invite control, or game-join option. Friends can accept the invitation or use Steam’s join flow when the host’s session is visible.
5. Check the lobby before starting. Make sure every intended player appears in the lobby and is using the correct account. If someone does not appear, have that person confirm that Steam is online and that the game is running on the same account that owns it.
6. Start only after everyone is ready. Once the host launches the world, late joiners should use the same Steam invitation or join route rather than creating a second lobby.
7. Save before ending the session. The host should save the world and close the session normally. Tell the group which save is current so the next host session does not accidentally begin from an earlier point.

Using Steam LAN co-op

LAN co-op is useful when all computers are connected to the same local network. Select the LAN co-op option instead of online co-op, then have the other players look for the host’s game through the LAN join screen. If the lobby is not visible, first verify that every machine is on the same network rather than a guest network or a separate wireless band that isolates devices. Temporarily disabling a firewall can be a diagnostic step, but restore normal protection afterward and create a narrow game exception instead of leaving the firewall off.

How to play online multiplayer on PlayStation

The official PlayStation listing identifies The Forest as a PS4 title with online play for up to four players and requires PlayStation Plus for online multiplayer. The PS4 version is also playable on PS5, although some PS4 features can be absent when running through backward compatibility.

Rank #2

Away: The Survival Series (PS4)

• Away is a multiple award-winning game where you try to survive as a Tiny sugar glider in a world destroyed by climate change.
• hunt Prey, fight larger enemies and use stealth and agility to sneak past Apex predators unnoticed.
• explore a living, breathing world full of unique species of plants, insects, and animals. Run, jump, climb, and glide through beautiful environments
• Perp Games and Eden reforestation Project will plant 2 trees for every full price copy of this game sold.
• this special retail Edition will include several exclusive extras for fans, including the amazing digital soundtrack, created, and composed by Mike raznick and a unique augmented reality experience 'growing out of the game' Packaging and created in conjunction with the United Nations' Climate and Forest partnership (un-redd) and the playing for the planet alliance

$34.99

Buy on Amazon

1. Confirm PlayStation Plus for every online player. The requirement applies to each person joining online, not only the person who creates the game. Check the account that will actually launch The Forest.
2. Install the same PS4 game version. On a PS5, launch the PS4 version and verify that the console is using the account with access to the game.
3. Open the game’s multiplayer option. One player chooses to host and either starts a new world or selects an existing save. The other players choose the join option.
4. Use the PlayStation multiplayer invitation flow. Invite friends from the console’s normal game or party interface, or accept the host’s invitation. Keep the game open while friends join so the host’s lobby remains available.
5. Confirm the group before loading in. If an invited player cannot join, check PlayStation Network status, the player’s Plus entitlement, and whether the invitation was sent to the correct account.
6. Save through the host before leaving. The host should save the current world at the end of the session and tell the group when it is safe to quit.

PS4 and PS5 expectations

PlayStation’s listing is for the PS4 edition. A PS5 can play that edition, but backward compatibility does not guarantee that every PS4 feature behaves identically on newer hardware. If a PS5 player sees a missing option or a different prompt, confirm that the PS4 version is installed and check the current PlayStation compatibility information rather than assuming that the feature has been removed from multiplayer.

How many people can play together?

On PlayStation, the official listing sets the online session limit at four players total: the host and three friends. Steam’s cited support information confirms online and LAN co-op, but it does not establish a separate current player-limit figure in the supplied material. For a PC group larger than the normal hosted arrangement, treat a dedicated server’s capacity as configuration- and version-dependent rather than as a guaranteed game-wide limit.

Rank #3

Hunting Simulator 2 (PS4) - PlayStation 4

• Experience a realistic hunting adventure: over 36 different animals of all sizes located in their natural habitats; hunt in one of 3 major regions, comprised of multiple subregions for tons of variety and content
• Partner with your Dog companion: introducing a brand-new hunting Dog mechanic to assist you on your hunt; command your dog to track, freeze, follow and more
• Enjoy the best of hunting brands: using all licensed gear from top hunting brands around the world; customize your player with 65 different weapons, 13 special items, and 87 apparel options Please update bullet features as described.

$19.40

Buy on Amazon

Can friends play when the host is offline?

Not in the usual host-based arrangement. A standard co-op world is tied to the player who creates and runs that session, so friends generally need that host to start the game and load the save. The host should also be treated as the keeper of the current save and world settings.

A PC dedicated server is the alternative when the group needs an always-on world. The server process can run on a computer at home or through a server provider, allowing players to connect while the original host is not actively playing. This is a separate PC-focused setup, not a feature established for the PlayStation version.

Rank #4

ARK Ultimate Survivor Edition PS4 Game

$39.59

Buy on Amazon

When is a dedicated server worth using?

A dedicated server makes sense for a group that plays at different times, wants a shared world to remain available, or has a reliable PC that can stay online. It adds administration work, so a normal Steam lobby is usually simpler for occasional sessions.

What the documented setup establishes

• The Forest’s Steam App ID is 242760.
• Dedicated-server documentation describes persistent servers that can run at home or through a hosting provider.
• An example configuration uses -serverplayers 8. This is an example setting reproduced from documentation, not a promise that every current build supports eight simultaneous players.

A safe planning sequence

1. Choose the machine. Decide whether a spare home PC or a provider will run the server. The machine must remain powered on and connected whenever the group expects the world to be available.
2. Match the game version. Install the server software and game files that correspond to the players’ current PC build. A mismatch can prevent connections after an update.
3. Follow the current official tutorial. Use the latest Steam documentation for installation, launch parameters, save locations, and network exposure. The reproduced wiki material is secondary and should be checked against that current guide.
4. Set the player capacity deliberately. If you use a parameter such as -serverplayers 8, treat it as a version-sensitive example. Set a capacity appropriate to the group and verify that the running build accepts it.
5. Protect the save and credentials. Back up the server’s save data, restrict administrative access, and do not share provider or operating-system passwords in group chats.
6. Test with one client first. Connect from the same network before asking the whole group to join. Then test from an external connection to confirm that the server is reachable as intended.
7. Publish the connection details privately. Give friends the current address and password through a private channel, and change credentials if they are exposed.

The dedicated-server route is not a way to combine Steam and PlayStation players. It remains a PC multiplayer solution, and exact commands, limits, and compatibility can change with updates.

Best Value

Blair Witch PS4

• Experience an original story based on the Legend of blair Witch from the makers of layers of fear
• navigate your way through a cursed Forest that warps and distorts both time and space
• stand against the horrors of the blair Witch and the decaying sanity of a man burdened by his past

$46.34

Buy on Amazon

PC requirements for a Steam co-op group

Steam’s listed minimum requirements provide a baseline for running the game, not a guarantee of a smooth multiplayer experience or dedicated-server performance.

Steam also states that the Steam Client supports Windows 10 and later from January 1, 2024. Therefore, check both the game’s listed requirement and the current Steam Client compatibility before using an older Windows installation for multiplayer.

Is The Forest cross-platform?

Do not promise PC-to-PlayStation cross-play. The cited official materials confirm Steam co-op and PlayStation co-op separately, but they do not confirm that a Steam player can join a PlayStation lobby or the reverse. Plan the group around one ecosystem unless a current official announcement specifically adds cross-platform support.

Troubleshooting when a friend cannot join

The invitation does not appear on Steam

• Confirm that both accounts are online in Steam and that the host has actually created an online lobby rather than a LAN lobby.
• Have both players restart Steam and the game, then send a fresh invitation after the host reaches the multiplayer screen.
• Check that the invite went to the account that owns and launched The Forest.
• If the session is LAN, verify that both computers are on the same local network; an internet-only connection between separate homes will not make a LAN lobby visible.

A PlayStation friend receives an error

• Verify PlayStation Network service status and confirm that the joining account’s PlayStation Plus access is active.
• Ensure the host and friend are using the same PS4 edition, including a PS5 player running the backward-compatible PS4 version.
• Close and relaunch the game, then send a new console invitation after the host has loaded the multiplayer screen.

The group loads an old world

• Ask the host to identify the current save before launching.
• Save deliberately at the end of each session and wait for the save operation to finish before quitting.
• Do not assume that a friend’s local save is interchangeable with the host’s world; the host’s session data is the reference for a normal hosted game.

A dedicated server stops appearing

• Check that the server process is running and that the server and clients are on compatible game versions.
• Review the current official setup instructions for launch parameters, network access, and save paths instead of copying an old command unchanged.
• Confirm that the configured capacity and any parameter such as -serverplayers 8 are accepted by the current build.
• Restore a known-good save backup if an update or configuration change damaged the server’s world.

Which setup should your group choose?

For most small groups, start with the normal online co-op mode on the platform everyone already owns. Move to a dedicated PC server only when host availability is the problem you are trying to solve; it is not necessary simply to invite a few friends.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

7 Days to Die (PS4)

Unlimited hours of gameplay; Craft - craft and repair weapons, clothes, armour, tools, vehicles, and more

$23.01

Bestseller No. 2

Away: The Survival Series (PS4)

$34.99

Bestseller No. 3

Hunting Simulator 2 (PS4) - PlayStation 4

$19.40

Bestseller No. 4

ARK Ultimate Survivor Edition PS4 Game

$39.59

Bestseller No. 5

Blair Witch PS4

navigate your way through a cursed Forest that warps and distorts both time and space

$46.34

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.