Friendly Steps Co-op Guide

Quick Answer

Friendly Steps supports 1-4 player co-op on Steam, including Online Co-op and LAN Co-op categories. Co-op is harder than solo because every player has to manage balance while rope tension and route obstacles affect the whole group.

For a first group session, start in No Collision, move slowly, call stops before tight routes, and update every player to the same Steam build before troubleshooting online problems.

Player Count And Modes

Use solo practice for movement rhythm, then add friends once stopping and recovery are predictable.

Beginner Lobby Setup

Before judging whether multiplayer is broken, set up a clean first lobby:

1. Confirm every player has updated Friendly Steps through Steam.
2. Restart Steam for the host and each joining player.
3. Start a fresh lobby instead of retrying a failed one.
4. Begin in No Collision while the group learns movement.
5. Keep the first route slow enough that everyone can stop on call.
6. Switch host once if the same player cannot connect.
7. Compare repeated failures with Known Issues before reporting.

Rope-Linked Pacing

The rope can make one player's bad angle affect the whole group. That is part of the co-op challenge, but it also means the best team habit is communication.

Useful callouts:

• "Stop" when one player is tipping or trapped.
• "Stable" when a player has recovered posture.
• "Rope tight" before the group pulls through a narrow route.
• "Reset" when a fall is already happening.
• "Host check" when the problem looks like a lobby or connection issue instead of movement.

Do not drag a fallen teammate through stairs, bridges, underpasses, raft drops, or narrow corners. Let them recover first, then restart movement together.

Online Co-op Checks

If Online Co-op fails, separate connection problems from normal physics failures:

If LAN Co-op works but Online Co-op does not, record the host, client, region, firewall/VPN state and whether switching host changes the result.

Collision, No Collision And Hardcore In Co-op

No Collision is the best first co-op setting because the group can learn stopping, pacing, and route reading before adding the harsher physics challenge. Patch 1.7.1 changed No Collision so pulling a leg too far should no longer make the character fall in that mode.

Use Collision when the group wants the rougher intended challenge. Save Hardcore for experienced players who already recover from falls and rope tension consistently.

Patch 1.7.1 Co-op Notes

Patch 1.7.1 is important for co-op because it includes rope and loading fixes. The public patch notes cover:

• Rope stuck in underpass handrails.
• Rope stuck when dropping onto a raft.
• Steam failed to initialise after repeated clicking during loading.
• No Collision balance behavior.
• Foot-shadow display after falling.

If a patched rope issue still happens after updating, collect route location, player count, host, Collision or No Collision setting, build version, and a short clip.

Teamwork Tips

1. Assign one player to call starts and stops.
2. Cross tight spaces one movement at a time.
3. Let the slowest player set the pace.
4. Recover one fallen player before everyone moves again.
5. Change only one variable when troubleshooting: host, setting, route, or connection.

Related Pages

• Beginner Guide is the best first page for movement, falling, and first-session setup.
• Controls explains movement settings, controller support, keyboard binding status, and recovery habits.
• Known Issues covers online fixes, Patch 1.7.1 rope fixes, and evidence needed for reports.
• Release Date tracks release status and early patch history.

Sources

• Steam Store
• Steam Community
• Patch 1.7.1 on Steam News
• Patch 1.7.1 on SteamDB