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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →If How to Fish does nothing when you try to create a multiplayer session, there is no developer-confirmed cause or universal fix for that exact symptom. Try the basic Steam and game checks below, but treat them as troubleshooting steps—not proven repairs. Reports of failed invites, relay trouble, or stalled gameplay may describe different problems.
First, identify what is failing
A click that produces no visible lobby response is not necessarily the same issue as a lobby that hangs while loading, an invite that returns you to the menu, a red Steam relay diagnostic, or gameplay that stalls after you enter a session. Player reports describe more than one of these behaviors, and they do not establish a shared cause or a reliable workaround. A Steam community thread includes reports about stalled boat travel as well as differing experiences with public and invite-only sessions.
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Before troubleshooting, note exactly what happens after you click the control: whether the lobby appears, whether an error is shown, whether Steam opens an invite, and whether the problem begins only after joining. This distinction will also help if you contact the developer.
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Where to start a session
In its September 13, 2026 multiplayer update, Dazed Games says to start from the Multiplayer button on the boot menu or the Multiplayer app on the desktop. Hosts can configure a session as public or friends only, add a password, and name it. The developer’s update announcement describes these entry points and settings.
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Patch 1.0.5 added an invite-only private lobby option and the ability to change session type in server settings. The patch notes say changing the type requires a game restart. That is an instruction for applying a setting change, not evidence that switching visibility fixes a Create Session button that does not respond. See the Patch 1.0.5 notes.
What to try, in order
- Close and relaunch the game and Steam. Fully exit the game, then quit Steam from its system-tray menu before opening Steam and the game again. This is a cautious first check recommended by an August 23 troubleshooting article; it is not a verified fix for this particular failure. Read the troubleshooting article.
- Confirm the game is updated. In Steam, check that the latest available update has installed, then retry once. Developer announcements show that updates continued after launch, but the reviewed announcement summaries do not confirm a fix for the exact unresponsive button symptom. See the game’s Steam news feed.
- Verify the installed files. In Steam, open Library, right-click How to Fish, choose Properties, then Installed Files and Verify integrity of game files. Let the check finish and retry. This is a general integrity check, not a confirmed repair for this bug. The August 23 article recommends this check.
- Check Steam connectivity and the in-game relay diagnostic. Patch 1.0.9 added a short Steam connection diagnostic in the main menu. If its Steam relay text turns red, the developer advises checking its Community Discord common-bugs guidance. A red result points you toward connection guidance; it does not by itself establish why the Create Session control is unresponsive. See the Patch 1.0.9 announcement.
- Restart after changing session type. If you changed a session’s type in server settings, restart the game before testing again, as Patch 1.0.5 instructs. Do not assume that trying public, friends-only, or invite-only hosting is a proven workaround for a button that does nothing.
Is there a confirmed fix?
As of October 7, 2026, the reviewed official announcements do not explicitly identify a fix for the specific Create Session button failure. The Steam news feed lists later patches, including 1.1.0, 1.1.2, and 1.1.3, but their summaries do not name this issue. That does not prove the problem remains in every current build; it means an official fix for this exact symptom is not confirmed by those announcements. Check the official Steam news feed for updates.
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How to report a failure that persists
For a game-side bug or post-launch multiplayer connection problem, Steam directs players to the developer or publisher. Steam Support explains where to report third-party game issues. How to Fish is listed as developed and published by Dazed Games. The Steam store listing identifies the developer and publisher.
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Send Dazed Games the exact error message or a detailed description. Include the game version or build, whether you were hosting or joining, the session visibility setting, what you clicked, and what happened after each check. These details make the report more useful without assuming that separate symptoms have the same cause.
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What the available player reports do—and do not—show
Community posts can help show that players have encountered different multiplayer difficulties, but individual accounts do not establish how common a problem is or prove that one lobby setting solves it. For example, the Steam thread linked above includes one recommendation to try friends-only hosting and a later report that public and invite-only hosting both failed for that player. Neither account verifies a general remedy.
There is also a discrepancy in published player-cap information: the Steam store listing describes the game as supporting one to four players, while an archive of the September multiplayer update reports sessions for up to six. The available sources do not resolve whether capacity changed or one listing is outdated, so check the current in-game interface or full developer announcement rather than relying on a definitive cap. Steam store listing; September multiplayer update archive.
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