How to Fish multiplayer: player limit & co-op
Solo fishing or a lobby with friends. Here is the player count, what the store says, and what is not documented.
Up to 8 players. Patch 1.0.4 added lobbies of up to eight. The store description still introduces the game as a 1–4 player experience, so many sites say four. You can also play alone, and since patch 1.0.5 you can host invite-only private lobbies.
How many players? Player limit and max players
The original store description uses 1–4 players. The later developer patch notes explicitly added support for up to eight. We give the newer patch note priority for lobby capacity.
Developer: Developer announcements — patches 1.0.4–1.1.3 ↗Official store: Official How to Fish Steam store ↗Why do some sites say four players?
They are reading the store text, which was not updated when the lobby cap was raised. If you need more than four people, host a lobby and check that everyone is on the latest version first.
Can you play alone?
Yes. Single-player and online co-op are both listed on Steam.
Official store: Official How to Fish Steam store ↗Can I keep a lobby private?
Patch 1.0.5 added invite-only private lobbies. Use a private lobby when you want to play with your own group.
Developer: Developer announcements — patches 1.0.4–1.1.3 ↗Is How to Fish online? Do you need internet?
Online co-op is a listed feature, and the listed requirements include a broadband internet connection. We have found no browser or offline-LAN version.
Official store: Official How to Fish Steam store ↗Voice chat and lobby options
Steam lists in-game chat and online interactivity for the game. Patch 1.0.12 updated the voice chat library to version 4.3 and fixed an issue where joining a lobby overrode your maximum frame rate. Patch 1.0.11 added a nametag toggle and made you die from your own explosives even with friendly fire disabled, which matters in a full lobby.
Developer: Developer announcements — patches 1.0.4–1.1.3 ↗Connection problems and session settings
Patch 1.0.9 added a short Steam connection debug in the main menu: if the Steam relay text turns red, the developers point to the #common-bugs channel in their community Discord for fixes. Patch 1.0.5 let the host change session type in server settings while in game (it needs a restart), and patch 1.0.10 increased the time allowed to connect to lower the chance of being disconnected instantly. Patch 1.0.4 fixed a black screen when joining a lobby.
Developer: Developer announcements — patches 1.0.4–1.1.3 ↗Is crossplay available?
The sources checked do not list native console releases or console crossplay. The developer says console versions are planned with no date. Do not confuse online PC co-op with cross-platform support. See platforms and PS5.
Developer: Dazed Games website FAQ — consoles, Mac and free keys ↗Playing bosses in a group
Players coordinate who draws the boss and who fires. See the pufferfish and giant piranha guides for what they recommend.