How to play Multiplayer in Enshrouded

Enshrouded multiplayer modes are simple to initially set up, but can be hard to play with friends in the future if the original host isn't online.

To help you get to grips with the different types of multiplayer - locally hosted and dedicated servers - we've explained everything about multiplayer in Enshrouded, from how to play multiplayer, to how multiplayer progression works.

For more help, check out our pages on how to get the Grappling Hook, how to get Resin, and how to get Metal Scraps.

On this page:

Is Enshrouded multiplayer?

Yes, Enshrouded is a multiplayer game that you can play with up to 16 players either by hosting a world, joining a friend's world, or by setting up a server to play with friends.

You can also play Enshrouded as a singleplayer game if teaming up isn't your jam.

How to play multiplayer in Enshrouded

There are two ways to play a multiplayer session in Enshrouded:

• Host or join a local multiplayer world.
• Set up or join a dedicated server world.

Choose 'Host' from the 'Play' menu to select a world - or create a new one - to play with your friends, but be warned that you must be online for your friends to play in this world.

After selecting the world you wish to play with your friends in and changing the maximum number of players you would like to join, click the 'Play' button on that world and then set up a password if you don't want strangers joining. Your friends can then find you by searching for that world in the 'Join' menu and entering the password you created.

If you'd like to have a world where all your friends can play in, no matter if the creator is online or not, then you'll want to create a server instead. Setting one up is a little tricky if you've never done it before, so check out our guide on how to set up a dedicated server in Enshrouded if you want to go down this route.

The process to join a dedicated server multiplayer game is the same: search for the world name from the 'Join' menu, then enter the password.

We've explained multiplayer in greater detail below, but keep in mind that even if you purchase a dedicated server and your friends come and go as they please - the quests are not currently repeatable. This means you miss out on XP gains and quest progression if you aren't online when quests are completed in that world.

Enshrouded multiplayer progression explained

Don't worry about losing characters due to playing multiplayer, as characters can freely swap between servers. This means you can bring them along to a friend's game and level-up just the same as you would in a private, single-player world, then take that same character with you to any other world you please.

No matter what world they're on, your characters keep their:

• Equipment.
• Inventory.
• Levels.
• Skills.
• Map memory (locations and fog of war removed).
• Personal crafting recipes (crafting that does not require a workbench).
• Previously collected Shroud roots (you cannot farm Shroud roots by making new worlds).
• Previously found lore texts and tutorials.
• Towers you found by yourself.

However, characters will not keep:

• The majority of crafting recipes (they are dependent on NPCs and crafting stations unlocked in the world).
• Available NPCs for summon.
• Towers that were found by others and shared with the group.

When it comes to multiplayer progression in regards to the world itself, you're at the mercy of the host, as they can play a world they created offline at any time, but their friends have to join while they are actively hosting to play. You can work around this by buying and playing on a dedicated server.

Lastly, remember that if you aren't playing when friends clear quests, you don't get the XP for it, and can't do those quests yourself when you jump back into that world.

How does multiplayer work in Enshrouded?

If you and your friends are playing on a regular locally hosted multiplayer world set up from the 'Host' section in the 'Play' menu, then the friend who originally created (and subsequently hosts) that world must be online and actively hosting it for friends to play in. This can be a world already created by a player, or a brand new one made just for multiplayer purposes. The original creator can then play that world offline from the 'Private' section in the 'Play' menu.

You can get around these host requirements by buying a dedicated server, but remember that the quests are not currently repeatable, meaning you miss out on XP gains and quest progression if you aren't online when friends complete quests in that world.

The maximum number of players allowed on a world in Enshrouded is 16, but you can set this number lower if you don't need that many (or your CPU can't handle it).

As of writing, there is no PvP mode in Enshrouded, and PvP is not planned. However, the official multiplayer FAQ PvP section states that "Maybe, but only maybe, we are adding some modes in the future just to have some fun on the side."

Have fun playing with friends in Enshrouded!