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To host a private Steam co-op session, use the game’s own Private, Friends Only, Invite Only or password-protected lobby when it offers one. If the game is built for local multiplayer or split-screen, use Steam Remote Play Together: the host runs the game and invites selected friends to a streamed session. Steam has no single privacy menu that works for every title, so the correct route depends on how that game implements multiplayer.
Choose the right private-session method
There are two fundamentally different ways to play privately with friends on Steam. A native online lobby connects each player to the game’s multiplayer service. Remote Play Together makes the host’s PC act like a local multiplayer machine and streams the game to invited participants.
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| Question | Native online lobby | Steam Remote Play Together |
|---|---|---|
| What type of game does it suit? | Games with built-in online multiplayer | Supported local multiplayer, local co-op or split-screen games |
| Who needs to own the game? | Rules vary by the individual game, platform and account requirements | Only the host needs to own and install the game |
| Where is privacy configured? | Inside the game’s lobby or match settings | Through direct Steam invitations and Remote Play input permissions |
| How do players provide input? | Each player uses the controls supported by the online game | Players normally use their own compatible controllers; the host controls sharing permissions |
| What should you expect for latency? | It depends on the game and connection; no universal figure applies | It depends on the game and streaming connection; no universal figure applies |
Player limits, menu labels, account rules and network behavior belong to the specific title. Do not assume that a setting or player count from one game exists in another.
Route A: create a private online lobby
Use this route when the game provides online multiplayer and exposes a lobby-privacy control.
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1. Open the game’s multiplayer area
- Launch the game through Steam.
- Choose a menu labeled Multiplayer, Play With Friends, Create Lobby or a similar option.
- If the game asks you to choose a mode first, select the co-op or online mode you intend to play.
Some games place lobby creation under a separate “Host” or “Play Online” screen. If you do not see a multiplayer menu on the title screen, check its in-game pause menu or a social/friends screen.
2. Set the lobby to private before inviting anyone
Look for Private, Friends Only, Invite Only, Hidden or a password option. Apply the setting before the lobby is visible to other players. A public lobby can be joined by people you did not select, even if you plan to remove them later.
Valve’s Counter-Strike guidance illustrates the pattern: choose Play With Friends, select Change Permissions, then choose Public Lobby or Private Lobby. The labels in another game may differ, but the permission step serves the same purpose.
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3. Configure the session
Choose the map, mission, difficulty, team arrangement or other options before sending invitations when possible. Some games lock these settings after the first player joins; others let the host change them until the match starts.
If the game has separate permissions for voice chat, spectator access, team selection or rejoining, review those settings now. They are controlled by the game, not by a universal Steam co-op policy.
4. Invite only the intended friends
- Use the game’s Invite or Invite a friend button, then select the Steam accounts you want to join.
- If the game supports it, open the Steam overlay while the lobby is active and send an invitation from your Friends List.
- Tell invitees which account received the invitation if someone has multiple Steam accounts.
Keep the lobby closed while invitations are pending. If the game exposes a join code or password, send it only to the people you want in the session.
5. Verify the roster, then start
Wait until every intended player appears in the lobby. Check names, ready status and team assignments before selecting Start. Starting too early can leave a friend in the invitation queue or force the game to create a second lobby.
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Route B: use Steam Remote Play Together
Remote Play Together is intended for games whose multiplayer is local, couch co-op or split-screen rather than native online multiplayer. Confirm that the game’s Steam store feature list identifies Remote Play Together or local co-op support before trying to invite anyone.
Valve describes the ownership requirement plainly: “Only the host needs to own and install the game.” Steam’s Remote Play description says, “Using Remote Play Together, you’ll stream video, audio, and voice between players while using your own controllers.” In practice, the host’s computer runs the title while invited friends receive the stream and send their controller input back.
1. Confirm support and prepare the host PC
- Open the game’s Steam store page or feature list and look for Remote Play Together, Local Co-op or a comparable local-multiplayer label.
- Install the game on the host computer and launch it through Steam.
- Reach the game’s local multiplayer or co-op screen. Remote Play does not add online multiplayer to a title that has no local multiplayer mode.
2. Open Steam’s overlay or Friends List
With the game running, open the Steam overlay or Friends List. Select the friend you want to invite and choose Invite to Remote Play Together. The invitation is tied to the running game session, so launching the title outside Steam can prevent the option from appearing.
3. Have the friend accept
The friend accepts the Steam invitation and joins the host’s streamed local session. They do not need to own or install the game for this mode. The game may still require them to select a local player slot, press a button on their controller or complete an in-game join prompt.
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4. Assign controllers and input
Connect or pair each controller before starting the match. In the Remote Play overlay, review which device is assigned to each local player. If the game expects a controller for every participant, keyboard input alone may not create an additional player.
The host can manage voice, volume and keyboard-and-mouse sharing permissions during the session. Disable keyboard-and-mouse sharing when a guest should control only a gamepad, and enable it only when the game’s local mode needs shared keyboard input.
5. Start only after every local slot works
Use the game’s character or player-selection screen to confirm that each guest can move, select a menu item or otherwise register input. Once the assignments are correct, begin the co-op match. If a guest joins the stream but has no playable slot, return to the local multiplayer screen rather than restarting the entire Steam invitation.
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For Remote Play Together
- The host must own and install the game and launch it through Steam.
- Guests do not need to own or install the game in Remote Play Together mode.
- Guests should have a compatible controller when the game’s local multiplayer expects controller input.
- The host must allow the appropriate controller, keyboard or mouse input through Remote Play permissions.
- Each guest must accept the invitation from the intended Steam account.
For native online multiplayer
Ownership and account requirements are title-specific. Some games require every participant to own a copy; others use a guest system or impose platform or subscription conditions. Check the game’s own documentation or store information before planning the session. Remote Play Together’s one-copy rule does not automatically apply to a native online lobby.
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Steam’s “Mark Private” setting is not a private lobby
Steam’s Mark Private setting controls account and game visibility. It can hide ownership, playtime, in-game status and activity from most profile surfaces. It does not change a game’s matchmaking permissions and does not turn a public lobby into a private one.
For a private multiplayer session, change the game’s lobby permissions or send a direct Remote Play Together invitation. Steam notes that an invited friend can still see the host’s in-game status long enough to join a game marked private; therefore, marking a game private should not be treated as a way to block selected players from a lobby.
Native online lobby versus Remote Play Together
| Decision point | Native online lobby | Remote Play Together |
|---|---|---|
| Best use case | The title has its own online co-op or multiplayer service | The title provides local co-op, local multiplayer or split-screen |
| Game ownership | Determined by the title’s rules | Host owns and installs the game; invited guests do not need a copy |
| Privacy control | Private, friends-only, invite-only, hidden or password options inside the game | Direct Steam invitation plus host-managed input permissions |
| Where the game runs | Each player’s installation connects to the online session | The host runs the game and streams it to participants |
| Controls | Each player uses the online mode’s supported controls | Compatible controllers and host-managed keyboard/mouse sharing are important |
| Player count and latency | Set by the title and connection; no universal values | Set by the local mode and streaming connection; no universal values |
If a game offers both methods, choose the native online lobby when you want each player to run their own copy and use the game’s online systems. Choose Remote Play Together when the game’s multiplayer is local or when only the host has the game.
Troubleshoot the most common failures
No “Invite to Remote Play Together” option
- Verify that the title supports Remote Play Together or local multiplayer.
- Launch the game through Steam and keep it running before opening the Friends List.
- Check that you are inviting a friend from the Steam account you intend to use.
If the feature is supported but still absent, close and relaunch the game through Steam, then reopen the overlay while the local multiplayer screen is visible.
There is no private-lobby setting
- Look under Multiplayer, Play With Friends, Create Lobby, Host or Lobby Permissions.
- Check whether privacy appears only after selecting a game mode or map.
- Do not assume Steam’s Mark Private control replaces a missing in-game lobby permission.
Some games expose only their native online controls and do not provide a separate private-lobby switch. In that case, use the title’s documented invitation or password mechanism.
Quick Recap
A friend cannot join the native lobby
- Confirm that the invitation went to the intended Steam account.
- Make sure both players are connected to Steam and that the host’s lobby is still open.
- Check whether the title requires every player to own the game or meet a platform or subscription requirement.
- Consult the game’s support documentation for title-specific lobby behavior.
A Remote Play guest joins but has no input
- Connect or pair a compatible controller.
- Open the Remote Play overlay and verify that the guest’s device is assigned to a player.
- Review keyboard-and-mouse and controller-sharing permissions on the host.
- Return to the game’s local player-selection screen and have the guest press the join button.
Unwanted players appear
- End or close the public lobby.
- Recreate it with Private, Friends Only or Invite Only permissions.
- Send direct invitations only after the restricted setting is active.
A quick pre-session checklist
- Identify whether the title uses native online multiplayer or local multiplayer.
- Choose the matching setup route before inviting anyone.
- Set privacy before the lobby or Remote Play session becomes joinable.
- Confirm ownership requirements for every participant.
- Connect and assign controllers before starting a local co-op game.
- Check the roster and input response before launching the match.
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