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Yes, Cult of the Lamb has two-player co-op, but it is primarily local co-op. The free Unholy Alliance update adds the Goat as a second playable character, allowing the Lamb and Goat to complete the campaign together and play two-player versions of fishing and Knucklebones.

There is no documented native online multiplayer or cross-play between Switch, PlayStation, Xbox and PC. Steam Remote Play is the supported workaround for playing the local mode with a friend remotely from a Steam host. Broad cross-save is also unavailable; Apple Arcade is the limited exception, with saves restricted to that ecosystem.

At a glance

Feature What Cult of the Lamb supports Important limitation
Local co-op Two players, with one controlling the Lamb and the other controlling the Goat Both players need to use the same console or computer
Campaign co-op The full campaign can be played by the Lamb and Goat together The documentation does not describe separate, portable co-op save files
Minigame co-op Two-player versions of fishing and Knucklebones These are local activities, not cross-platform matchmaking
Native online multiplayer Not documented The developer said online multiplayer would require rebuilding the game
Steam Remote Play A Steam host can share the local co-op session with a remote friend This is streamed access to one host’s game, not cross-play
Native cross-play Not documented A Switch, PlayStation, Xbox or PC player cannot join a common platform lobby
Broad cross-save Not supported according to the cited developer and platform statements Apple Arcade’s save support is limited to the Apple Arcade ecosystem

How Cult of the Lamb co-op works

The Goat is the second playable character

Unholy Alliance adds the Goat as the second character. In a two-player session, one person plays the Lamb and the other plays the Goat. This is not an optional companion controlled by the game: each character is controlled by a human player using a second controller.

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The update was announced by Devolver Digital on July 29, 2024, and described as a free major update. Its announcement says that one player inhabits the Lamb while the other takes on the Goat. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 availability was announced for August 12, 2024, while current Xbox and Nintendo store descriptions also identify the Goat’s local co-op mode.

#1 Best Overall
Cult of the Lamb Standard Edition – Nintendo Switch
  • Start your own cult in a land of false prophets
  • Venture out into diverse and mysterious regions to build a loyal community of woodland Followers
  • Repay your debt by building a loyal following
  • Spread your Word to become the one true cult!

What two players can do together

The Lamb and Goat can play through the campaign together. That includes the game’s normal progression rather than a separate, shortened multiplayer challenge. The same update also adds two-player versions of fishing and Knucklebones, so those activities can be played cooperatively or competitively with the second person present.

Platform listings describe the feature as local multiplayer and shared or split screen. The exact presentation can vary by platform, but the defining requirement is the same: both players are participating in one local game session.

How to start local co-op

The wording of menus can vary between console and PC editions, but the setup follows the same sequence.

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  1. Install the current game update. Unholy Alliance is the update that adds the Goat and two-player mode. If the Goat or co-op option is missing, finish updating the game before troubleshooting controllers.
  2. Use one supported console or computer. Local co-op is not two separate copies connecting over the internet. Both players join the same running session.
  3. Connect two controllers. On a console, pair the second controller with the console profile or guest account as required by that platform. On PC, make sure Steam and the operating system recognize both input devices before launching the game.
  4. Open the co-op or Unholy Alliance option. From the game’s available multiplayer prompt or mode selection, add the second player. The interface may ask the second person to press a controller button to join.
  5. Assign the characters. One controller is assigned to the Lamb and the other to the Goat. The game then loads the shared campaign or activity with both characters active.
  6. Check the display mode. Depending on the platform and scene, the game may use a shared view or split-screen presentation. If one player appears unable to move, check that both controllers are still assigned and have not disconnected.

The cited platform listings establish two-player local capability, but they do not specify a universal menu path or a requirement for two separate user accounts. If a particular platform displays a profile-selection prompt, follow that platform’s normal local-multiplayer account rules.

Rank #2
Cult of the Lamb - Definitive Edition - Nintendo Switch
  • Build your flock: Collect and use resources to build new structures, perform dark rituals to appease the gods, and give sermons to reinforce the faith of your flock.
  • Destroy the non-believers: Explore a sprawling, randomly generated world, fight off hordes of enemies and defeat rival cult leaders in order to absorb their power and assert your cult's dominance.
  • Spread the word: Train your flock and embark on a quest to explore and discover the secrets of five mysterious regions. Cleanse the non-believers, spread enlightenment and perform mystical rituals on the journey to become the mighty lamb god.

Is Cult of the Lamb an online multiplayer game?

Not in the native, built-in sense. The developer’s June 2024 community update explains that adding online multiplayer would require rebuilding the game from scratch and would need effectively unlimited time and money. The same update says online multiplayer is something the studio would like to do in the future, not a feature included in Unholy Alliance.

That distinction matters because a normal online multiplayer game lets each participant connect from a separate device, often with matchmaking, invitations or a persistent online lobby. Cult of the Lamb’s documented co-op mode instead starts as local multiplayer on one machine.

Can you play remotely with Steam Remote Play?

Steam Remote Play is the documented way to play the local mode with a friend who is somewhere else. It allows the Steam owner running Cult of the Lamb to share that local session with another person through Steam. The remote participant sends controller input to the host’s game while the host’s video is streamed to them.

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Because the session remains the host’s local game, Remote Play does not turn Cult of the Lamb into a native online multiplayer title. It also does not create a cross-platform lobby. A friend on Switch, PlayStation or Xbox cannot use Steam Remote Play to join a Steam host as though all platforms supported cross-play.

Rank #3
Cult of the Lamb
  • BUILD YOUR FLOCK - Collect and use resources to build new structures, perform dark rituals to appease the gods, and give sermons to reinforce the faith of your flock
  • DESTROY THE NON-BELIEVERS - Explore a sprawling, randomly generated world, fight off hordes of enemies and defeat rival cult leaders in order to absorb their power and assert your cult's dominance
  • SPREAD YOUR WORD - Train your flock and embark on a quest to explore and discover the secrets

Steam Remote Play setup

  1. Launch Cult of the Lamb on Steam. The Steam player who owns and runs the game is the host.
  2. Open Steam’s friends or overlay controls. Use the Remote Play Together invitation option associated with the running game. Steam’s label and overlay layout can change, so look for the current Remote Play Together command rather than a separate in-game online mode.
  3. Invite the remote friend. The friend accepts the Steam invitation and connects to the host’s session.
  4. Give the guest a controller. Remote Play passes the guest’s input into the host’s local co-op session. The host may need to enable or assign the guest’s controller in Steam’s session controls.
  5. Join as the second character. Once the remote controller is recognized, use the game’s local co-op join prompt to add the second player as the Goat.

Network quality affects the experience because Remote Play is streaming the host’s game rather than transferring the game world to a second native client. If the guest sees delay or an unstable picture, check both players’ connections, close competing network-heavy applications and reduce streaming quality in Steam before assuming that co-op itself is unavailable.

Does Cult of the Lamb have cross-play?

There is no documented native cross-play. The first-party descriptions for the update and platform listings focus on local multiplayer, shared screen or split screen. They do not describe matchmaking or a shared online service connecting the Switch, PlayStation, Xbox and PC editions.

In practical terms, the following arrangement is not documented as supported: one person playing on Switch, another on PlayStation 5 and a third on PC joining the same online campaign. The available feature is two players in one local session, with Steam Remote Play providing a remote connection only when the host is running the Steam edition.

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Cross-play versus Remote Play

Question Native cross-play Steam Remote Play
Do players use separate game clients? Normally yes No; the guest connects to the host’s running session
Can different console families join? Would require a documented cross-platform service No; the documented feature is for a Steam host and Steam’s remote session
Is there an online lobby or matchmaking? Not documented for Cult of the Lamb No; the host invites a friend to a local co-op session
Is the session still local co-op? No Yes, with the local session shared remotely

Does Cult of the Lamb have cross-save?

Broad cross-save is not available according to the cited platform and developer statements. You should not assume that a save made on PC can be downloaded on Switch, or that a PlayStation campaign will appear automatically on Xbox.

Rank #4
Cult of the Lamb Collector's Edition - Nintendo Switch
  • Build your flock: Collect and use resources to build new structures, perform dark rituals to appease the gods, and give sermons to reinforce the faith of your flock.
  • Destroy the non-believers: Explore a sprawling, randomly generated world, fight off hordes of enemies and defeat rival cult leaders in order to absorb their power and assert your cult's dominance.
  • Spread the word: Train your flock and embark on a quest to explore and discover the secrets of five mysterious regions. Cleanse the non-believers, spread enlightenment and perform mystical rituals on the journey to become the mighty lamb god.
  • Cult of the Lamb: Definitive Edition, Heretic Pack, Sinful Pack, Pilgrim Pack, Woolhaven DLC
  • Oracle Deck, Exclusive Hardcover Artbook, Exclusive Collectible 7" Vinyl, Exclusive Double-sided ICONART metal poster, Exclusive SteelBook, The Pilgrim Comic Book, Premium Collector´s Outer Box

Apple Arcade is an ecosystem-limited exception

Apple’s Cult of the Lamb listing explicitly says that the Apple Arcade version does not support cross-save platforms outside the Apple Arcade ecosystem. That wording sets a boundary: any save synchronization available through the Apple edition is limited to compatible Apple Arcade versions and does not establish transfer to console, PC or another storefront.

It is therefore safer to treat an Apple Arcade save as an Apple-platform save. Before changing devices, verify that both devices are signed into the same Apple account and still support the Apple Arcade edition, but do not expect that process to import a console or Steam save.

The developer’s stated status

On August 28, 2024, a Massive Monster developer account replied to a Steam Community question about future cross-save and cross-play with: “It is not planned!” That is the clearest dated developer status in the cited material. It describes the plan at that time; it is not a guarantee that the policy can never change in a later update.

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What each platform’s listing confirms

Platform or edition Documented capability What it does not establish
Xbox Xbox local multiplayer listed as 2–2, with shared or split-screen play Cross-platform online multiplayer or cross-save
PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 One-to-two-player support for the local co-op update A PlayStation player joining another platform online
Nintendo Switch Local Goat co-op and two-player campaign support in the current description Joining a PlayStation, Xbox or PC session over the internet
Steam Local co-op, with Steam Remote Play offered for remote friends Native cross-play with console editions
Apple Arcade Save behavior within the Apple Arcade ecosystem, subject to Apple’s listing Save transfer outside that ecosystem

Store descriptions and game updates can change, so check the current listing for your exact edition before purchasing or moving platforms. In particular, confirm that Unholy Alliance is installed and that the edition is receiving current patches.

Best Value
Cult of the Lamb Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
  • SPREAD YOUR WORD
  • Train your flock and embark on a quest to explore and discover the secrets of five mysterious regions. Cleanse the non-believers, spread enlightenment and perform mystical rituals on the journey to become the mighty lamb god.A Nintendo Switch Online membership may be required for online play. Please check the game detail page on Nintendo.com for membership requirements. Copyright Massive Monster 2022. All Rights Reserved.

Common situations and the correct answer

“Can two people play on one Switch?”

Yes, provided the Switch edition is updated and both players have compatible controllers. This is local two-player co-op: one player is the Lamb and the other is the Goat.

“Can I play on Switch with someone on PS5?”

Not through a documented native cross-play feature. The available descriptions support local sessions, not a shared Switch-to-PlayStation online lobby.

“Can a friend join my PC game from another city?”

If the PC version is running through Steam, use Steam Remote Play to share the host’s local co-op session. This is the documented remote option, not a general online mode.

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“Will my PC save appear on Switch?”

No broad cross-save system is documented. The cited Apple exception applies only within the Apple Arcade ecosystem, and the developer’s August 2024 statement said cross-save was not planned at that time.

“Do I need two copies of the game for local co-op?”

The local mode is designed for two players on one running copy and one device. The cited material does not specify separate purchases or accounts for every platform, so follow the console’s normal controller and guest-profile requirements.

Before you buy or switch platforms

  • Choose local co-op if both players can use the same screen and device.
  • Choose Steam if remote participation is essential and Steam Remote Play is acceptable.
  • Do not buy a second-platform edition expecting automatic save transfer.
  • Check that the listing for your exact edition includes Unholy Alliance and current patches.
  • For Apple Arcade, keep expectations inside the Apple Arcade ecosystem; its listing excludes cross-save outside that ecosystem.

The feature set is consequently straightforward: Unholy Alliance delivers a genuine two-player campaign on one system, while Steam Remote Play extends that local session to a remote friend. Native online multiplayer, cross-play across console families and broad cross-save remain undocumented or unavailable in the cited status statements.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Cult of the Lamb Standard Edition – Nintendo Switch
Cult of the Lamb Standard Edition – Nintendo Switch
Start your own cult in a land of false prophets; Repay your debt by building a loyal following
$19.93
Bestseller No. 3
Bestseller No. 5

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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