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To play Don’t Starve Together with friends, one player hosts a world and chooses who can see it. Set the server to Friends Only for a private session, Public for open joining, or Local Only for players on the same network. Friends then use the game’s join or browse screen to select that world. On Nintendo Switch, two people can share one console with split-screen; online split-screen requires an active Nintendo Switch Online membership for both players.
Don’t Starve Together is available on PC (Steam), PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. The official pages used for this guide do not establish a current PC-to-console cross-play policy, so assume everyone must use the same platform ecosystem unless Klei confirms compatibility for your exact versions.
What you need before starting
Decide first whether you are playing on separate devices, sharing one Nintendo Switch, using a local network, or running a persistent dedicated server. The right setup changes the required controls, privacy setting, and subscription.
- Separate-device internet play: Every player needs the game, an online connection, and access to the same supported platform ecosystem. One player acts as host.
- Nintendo Switch split-screen: One console and two configured controllers are required. Both players need Nintendo Switch Online when the split-screen world will be online.
- Offline or LAN play: You can avoid internet matchmaking, but players must be in the same room or on the same local network, and some online features are unavailable.
- Dedicated server: Use this when your group wants a world that can remain available without the original host playing. It requires command-line and server configuration work.
Klei describes the game as supporting cooperation in a private game or meeting new friends online. Your host owns the save slot and determines its visibility, so choose that person carefully if you want one continuing world.
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How to host an online game for friends
- Get everyone online. Each player should sign in to the same platform ecosystem and appear online to the platform’s friends system.
- Open Don’t Starve Together and choose Host Game. The host selects an available save slot and the preferred world playstyle.
- Choose server visibility. Select Friends Only for a private session limited to the host’s friends, or Public if any online player may join. Use Local Only only when the intended players are on the same local network.
- Create the world. After the host confirms the settings, the game generates or loads the selected world. Keep the host in the game while friends connect.
- Have friends join. Each friend opens the corresponding join or browse option and selects the host’s listing. Depending on the platform, an invite or an entry in the game browser may be available.
- Confirm the correct listing. If several worlds have similar names, match the host, platform connection type, and visibility before joining.
The host’s visibility choice is the main invitation control. You do not need to make a private world public just to let friends in: Friends Only is the normal setting for a closed group.
Friends Only versus Public versus Local Only
| Setting | Who can join | Best use | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friends Only | Players recognized through the host’s friends list | Private internet sessions | Friends must be online and browsing the right platform connection. |
| Public | Any eligible online player who finds the listing | Open games or filling empty slots | Strangers may join; it is not a private invitation. |
| Local Only | Players on the same local-area network | LAN parties and local-network play | It is not an internet setting. |
How friends join your Don’t Starve Together world
Joining is normally a browse-and-select process rather than a separate server address. The friend opens the game’s join or browse screen, chooses the connection type that matches the host, and selects the host’s visible world. If the host sent a platform invitation, accepting it should lead to the same world; otherwise use the listing in the browser.
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- Ask the host which visibility setting was selected. A Friends Only world will not appear to players who are not recognized as friends on that platform.
- Check that the joining player is browsing the correct connection type. A LAN browser will not show an internet listing, and an internet browser will not show a Local Only game.
- Confirm that both players are using the same supported platform ecosystem. Official platform lists do not by themselves prove cross-platform play.
- Have the host return to the lobby or restart the hosting process, then browse again from the joining player’s side.
- Make sure nobody is accidentally looking at a different save slot or an old listing with a similar name.
Do not change to Public as a first troubleshooting step if privacy matters. Verify the friend relationship and browser filter before exposing the world to everyone.
Can Don’t Starve Together cross-play between PC and console?
The official platform information lists PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, iOS, and Android versions, but the official pages available for this guide do not clearly confirm a current PC-to-console cross-play policy. Treat cross-platform compatibility as unresolved until Klei confirms it for the exact platforms and versions in your group.
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The safest plan is to put every player on the same platform ecosystem, keep the game updated, and test a short hosted session before investing time in a long-term world. A friend appearing in your platform-wide social list does not, by itself, prove that the game can place both of you in one world.
Nintendo Switch split-screen: two players on one console
Klei’s Nintendo Switch instructions, updated June 26, 2025, support local split-screen and online split-screen. The console must have two controllers configured before the game can add the second player.
Online split-screen setup
- From the Nintendo Switch Home Menu, open Controllers and configure both controllers.
- Start Don’t Starve Together and wait at the main menu.
- Player 2 presses the join button on the second controller. The default button documented by Klei is +.
- Player 1 selects Host Game, chooses a save slot, and selects the world playstyle.
- Choose Public, Friends Only, or Local Only, depending on who should be able to join.
- When both split-screen players are ready, Player 1 presses + to generate the world.
For an online split-screen server, both people using the console need active Nintendo Switch Online memberships. If either player lacks the membership, Klei says the split-screen server defaults to offline mode and uses cached inventory data.
Offline split-screen
- Start the game and choose PLAY OFFLINE.
- Have Player 2 press + on the second configured controller.
- Player 1 chooses Host Game and selects the desired save slot and playstyle.
- Use Local Only for the split-screen world.
This option is appropriate when you want two people on one Switch without an online subscription or internet session. Its world is not an internet lobby for remote friends.
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Switch LAN play
For players on the same local network, the joining console opens Browse Games and changes the connection filter to LAN. Games available on that local network then appear in the listing. A LAN listing is separate from an internet listing, so selecting the wrong filter can make a working host look unavailable.
Choosing the right multiplayer method
| Method | Distance | Input | Privacy | Subscription or requirement | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online, separate devices | Internet | One device per player | Friends Only or Public | Platform online requirements may apply | Friends are in different homes. |
| Switch split-screen online | Same room plus internet | Two controllers on one Switch | Friends Only, Public, or Local Only | Nintendo Switch Online for both split-screen players | Two local players want to join remote friends. |
| Switch split-screen offline | Same room | Two controllers on one Switch | Local Only | No online membership; offline mode | Two people want a self-contained local session. |
| LAN | Same local network | Separate devices | Local Only | Devices on the same LAN | A home or event network is available. |
| Dedicated server | Usually internet or LAN | Separate devices | Configured by the server | Server administration and configuration | The group needs a persistent world independent of one host’s play time. |
How to run a dedicated server
A dedicated server is for experienced hosts who want persistence rather than the simplest invitation flow. The server runs separately from the player who is currently playing, so friends can return to the same world without waiting for a particular person to host from the game menu.
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Klei’s command-line documentation describes a configurable 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. Those are server configuration values, not a promise that every platform, world, or connection will perform well with 64 simultaneous players.
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 is useful for a LAN, not for inviting remote friends over the internet.
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When a dedicated server is worth the effort
- Several people play at different times and need the world to remain available.
- The group can manage command-line settings, save files, and server restarts.
- You need a controlled environment instead of a temporary browser listing.
For a small group playing together at the same time, the ordinary Host Game flow is usually simpler and avoids unnecessary server administration.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common problems and fixes
“My friend cannot find my game.”
Check the host’s visibility first, then verify the friend’s browser filter. Friends Only requires the correct platform friendship relationship; Local Only requires the same local network. If the host is using an internet session, the friend should not be browsing LAN games.
“The game appears, but joining fails.”
Confirm that both players are online, using the same supported platform ecosystem, and running compatible current versions. Have the host leave and recreate the lobby, then have the friend browse again. If the world is full or the host selected a different save slot, the visible listing may not be the intended session.
“Switch Player 2 cannot join.”
Return to the Home Menu’s Controllers option and configure the second controller again. At the game’s main menu, Player 2 must press the controller’s join button; Klei documents + as the default. If the game was started in a mode that does not allow the intended connection, restart and choose the matching host option.
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“Online Switch split-screen became offline.”
Verify Nintendo Switch Online membership for both split-screen players. Klei states that if either player lacks the membership, the split-screen server defaults to offline mode and uses cached inventory data.
“A LAN game is invisible.”
Ensure every device is connected to the same local network. On a joining Switch, open Browse Games and set the connection filter to LAN. Do not expect a LAN-only world to appear in the normal internet browser.
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Because the host selects the save slot and controls visibility, agree on one primary host before beginning a long-running world. Use Friends Only when the group wants privacy, and avoid Public unless everyone accepts that unknown players may enter. For a world that must be available while the original host is away, consider a dedicated server only if someone in the group is prepared to administer it.
Before committing to a large build or a long survival run, test the complete route your group will use: host the intended visibility, have every player join, and, on Switch, verify whether the session is online, offline, or LAN. This catches platform and membership problems before they affect the main save.
Quick Recap
Quick setup checklist
- Everyone has the game on a supported, compatible platform ecosystem.
- The host has selected the correct save slot and playstyle.
- Friends Only is selected for a private internet game.
- Public is selected only when open joining is intentional.
- Local Only is selected for LAN or offline play.
- Switch split-screen players have two controllers configured.
- Both Switch split-screen players have Nintendo Switch Online for online play.
- LAN joiners are browsing with the LAN filter.
- Cross-platform assumptions have been verified rather than inferred from the platform list.
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