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Permafrost Co-op: Hosting, Joining and Save Rules

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Quick answer: Permafrost supports 1–4 players in online co-op, PvE only. One player hosts the world from the main menu, friends join via the server browser or Steam invites. The save belongs to the host, there are no dedicated servers, and no crossplay — the game is Windows-only for now.

Hosting a session

  1. From the main menu choose Play → Host.
  2. Set a world name, an optional password, player slots (4 total, including you), public or private visibility, and the world preset: Story, Survival or Custom.
  3. Custom exposes sliders for hunger/nutrition, damage taken, stamina, friendly fire, temperature, skill XP, building points and item loss on death — and settings can be changed later.
  4. Create the world and play. Guests can only join once you've reached the cabin in the opening sequence.

Joining a friend

  • Server browser: Play → Join, then search the exact world name. New worlds can take a few minutes to appear — use the toggle/refresh controls before assuming it failed.
  • Steam invites: after the October 11 patch ("Quest Fixes & Steam Invites"), invites work — but the guest must have the game running and sit at the main menu before accepting.
  • If nothing works, see Can't join friends — fixes.

Save and progress rules

  • The world save lives with the host. All quest and world progress is tied to that save; if the host is offline, nobody can play that world.
  • Characters are world-bound — you cannot move a character between different hosts' worlds.
  • The host should save before anyone leaves; the autosave interval can be long.
  • Each player needs their own copy of the game.

Living together: the house rules

  • Beds are personal — each player claims their own respawn bed.
  • Rest vs sleep: resting passes time only when everyone sleeps, so mixed schedules work.
  • Friendly fire is always on. Watch your swings.
  • Merchants serve one player at a time.
  • Some world-found loot and recipes go only to the player who picked them up — share deliberately.
  • In-game voice chat is on V; emotes live in the radial menu.
  • Only the host gets the dog companion; guests may see just its floating harness (known cosmetic bug).
  • Dev guidance so far: main-story and Skinwalker quest steps are best completed by the host solo.

Player count FAQ

The cap is 4 players total (you plus up to 3 friends). There is no supported way to host more — third-party server providers list the game, but no real dedicated-server product exists yet. Details: dedicated servers.

Crossplay

There is no crossplay: Permafrost is currently Windows-only, and cross-store play (Steam/GOG/Epic) is not live yet. Details: crossplay status.

Known Early Access quirks

  • Occasional kicks, rubber-banding and desync are on the developers' known-issues list.
  • Inventory tabs cycling? Unplug extra controllers or disable Steam Input.
  • A playtest bug that ate inventory when a client quit during server load has been fixed.

FAQ

Can we play the story together? Yes — progress is shared in the host's world; just let the host drive story quests.

Is there local/split-screen co-op? No — online co-op only, one PC and one copy each.

Related: Can't join friends? Fixes · Dedicated servers · Solo play

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