The official test version has been released for Project Zomboid Build 41. This guide includes information on how to play over Steam’s Remote Play Together Feature.
To find out how to play the official test version of Build 41 Internet Multiplayer check out this guide.
Project Zomboid has been one of the most successful hardcore top-down RPGs coming out of Steams early access program. Through constant development and updating the game’s player base has grown exponentially and deservedly so.
The latest stable beta build for Project Zomboid, Build 41, has seen a ton of new features and content added to the game. Features like the ability to exercise, new survival mechanics and actions and a bunch of other random things. One of the things unfortunately missing from the latest branch is multiplayer. As the multiplayer is not yet at a great playable state the option for multiplayer has been temporarily removed from the iwbums branch of the game. Luckily there is a way that you can still play multiplayer with a friend online through steam.
To stay up to date with the latest multiplayer development news you can check out the official developer blog. They recently released a statement regarding the multiplayer aspect of the beta version (Build 41) which you can read here.
Playing Online Co-op in Build 41
By utilizing Steam’s remote play together feature you can have another player from your steam friends join a local multiplayer game on your steam library. Check out this guide to setting up remote play together.
To start up a multiplayer game, connect a controller to your computer via bluetooth or USB. Start up a game as usual. The game natively supports coop for 2-4 players on one screen. You can start any save as usual if you plan to play multiplayer with friends over steam. Due to the drop-in drop-out functionality of the game, at any time more player can join in.
For starters, you will just need to launch the game and press shift+tab to open up the steam overlay. Once you have made it to the steam overlay, simply right click a friend and invite them to play together remotely. The other players can either play using the keyboard and mouse or a USB controller connected to their computers. Be aware due to input and video lag a decent internet connection is suggested for both players as streaming video games a lot of bandwidth.
Quick-Start Guide to Remote Play Project Zomboid
Here is a quick guide on how to get started with Project Zomboid multiplayer over Steam Remote PLay Together:
- Start up Project Zomboid on Steam
- Press the Shift+Tab key to open up the Steam overlay.
- Navigate to your friends list and right-click a friends name.
- Select the option Remote Play Together. This will open up the Remote Play panel where you can configure some settings.
- Your friends can play with a Steam Supported gamepad as long as it is connected to their computer. (From the panel you can also give them access to the mouse and keyboard if you would rather use the gamepad)
- On the second controller press the A button (If it’s an xbox controller) and select Add new player from the menu at the top-left of the screen.
- Create a character, decide a spawn location and enjoy playing the latest build of Project Zomboid with your friends in split-screen!
How Many Players?
Project Zomboid supports up to 4 players locally. When you invite others to play you are essentially just streaming you game to them and allowing them to also control things on the screen. The best part about playing Project Zomboid multiplayer over Steam is that the other players don’t even have to have the game to be able to play it in multiplayer.
If playing with only 2 players, the second player is able to use their mouse and keyboard if the first (host) player has a controller plugged in. That being said, if the second player also has a controller they can choose to use it through the Remote play feature as well! Simply connect the controller and select the option through the remote play together interface.
Native Multiplayer in Project Zomboid Build 41
Until build 41 has a stable release of multiplayer this is the only way that you can play the Build 41 of Project Zomboid together with friends. The developers have been sharing their successes and failures of their usual tests for the multiplayer branch of the game. You can check out the official Project Zomboid blog here to see how the developers are going with the multiplayer aspect of the game. On the latest multiplayer test some of the participants are describing that the general state of multiplayer is definitely improving but there is still some work to go in order to squash out the bugs and deliver a solid experience.
The only quarl i have is the inventory float ui. for example, player one ( on my monitor at least) inventory overshadowed the entire right side of the screen, tottaly dicking my friend over countlesstimes… is there a work around for this ?
The Inventory UI has always been a bit difficult for me in Split Screen as well. Same story now that I am playing through Baldurs Gate 3 with my partner. (Which has us both sitting 2 foot from the tv screen to try to read anything.) Unfortunately the only thing you can do is drag it over to your side of the screen. The UI should remember its Location the next time you open/close it once you’ve set it once.
Would it be possible to host a dedicated server of -some- version of build 41 using filezilla and nitrado? is there maybe a more stable “41.xx” that is more stable than the latest?
Hi there! I unfortunately don’t have any experience hosting using filezilla or nitrado so I can’t help you there. In terms of builds, there is a more stable version you can choose. When you go into the properties of Project Zomboid on Steam (By right-clicking and selecting it) you can go to the Betas tab and change your game version. The IWBUMS (I will back up my save) is always the most current ‘experimental’ version and there is another version called “build41 – build41 – Most recent beta build!”. This one is more stable than the iwbums.
Hope that helped!
Hi, I wonder can I play multiplayer with my keyboard and mouse?
Hi Cain,
The game is meant to be played split screen on one computer. All Remote Play Together does is allow the other player to see your screen and also input controls. Unfortunately one person will have to use a controller. The host player CAN use the controller and the person that is joining can take over the mouse and keyboard though if you wish. This can be changed at the bottom of the Remote Play Together Menu.
Let me know if you need any more information. 🙂
Is the progression saved too ?
Yeah! The characters will all be saved in the same file.
i figured it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
some people are just too intelligent to whrite a tutorial…
let me fix this one for u guys 😉
1. send ur friend an invite over remote play
2. turn on ur controller
3. friend should turn on his controller and press and hold A (xbox)
4. in the top left corner he can create a new caracter
5. choose spawn location + create character
6. have fun and dont let the Zed’s bite you 🙂
Hey Robi,
There isn’t really any ‘guys’, everything on the site it just written by one person with a love of videogames! (me)
This is one of my older guides and you’re totally right. I’ve added a quick-start guide section on this page with easy-to-understand bullet points. Thanks for the comment.
wow nice but u have forgotten one important thing: the other player dont get a character :)))))))))))) because its a SINGLEPLAYER GAME!
at least on build 41.55 its not possible to play in a singleplayer world together (maybe some guru would find a way)
remote play on fifa for example should work fine but u cant play magicly a singleplayer game in multiplayer.
just stupid clickbait…
Hi Robi, thanks for the comment.
I’m happy to actually tell you that you CAN play together in a Single player world. Project Zomboid HAS a native split-screen multiplayer function that works with Steam’s remote Play together feature. I was playing with a friend on the current version of the game literally two nights ago and he does not have the game on Steam.
You can 100% play Project Zomboid in split screen either personally on the same computer using a controller/controllers or over Remote Play Together. Try it out using the guide!