The Pass the Fear co-op guide: how to set up Steam and LAN lobbies, join rules, item sharing, revives, the DPS panel, and the best co-op team roles.
Pass the Fear Co-op & Multiplayer Guide — Squads, Lobbies, and Roles
Co-op is where Pass the Fear goes from good to great: up to 4 players over Steam lobbies or LAN, with item sharing, a revive system, and a persistent damage panel that turns every run into a friendly competition. TheBigBois' launch review captured it best — "clutch saves, item swapping, and fighting through tough encounters together." This guide covers lobby setup, the join rules that trip everyone up, the shared mechanics, and how to actually build a squad that works.
The Co-op Basics
- Player count: up to 4 players per run. Solo is fully supported; every system works single-player.
- Connection: Steam lobbies (online) or LAN (same local network). Every player needs their own copy.
- No crossplay — the game is Windows-only, so "cross-platform" questions resolve to "no." No Mac, no Linux, no consoles.
- No split-screen / local co-op — the developers confirmed they are evaluating local co-op in a Steam discussion but it is not in the game at launch.
- No built-in voice chat — squads coordinate via Discord or another external app.
How to Set Up a Lobby
The flow, per the launch co-op guides (allthings.how's setup guide is the most complete):
- From the main menu, open Multiplayer (Beta).
- Choose Server Type: Steam for online friends, LAN for the same network.
- Set the difficulty and player limit (anything up to 4).
- Choose lobby visibility:
- Public — any online player can join directly.
- Private — a lobby code friends enter to join. Use this for closed groups.
- Everyone joins during camp preparation. The session locks the moment the run launches.
The most common co-op failure is trying to join a run already in progress — joining is locked after the camp preparation phase. If a friend can't get in, the run has already started; return to the lobby stage and regroup. This is also the top troubleshooting answer in every co-op guide.
The Shared Mechanics
| Mechanic | How it works |
|---|---|
| Item sharing | Drop weapons, relics, and parts on the ground with E; a teammate picks up with F. This is the whole co-op economy — passing a traded Growth relic to the player whose build needs it can complete a breakpoint that changes the run. |
| Reviving | A downed player keeps crawling and can call for help. A teammate revives them by holding E. The run only ends when the whole squad is down — the biggest shift from solo, where one death ends the run instantly. |
| Damage panel | A live graph tracks total damage and single-stage damage per player, with the top DPS highlighted in gold. Half ego meter, half actual information. |
| Loot coordination | Patch 7.26 fixed an exploit where dropping a relic in co-op didn't remove it from inventory (allowing duplication) — trading is intended; duplicating was patched. |
Co-op Roles: The Meta
The launch advanced-tips breakdowns (10 Advanced Tips) describe the best-practice role split: use the DPS leaderboard as a decision dashboard, not an ego scoreboard. Whoever is at the top takes the damage modifiers and relic fusions; whoever is at the bottom builds crowd control, status stacking, and utility.
A stable four-player comp (community consensus):
- Damage carry — Long Tong or Jenny (see the characters guide); Jenny's Wildcat Bomb and Long Tong's dragon Amber are the meta S-tier DPS.
- Status applier — one player stacks Corrosion/Freeze with their secondary weapon while the carry detonates with Ignition/transmutation triggers (the best builds guide has the chain math).
- Utility / crowd control — Jester's dodge-and-buff kit holds aggro and bails out mistakes.
- Economy / support — Lanny's coin scaling can fund the whole squad when the team coordinates gold routes and item trading.
The walkthrough guide covers how roles map onto chapter pacing; the bosses guide has the co-op boss scaling notes (yes, bosses get tankier with more players — bring real builds).
Co-op vs Solo: The One Rule That Changes Everything
Every system is identical solo and in co-op except the revive rule:
- Solo — the run ends the instant your character goes down.
- Co-op — a single knockout is recoverable as long as one teammate is standing; the run only ends when the whole squad is down.
That one difference changes the risk math completely: risky relic picks, aggressive builds, and sloppy dodges are all survivable in a squad.
Per the official Steam store description: "Multiplayer has everything you would expect: clutch saves, item swapping, and fighting through tough encounters together... Check the DPS rankings—who is the true damage king of your squad." The review calls co-op "where it truly comes alive" — the revive rule is the mechanical reason why.
A drop that is useless to you may be the exact affix, element, or relic another player needs. The most common co-op win condition is a passed relic completing someone else's chain — the build stops being one weapon surrounded by bonuses and becomes a network.
FAQ
Is Pass the Fear multiplayer?
Yes — online co-op for up to 4 players via Steam lobbies or LAN, plus full solo play. There is no crossplay (Windows-only), no split-screen, and no local co-op at launch.
How many players can play Pass the Fear co-op?
Up to 4 players per run, over Steam lobbies or LAN. Every player needs their own copy of the game.
Is Pass the Fear crossplay?
No. The game is Windows-only with no Mac, Linux, or console versions, so cross-platform play is not possible.
Can you join a Pass the Fear game in progress?
No. Joining is only allowed during the camp preparation phase — the session is closed once the run launches. This is the most common co-op mistake and the top troubleshooting answer.
Can you play Pass the Fear co-op on one screen?
No split-screen or local co-op at launch. The developers have said they are evaluating local co-op, but every player currently needs their own machine and copy.
Related Guides
- Pass the Fear Characters & Hunters
- Pass the Fear Walkthrough & Run Guide
- Pass the Fear Best Builds
- Pass the Fear Bosses Guide
- Pass the Fear Beginner's Guide
- Pass the Fear Review — Worth It in 2026?
Official resources: Steam store page · allthings.how co-op guide · Steam Community hub
Last updated: August 13, 2026 — co-op rules through Update 8.7 (V1.0.491, August 7, 2026).
More Pass the Fear Guides
Every Pass the Fear hunter explained: roles, starting skills and numbers for Jester, Lanny, Marcus, Jenny, Elena, Long Tong and Stella.
The Pass the Fear community guide: r/roguelites discussions, Steam Community hub debates, the official Discord and X account, and where to find builds.
Pass the Fear controller support and keybinds: the default controls table, how to remap with mouse side buttons and stick-press, and keyboard vs pad verdict.
Every Pass the Fear difficulty explained: Journey, Common, Hard, Nightmare, Hell and Reality, with boons, curses, Chaos Battle Scars, Pearls and unlock rules.
How long is Pass the Fear? Estimated single-run length, time to beat the main game, 100 percent time, and what affects your playtime, with honest sourcing.
How to play Pass the Fear: controls and keybinds, the camp hub, the full run structure, how the 12-hour clock works, and what you lose when you die.
Pass the Fear mods: the honest state of mod support, no official tools or Workshop, player-made mods status, and the workarounds that actually exist.
Pass the Fear price analysis: the $18.99 cost, launch discount history, all five bundles including Brotato and Lost Castle 2, and the value verdict.