The Forest multiplayer works on Steam and PlayStation. On PC, you can start an online or LAN co-op session; on PS4, online play requires PlayStation Plus. A normal co-op game is tied to its host’s session and save, while a PC dedicated server can keep a world running for a group when the usual host is away. The cited official platform pages do not confirm cross-play between PC and PlayStation, so plan for everyone to use the same platform ecosystem.
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.
What multiplayer options does The Forest have?
Your best setup depends on where everyone owns the game and whether you need a world that stays available between play sessions.
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Blair Witch PS4 | $46.34 | Buy on Amazon |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam online co-op | Steam lists online co-op; the platform page does not state a universal player maximum in the cited material. | Each player needs the PC game and a working Steam account and connection. | The normal session uses a player as host and follows that host’s game and save. | Friends playing over the internet. |
| Steam LAN co-op | Steam lists LAN co-op. | Everyone must be on the same local network; Steam and the game still need to recognize each installation. | The player running the session remains the practical host. | Households, a gaming room, or a private local network. |
| PS4 online co-op | PlayStation’s current product listing supports up to four online players total: the host and three friends. | PlayStation Plus is required for every participant playing online. | The ordinary session is hosted through the console multiplayer flow. | Groups playing together on PlayStation. |
| PC dedicated server | Dedicated-server documentation describes persistent PC servers and shows an example setting of -serverplayers 8; treat that figure and other limits as version-sensitive. |
A separately running PC server, the game files, and network access are required. | The server can remain online without the usual player host. | Groups that want an always-available world and are willing to handle administration. |
Endnight Games developer Anna Terekhova wrote in 2018 that multiplayer was the best way to experience the game with up to three other friends. That wording aligns with the four-player PlayStation listing, but it should not be used as a confirmed maximum for every PC configuration or for a dedicated server.
Check these requirements before inviting anyone
Use one platform ecosystem
Have every participant buy and launch the same platform edition you intend to use. The cited Steam materials establish PC online and LAN co-op, and the official PlayStation listing establishes PS4 online play. They do not establish a PC-to-PlayStation cross-play service. Do not promise that a Steam player can join a PlayStation lobby, or the reverse, unless a current official announcement specifically confirms it.
#1 Best Overall
- 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
Prepare accounts and network access
- On PC, every player needs the game installed through Steam and must be signed in to the Steam account that owns it.
- For internet play, everyone should be able to use Steam’s normal friend and game-join features. For LAN play, place all PCs on the same local network rather than mixing a remote friend into a LAN-only session.
- On PS4, each person joining online needs an account with the required PlayStation Plus entitlement. Confirm that subscription status before the host creates the lobby.
- Agree on who will host and whose save becomes the group’s working world. The normal hosted model makes that decision important.
Check the PC specification listing
Steam’s listed minimum requirements for the PC version are:
| Component | Listed minimum |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 7 in the game requirement listing. |
| Processor | Dual-core 2.4 GHz. |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM. |
| Graphics | GeForce 8800GT-class graphics. |
| Graphics API | DirectX 9. |
| Storage | 5 GB available space. |
These are the game listing’s minimums, not a promise of a particular frame rate or of smooth performance while several players, enemies, and building systems are active. Steam also states that the Steam Client supports Windows 10 and later from January 1, 2024. Because the game listing’s operating-system line and the client-support policy are different pieces of information, verify that your current Windows installation can run both the client and the game before troubleshooting multiplayer.
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Steam’s listing provides both online co-op and LAN co-op. Use online co-op when friends are connecting over the internet; use LAN only when the computers are on the same local network.
Rank #2
- 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
- Install and update the game. Have each player install The Forest from Steam, sign in, and allow Steam to finish any pending game or client update. Matching versions remove one common reason that a friend cannot see or join a session.
- Open the multiplayer menu. Launch The Forest and choose its online co-op mode rather than starting a single-player game. The host should create the session and select the desired game or save according to the options shown in the current build.
- Invite through Steam. Use Steam’s normal friend and game-join flow to invite the other players. Friends should accept the invitation or use Steam’s join option while the host’s session is available.
- Have friends join the host’s lobby. A joining player should select the host’s visible session or accept the Steam invitation. If the lobby does not appear, both players should confirm that they are signed in to the intended accounts and that the host actually created an online co-op session rather than a solo game.
- Choose a single save owner. The host’s world and settings are the reference point for that session. Decide in advance whether the group will return to the same host each time or use a different arrangement.
When to choose LAN co-op
LAN co-op is useful when every PC is physically connected to the same home, school, or event network. Select the LAN option in the multiplayer menu, then have the other players look for and join the local session. A friend playing from another location is not part of that LAN segment, so use online co-op for that person instead. If a LAN lobby is missing, first check that every computer is on the same network and that each copy is running the same current game version.
How to play online on PS4
- Verify PlayStation Plus for every online participant. The official PlayStation listing makes this a requirement for online play. Check subscriptions before troubleshooting invitations.
- Install the PS4 edition and sign in. Each person must use the PlayStation account that owns or can access the game and be connected to PlayStation Network.
- Have one player host. From The Forest’s multiplayer options, create an online game and select the save or settings for the group’s run.
- Invite or join through PlayStation’s multiplayer interface. Use the console’s normal friend-invite and game-join controls. Friends should accept the invitation while the host remains in the session.
- Keep the group within the listed capacity. PlayStation’s product page states a total of four online players, so the host can play with three additional friends.
The PS4 version is playable on PS5 according to the PlayStation listing. Some PS4 features can be absent when a PS4 game is played on PS5, so confirm the current backward-compatibility details if someone is joining from a newer console. Do not infer that PS5 compatibility changes the player limit or adds cross-play with PC.
Can PC and PlayStation players join the same game?
Cross-play is not confirmed by the cited official materials. Steam’s support information confirms PC online and LAN co-op, while PlayStation’s product page confirms PS4 online play; neither page says that those ecosystems share multiplayer lobbies. The reliable plan is to put everyone on Steam or everyone on PlayStation. If a later official game or platform announcement adds cross-play, follow that announcement’s conditions rather than assuming compatibility from the fact that both versions have online multiplayer.
Rank #3
- 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.
What happens when the host is offline?
Normal hosted co-op
A standard online or LAN session has a practical host: the player who creates the game and supplies its save and settings. Friends join while that session is running. If the host closes the game, disconnects, or is unavailable, the group should expect that ordinary hosted world not to be available in the same way until the host starts it again. Before ending a session, agree on who will host the next play period and make sure the host keeps the relevant save.
When a dedicated server makes sense
A dedicated server is a PC-focused alternative for a group that wants a persistent world. Dedicated-server documentation describes a server that can run continuously at home or through a server provider, allowing players to connect without relying on the usual host’s game window. This is a different operating model from simply inviting friends through Steam: someone must install, configure, secure, update, and monitor the server.
The documentation identifies The Forest’s App ID as 242760 and reproduces an official Steam tutorial with an example -serverplayers 8 setting. Treat that player setting, command-line details, and compatibility with your current build as version-sensitive. The example is not a guarantee that every current release supports eight active players, and it should not be presented as a console feature.
Dedicated-server decision checklist
- Choose it when: several people play at different times, no single person can reliably host, or the group wants an always-on base and world.
- Stay with ordinary co-op when: the same person usually plays, the group meets for scheduled sessions, or nobody wants server administration.
- Plan for maintenance: keep the server’s game version aligned with clients, protect access credentials, back up saves, and check the current official Steam tutorial before applying old instructions.
- Limit the scope: the cited materials establish this as a PC option. They do not establish dedicated-server support on PlayStation.
Fix common multiplayer problems
A friend cannot see or join the lobby
- Confirm that both players are using the same platform ecosystem and the same edition of the game.
- Confirm that the host selected online co-op, not a single-player or LAN-only mode.
- Check that Steam or PlayStation Network shows both accounts online and that the invitation was sent to the account actually running the game.
- Close and relaunch the game after pending updates finish so the host and joining player are on the same version.
- On PlayStation, verify the joining account’s PlayStation Plus status before changing other settings.
LAN play does not appear
Make sure every PC is connected to the same local network and that the host selected LAN co-op. A computer connected through a separate guest network may not discover the host even when both devices are using the same internet connection. If one friend is remote, move that player to an online co-op session rather than trying to add them to the LAN lobby.
The group is unsure which save to use
Ask the intended host to identify the save before anyone joins. Keep that player’s save backed up and use the same host for recurring sessions, or move to a dedicated PC server if the group cannot coordinate around one host. Starting separate worlds without agreeing on the primary save can split progress between multiple hosts.
The PC meets the minimums but still performs poorly
Minimum requirements describe whether the game can launch at the listed baseline; they do not specify multiplayer frame rate or visual settings. Close unnecessary programs, confirm that at least the listed 5 GB of storage is available, and test with fewer simultaneous activities to identify whether the problem is local performance or connection-related. If the Steam Client itself cannot run on the installed Windows version, resolve that client-compatibility issue first; the game’s older Windows 7 requirement line does not override Steam’s current client policy.
Best Value
- 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
A dedicated server stops accepting connections
Check that the server and every client use compatible versions and that the server is still running. Revisit the current official Steam tutorial rather than relying on an old command line copied from a forum. The reproduced -serverplayers 8 example is version-sensitive, so confirm that the setting is supported by the build you are running. If the problem affects only one player, have that player verify the game installation and Steam account before changing server configuration.
Which setup should your group choose?
| Your situation | Recommended route | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone owns the PC version and plays from different homes. | Steam online co-op. | It uses the standard Steam invitation and join flow. |
| Everyone is in the same house or gaming room. | Steam LAN co-op. | The game lists a local-network mode, avoiding a remote internet lobby. |
| Everyone plays on PS4 and can meet the subscription requirement. | PS4 online co-op. | The official listing defines the console’s online player capacity and service requirement. |
| Players need to return to one world even when the usual host is away. | PC dedicated server. | A persistent server can run independently of a player’s normal game session, at the cost of setup and maintenance. |
| The group is split between Steam and PlayStation. | Use one platform for the session. | Cross-play is not confirmed by the cited official materials. |
Practical first-session plan
- Choose Steam or PlayStation before anyone buys or launches the game.
- Nominate one host and identify the save that will become the group’s main world.
- Have every player finish installation and updates, then verify the relevant account and online-service requirement.
- Start with a small test lobby so each friend can join before spending time on a long survival run.
- Record the host’s account and save choice, and agree on the next play time.
- Move to a PC dedicated server only if host availability, rather than the ordinary co-op process, is the group’s recurring problem.
That approach keeps the platform, account, save, and hosting decisions explicit. It also prevents the two most expensive assumptions: that PC and PlayStation automatically share a lobby, and that a normal host-based world continues running after its host leaves.
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