To play Don’t Starve Together with friends, one player hosts a world and chooses who can see it. The host selects a save slot, playstyle, and server visibility; friends then find that listing through the game’s join or browse screen. Use Friends Only for a private internet session, Public for an open listing, or Local Only for players on the same network.
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The exact setup depends on distance and hardware. Separate devices are best for internet play, two configured controllers enable Nintendo Switch split-screen, and a dedicated server is intended for groups that want a persistent world and are comfortable with server configuration. Official platform pages list PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, iOS, and Android versions, but they do not clearly establish a current cross-platform multiplayer policy, so treat crossplay as unconfirmed.
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Choose the right multiplayer setup
Decide how everyone will connect before anyone creates a world. This prevents the most common mistake: looking for an internet-hosted game while browsing local-network listings, or expecting a console and PC account to join one another without confirmed cross-platform support.
| Situation | Recommended method | Visibility or filter | Important requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friends in different homes | Standard online host | Friends Only for a private group; Public for an open game | Everyone online in the same supported platform ecosystem |
| Two people sharing one Nintendo Switch | Local split-screen | Local Only | Two controllers configured in the Switch Home Menu |
| Two people sharing a Switch while also playing online | Online split-screen | Friends Only or Public | Both split-screen players need active Nintendo Switch Online memberships |
| Several devices on one home or workplace network | LAN browsing | Local Only, then Browse Games with the LAN filter | All devices connected to the same local network |
| No internet connection | Offline split-screen or offline dedicated server | Local Only for split-screen | Offline dedicated servers are not publicly listed and accept local-network players only |
| A group that wants a world available without the usual host session | Dedicated server | Configured by the server operator | Command-line setup and ongoing administration |
For a normal group playing over the internet, use the first row. The other methods solve specific distance, controller, network, or persistence needs.
#1 Best Overall
- Cooperate with your friends in a private game, or take your chances with strangers online. Work with other players to survive the harsh environment, or strike out on your own. Do whatever it takes, but most importantly, Don't Starve.
What you need before hosting
Use a supported platform and the same ecosystem
Klei lists Don’t Starve Together on Steam for PC, Mac, and Linux; PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5; Nintendo Switch; Xbox One; iOS; and Android. The official game page also identifies Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, the Apple App Store, and Google Play as distribution platforms.
The official pages used for this guide do not clearly confirm a current PC-to-console or other cross-platform multiplayer policy. Do not promise that a Steam player can join a console player, or that mobile and console accounts can share a world. The reliable baseline is for everyone to use the same supported platform ecosystem unless Klei has separately confirmed compatibility for the exact versions being used.
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For an internet session, the host and joining players must be connected to their platform’s online services. A friend who is offline, signed out, or browsing the wrong connection type will not see the host’s listing even when the world itself was created correctly.
Decide who owns the session
The host chooses the save slot and creates the world. Have that person host whenever possible, especially for a long-running group. Before starting, agree on who will host future sessions and which save slot represents the group’s main world.
How to host an online game
- Start Don’t Starve Together and choose Host Game from the multiplayer menu.
- Select the save slot you want to use. Do not create a new slot accidentally if the group is returning to an existing world.
- Choose the world’s playstyle using the options shown by the game.
- Set the server visibility. Select Friends Only when only people on the host’s friend list should be able to join. Select Public when any online player may join.
- Confirm the host settings and generate or launch the world.
- Tell friends to open the corresponding join or browse screen and select the host’s listing.
The host does not need to send a special code for the ordinary browser flow described by Klei. Friends join by selecting the visible listing. If your platform presents an invite action, you can use it as a convenience, but the essential sequence remains host, visibility, then browse or join.
How friends join and how to use invites
Joining through the game browser
- Start the game and open the multiplayer join or browse option.
- Browse the connection type that matches the host’s session. An internet-hosted game will not appear in a LAN-only list.
- Find the host’s name or world listing.
- Select it and join. If the world is Friends Only, the joining account must be recognized as a friend by the host’s platform service.
“Invite” can mean different things on different platforms. Some editions expose a platform invite button, while others rely mainly on the in-game browser. If a friend says the invite did nothing, have them open the game’s join or browse screen directly and look for the host’s listing.
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If the listing is missing
- Ask the host which visibility was selected. A Friends Only session will not behave like a Public listing.
- Confirm that both players are browsing the correct connection type rather than LAN or offline games.
- Check that both accounts are online and using the same supported platform ecosystem.
- Have the host leave the menu, reopen Host Game, and verify the save slot and visibility before launching again.
- Restart the game on the joining device if the browser has stale results.
- If the session is on Nintendo Switch, determine whether it is online, LAN, or offline; each mode uses a different discovery path.
Nintendo Switch split-screen
Klei’s Switch instructions, published June 26, 2025, support two people playing on one console. The controllers must be configured before the game starts, and the host still chooses the world and its visibility.
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Online split-screen procedure
- From the Nintendo Switch Home Menu, open Controllers and configure both controllers.
- Launch Don’t Starve Together and wait for 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 the server playstyle.
- Choose Public or Friends Only, depending on whether strangers should be allowed to join.
- After both players are ready, Player 1 presses + to generate the world.
For online Switch split-screen, both people playing on the console need active Nintendo Switch Online memberships. If either split-screen player lacks the membership, Klei says the split-screen server defaults to offline mode and uses cached inventory data instead.
Offline split-screen procedure
- Start the game with PLAY OFFLINE.
- Have Player 2 press + to join with the second configured controller.
- Player 1 chooses Host Game and selects a save slot and playstyle.
- Use Local Only, then start the world.
This mode is for two players sharing the console without an internet session. It does not create a publicly discoverable online game.
Switch LAN play
For players on the same local network but using separate devices, the joining player should open Browse Games and set the connection filter to LAN. Games on that local network then appear in the list. The host should use the local-network visibility option rather than expecting the game to appear in an internet browser.
LAN, local-only, and offline play explained
Local Only
Klei’s Switch documentation defines Local Only as limited to the local-area network. Choose it when everyone is nearby and connected to the same network, or when using local split-screen. It is not the setting for friends playing from different homes.
Offline split-screen
Offline split-screen uses the PLAY OFFLINE entry point and two controllers on one Switch. It is the simplest option when there is no internet connection, but it is limited to players physically sharing that console.
LAN browsing
LAN play uses separate devices on the same local network. The joining player must explicitly set the Browse Games connection filter to LAN; otherwise the host’s local listing can appear to be missing even though both devices are connected correctly.
Dedicated servers: when they make sense
A dedicated server is an alternative to a normal player-hosted session. It is mainly useful for groups that want a persistent world and are comfortable installing, configuring, and maintaining server software from the command line.
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Klei’s command-line guide documents an adjustable maximum of 64 players and recommends leaving the default tick rate at 15 updates per second unless you are changing it for a LAN game. These are server configuration limits and recommendations, not a promise that every platform or network can comfortably support that many people.
Offline dedicated-server limits
An offline dedicated server is not publicly listed. Only players on the local network can join it, and Steam-related functionality is unavailable in offline mode. Therefore, an offline dedicated server cannot replace an internet-hosted world for friends in different locations.
Use a dedicated server if all of these are true
- Your group wants the world to remain available independently of one player’s ordinary game session.
- Someone can handle command-line configuration, updates, backups, and troubleshooting.
- You understand whether the server is online or LAN-only and have chosen the appropriate connection path.
- You do not need unavailable Steam functionality in offline mode.
If those conditions do not apply, the regular Host Game flow is simpler and better suited to occasional cooperative sessions.
Does Don’t Starve Together support crossplay?
The official platform list is broad, covering Steam on PC, Mac, and Linux, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. However, the official pages referenced here do not clearly establish a current cross-platform multiplayer policy. Platform availability alone does not prove that accounts from different ecosystems can join the same world.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFor planning purposes, keep friends in the same platform ecosystem and verify crossplay separately for the exact edition, account type, and current game version before buying the game for a mixed-platform group. If no current official confirmation is available, treat mixed-platform joining as unresolved rather than assuming it works.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common problems and precise fixes
“My friend cannot see the world.”
First check the host’s visibility and the friend’s browser filter. Friends Only requires the accounts to be connected through the host’s friend list, while Public is open to online players. On Switch, LAN games require the LAN filter, and an offline game will not appear in an internet browser.
“We are on the same Wi-Fi, but the game is not listed.”
Confirm that the host selected a local-network mode and that the joining player opened Browse Games with the connection filter set to LAN. Being on the same Wi-Fi does not help if the joining player is searching the internet category.
“Player 2 cannot join split-screen.”
Return to the Switch Home Menu, open Controllers, and configure both controllers again. Then relaunch the game and have Player 2 press the corresponding join button, default +, at the main menu.
“Online split-screen switched to offline.”
Check Nintendo Switch Online memberships for both split-screen players. Klei states that if either person lacks an active membership, the server defaults to offline mode and uses cached inventory data.
“A console friend cannot join my PC world.”
Do not assume this is a network fault. The official material used here does not confirm current cross-platform play. Verify compatibility for the exact platforms and editions first; otherwise use the same platform ecosystem for every player.
“Can we use an offline dedicated server over the internet?”
No. Klei’s dedicated-server documentation says an offline server is not publicly listed and accepts local-network players only. Use an online hosting method for friends outside the local network.
A practical session checklist
- Everyone is using a supported platform and, unless separately confirmed, the same platform ecosystem.
- The host has selected the intended save slot and playstyle.
- The host has chosen Friends Only, Public, or Local Only for the group’s actual situation.
- Internet players are browsing the normal online listing; LAN players are using the LAN filter.
- Switch split-screen players configured two controllers before launching the game.
- Both Switch players have Nintendo Switch Online when the split-screen session is meant to be online.
- A dedicated server is being used only when the group needs persistence and can manage its configuration.
What the host should communicate to the group
A short message prevents most failed joins. Tell friends the platform ecosystem, whether the game is online or LAN, the visibility setting, and the world name or host name to select. For a Switch group, also state whether players are sharing one console, joining over LAN, or using an online split-screen session. If the game does not appear, ask for a screenshot or exact description of the browser category being used; “I cannot see it” is usually less useful than knowing whether the friend searched Public, Friends, LAN, or offline listings.
The simplest reliable arrangement is one host on a supported platform, a Friends Only visibility setting, and every friend joining through the matching online browser. Switch owners have additional split-screen, LAN, and offline paths, while dedicated servers provide persistence at the cost of configuration work. Cross-platform play should remain an open question until an up-to-date official compatibility statement covers the exact platforms in your group.
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