Multiplayer

99 Nights in the Forest How to Play with Friends and Share Resources

Learn how to set up a co-op game, invite friends, share resources, and take advantage of multiplayer-only features in 99 Nights in the Forest.

Multiplayer99 Nights in the Forest99 Nights in the Forest multiplayerco-op guide how to play with friends

# How to Play with Friends and Share Resources

Surviving the mysterious forest alone is a challenge, but teaming up with friends can turn a desperate struggle into an epic adventure. Multiplayer in *99 Nights in the Forest* supports up to four players in a shared world, where you can build, explore, and fight together. This guide covers everything you need to know about setting up a co-op session, inviting friends, sharing supplies, and leveraging exclusive multiplayer features to thrive well past day 99.

Getting Started with Multiplayer

Before you can survive together, make sure you and your friends meet the basic requirements. All players must own a copy of *99 Nights in the Forest* on the same platform family (PC, console, or mobile). Crossplay is not supported at launch, so stick to the same ecosystem. Each player should update to the latest game version to prevent compatibility issues. If you’re using mods, make sure everyone has the same mods installed, or disable them for a vanilla experience.

Once ready, you can either host a world or join a friend’s game. The host controls the world’s progress, including base buildings, unlocked crafting recipes, and story-related milestones. Guests keep their character’s skills, inventory, and personal progression, but the world state belongs to the host.

How to Host a Co-op Game

1. From the main menu, select **Play**. 2. Choose either **New Game** or **Continue** an existing save. 3. In the pause menu or in-game settings, open the **Multiplayer** tab. 4. Set **Visibility** to **Friends Only** or **Public** if you want to allow anyone to join. We recommend Friends Only for a smoother experience. 5. Optionally, set a **Session Password** if you want an extra layer of privacy. 6. Invite friends directly through the in-game friends list or via your platform’s invite system (Steam, PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, etc.).

Your world will now appear in your friends’ server browser. They can join as long as you remain online.

How to Join a Co-op Game

If a friend is hosting, open the **Multiplayer** menu from the main screen and select **Join Game**. You’ll see a list of available servers from your friends list and any public lobbies. Select the session and enter the password if prompted. Join requests are instant; you’ll spawn at the host’s base or your last known location in that world.

Keep in mind that while you can bring your own character into someone else’s world, you cannot transfer world-specific items like quest objects or unique structures back to your own single-player game. However, most resources, gear, and consumables are transferable, making it easy to gear up in a friend’s advanced world before tackling your own.

Co-op Progression and Shared World Mechanics

In a multiplayer session, progression is mixed. Story quests and world events are tied to the host’s save. If the host hasn’t unlocked a certain area, no one can enter it. However, individual player skills, such as **Foraging**, **Combat**, and **Crafting**, progress independently. This means a new player can earn skill points while helping a veteran host, and those points stay with them permanently.

World difficulty scales with the number of players. More players mean tougher enemies, larger horde events, and scarcer resources in some regions. The upside is that loot drops improve, rare materials spawn more frequently, and certain multiplayer-only bosses appear. Coordination is key to handling these increased threats.

Building and Base Ownership

By default, only the host can place or demolish structures. To allow friends to build, the host must open the **Permissions** menu and toggle **Allow Guest Building** to **On**. You can also set it on a per-player basis. We recommend granting building rights to trusted teammates so everyone can contribute to the base. Use the in-game **Claim Stake** item to assign ownership of specific buildings, preventing accidental destruction.

Shared storage is essential. Craft **Wooden Community Chests** (unlocked early in the multiplayer crafting tree) and place them in common areas. These chests are accessible to all players in the session, regardless of who placed them. For high-value items, you can craft private lockboxes that only the owner can open.

Sharing Resources and Inventory Management

Efficient resource sharing is the backbone of a successful co-op team. Instead of everyone hoarding their own supplies, pool your resources to accelerate progress. Here’s how to make the most of your combined inventory.

Direct Trading and Dropping

The simplest way to share is to open your inventory, select an item, and choose **Drop**. Your teammate can then pick it up. For safer trading, stand close to your friend and open the **Trade** menu by looking at them and pressing the interact key. This opens a secure window where both parties can offer items without risk of loss.

If you’re not near each other, you can also use the **Supply Runner** system. Craft a **Carrier Pigeon** at the **Workshop** to send small items to any player on the map. Carrier pigeons have a limited capacity and take time to arrive, so reserve them for emergencies or critical materials.

Specialized Roles for Maximum Efficiency

Assign each team member a primary role to avoid duplication and cover all survival aspects:

**Gatherer**: Focuses on harvesting wood, stone, fiber, and plant-based materials. They should carry multiple tools and prioritize upgrading their **Gathering Speed** and **Carry Weight** skills.
**Hunter/Scout**: Tracks animals, collects meat, hides, and rare drops. They explore the map and mark resource nodes and danger zones with map markers.
**Builder/Crafter**: Stays near base to process raw materials, construct defenses, and craft advanced gear for the whole team. They benefit from skill points in **Crafting Efficiency** and **Blueprint Knowledge**.
**Chef/Medic**: Manages food and water supplies, cooks meals that provide buffs, and crafts healing items. They should monitor everyone’s health and hunger levels.

Roles can rotate, but having designated experts early on dramatically speeds up progress. Check out our [Efficient Farming Routes for Wood and Stone](/guides/efficient-farming-routes-wood-stone) guide to optimize gatherer routes.

Shared Food and Water Systems

Food and water are communal when you build the right stations. The **Campfire Feast** (a multiplayer-exclusive crafting station) allows players to combine ingredients into large meals that feed the entire team. Each player clicks on the feast to consume a portion, gaining long-lasting buffs like **Well-Fed** and **Hydrated**. Similarly, the **Rain Collector** can be upgraded to a **Communal Water Tank**, which refills everyone’s canteens automatically.

Cooking together also yields better results. When two or more players use the same **Cooking Pot**, the recipe quality improves, increasing buff duration and potency. Coordinate cooking times to ensure no one misses out.

Managing Inventory Across Players

Each player has their own backpack, but you can expand group inventory with **Shared Backpacks**. These are special portable containers that two players can carry together, offering double the slots of a normal backpack. To use it, one player equips the Shared Backpack while the other interacts with the side straps—both can then deposit and withdraw items.

Late-game, craft the **Teleportation Beacon** to instantly send items to and from a central base. Set one up at your main storage hub and carry a portable receiver to beam items directly into the community chest. This eliminates tedious back-and-forth trips.

Multiplayer Exclusive Features

Playing with friends unlocks content that simply doesn’t exist in single-player. These features are designed to encourage teamwork and reward coordinated play.

Co-op Only Crafting Recipes

Several blueprints are only available in multiplayer workshops:

**Double Hammock**: Allows two players to rest simultaneously, skipping the night twice as fast. Perfect for conserving food and avoiding nighttime threats.
**Team Banner**: Place this banner in your base to grant all nearby players a passive buff, such as **+10% movement speed** or **+15% damage resistance**. You can upgrade the banner with rare materials for stronger effects.
**Group Healing Salve**: Applied by one player to another, this salve heals both the user and the target. Essential for combat medics.
**Flare Gun**: Fires a signal flare that all players can see from any distance, useful for marking a meeting point or calling for help.

These recipes are found in hidden caves and after defeating certain bosses. Coordinate exploration with our [Hidden Caves and Secret Areas Guide](/guides/hidden-caves-secret-areas).

Boss Encounters and Events

Several bosses only appear when two or more players are present. The **Forest Guardian**, a massive treant, roams the Ancient Grove and drops rare wood and mystic sap used in high-tier construction. The **Wraith King** emerges during blood moons in multiplayer sessions, requiring split strategies to distract its minions while one player attacks the core.

These fights scale with player count, so a full team of four will face the most challenging version but receive the best loot. Always stock up on health items and repair materials before engaging. See our [Combat and Boss Guide](/guides/combat-boss-guide) for detailed strategies.

Rescue and Revival Mechanics

In single-player, death usually means respawning at base with item loss. In co-op, players can revive fallen teammates. When a player’s health reaches zero, they enter a **Downed State**. They can crawl slowly and must be revived within 60 seconds by another player using a **Bandage** or **Medical Kit**. If all players are downed simultaneously, it’s a game over and the session resets to the last save point.

Reviving consumes the healing item, so always carry extra bandages. You can also craft the **Defibrillator** (late-game) for instant revives with no item consumption, but it has a long cooldown.

Communication and Teamwork Strategies

Clear communication can make or break your survival. Use the in-game voice chat (default push-to-talk key: **V**) or text chat (**Enter**). The **Ping System** (hold **Q** and select from a radial menu) lets you mark points of interest, enemy locations, or resource nodes without speaking. Customize your ping wheel in the settings to include quick commands like “Need Food” or “On My Way”.

Here are some teamwork tips for different situations:

**Base Defense**: Assign watch shifts during the night. While two players sleep, the other two patrol the perimeter and repair defenses. Build overlapping **Spike Traps** and **Flame Turrets** around choke points. Stock the community chest with spare weapons and ammunition.
**Resource Runs**: Travel in pairs. One player carries the gathering tools, while the other carries combat gear for protection. Swap roles halfway through the expedition. Always mark the map with waypoints to avoid getting lost.
**Exploration**: When entering a new biome, have one player scout ahead while another places breadcrumb markers (candles or torches) to mark the path back. Use the **Group Teleportation Rune** (craftable after day 50) to instantly recall all players to the host’s location if someone gets stuck.

Troubleshooting and Common Issues

Multiplayer isn’t always flawless. Here are solutions to frequent problems.

Connection Problems

**Can’t join a friend’s game**: Ensure you’re both on the same platform and game version. Check your platform’s friend settings—sometimes privacy settings block invites. The host should verify their session is set to **Friends Only** and not **Offline**.
**High latency or lag**: Have the player with the fastest internet and most powerful hardware host the game. Reduce in-game graphics settings, disable background downloads, and use a wired connection if possible. On PC, you can lower the **Network Refresh Rate** in the multiplayer options.
**Frequent disconnects**: This may be due to NAT type restrictions. On consoles, set your NAT to **Open** by configuring port forwarding on your router (UDP ports 27015-27030). On PC, ensure Windows Firewall isn’t blocking the game.

Save and Progression Glitches

**Lost progress after joining**: Guest progress is saved automatically when you leave the session. If you exit abruptly, items picked up in the last few minutes may not save. Always use the **Exit to Menu** option to trigger a manual save.
**Host save corruption**: The host should regularly back up their save files. On PC, navigate to `Documents\99Nights\SaveGames` and copy the folder to a safe location. Console players can back up to cloud storage if available.

Balance and Item Duplication

**Duplicate items**: Occasionally, a desync bug causes items to appear duplicated. If this happens, discard the extra items to keep the game fair. Developers are aware of the issue and are working on a patch—check the [latest patch notes](/guides/latest-patch-notes-2025) for updates.

Advanced Co-op Tips for Long-term Survival

Once you’ve established a solid base and reached mid-game, these advanced strategies will keep your team alive well into the 99th night and beyond.

Multiple Bases and Fast Travel

Don’t rely on a single base. Build outposts in key biomes: one near the **Northern Plateaus** for stone and iron, one in the **Misty Swamp** for rare herbs, and a coastal base for fishing. Connect them via the **Zipline Network** if the terrain allows, or use the **Teleportation Pads** once you’ve unlocked the necessary blueprints.

Role Specialization and Skill Trees

Invest skill points strategically. One player should max out **Leadership**, which provides team-wide bonuses when near the leader. Another should focus on **Engineering** to speed up trap and turret construction. Check out our [Weapon Tier List](/guides/weapon-tier-list-best-gear) and [Armor Set Bonuses](/guides/armor-set-bonuses-crafting) guides to optimize combat roles.

Handling the Late-Game Multiplayer Curse

After day 80, a shadow curse begins to affect players in co-op. The curse periodically inflicts **Madness**, causing hallucinations and team damage. To counter it, craft **Cleansing Incense** at the **Alchemy Station** and place it in your base. Only one player needs to craft it, but all must stand within the incense’s radius to remove the debuff. This mechanic is covered in-depth in the [Endgame Content After Day 99](/guides/endgame-content-after-day-99) guide.

Coordinated Night Defense

Nighttime in multiplayer is relentless. Assign fixed positions: two players guard the main gate, one mans the sniper tower, and one stays on repair duty. Use the **Signal Horn** to call for immediate backup. Stockpile **Heavy Arrows** and **Explosive Bolts** for the armored foes that appear late-game.