How to Play Enshrouded With Friends (Co-op vs Server, 2026)

To play Enshrouded with friends, one player clicks Play, hosts a world and sets its name, visibility, password and player limit (up to 16). Friends click Play > Join Game, filter for friends' sessions and enter the password. A hosted co-op world only exists while the host plays. For a world anyone can join any time, run a dedicated server, which also holds up to 16 players.

What are the ways to play Enshrouded together?

The 16 player cap is the game's own limit, for co-op and servers alike. Every player needs their own copy of Enshrouded. The dedicated server software is a free download and needs no license.

How do I host an Enshrouded co-op game?

1. Launch Enshrouded and click Play.
2. Choose to host, then pick your character and the world you want to share, or create a new one.
3. Set the session's name, who can see it (friends or everyone), a password, and the maximum number of players, up to 16.
4. Start the world and send your friends the session name and password.

Your PC now runs the world for everyone: enemies, building physics and every player's actions, while you also play. A small group on a decent PC is fine. Sixteen players spread across Embervale is a lot to ask of one gaming PC and one home upload.

How do friends join an Enshrouded game?

1. Click Play, then Join Game.
2. To find a friend's co-op world, filter to show only friends' sessions. For a dedicated server, tick Show dedicated servers and Show password protected servers.
3. Search for the session or server name.
4. Click Join and enter the password.

On a dedicated server, the password you type decides your role. Servers use user groups such as Admin, Friend and Guest, each with its own password and permissions for kicking, opening chests and editing bases. Typing the Admin password gives you kick and ban rights, the Friend password lets you build. Our Enshrouded password and permissions guide explains how to set them up in enshrouded_server.json.

What happens to progress in Enshrouded multiplayer?

Enshrouded splits progress in two:

• Your character (level, skills, inventory) is saved on your own PC and goes with you to any world.
• The world (bases, map progress, flame level, chests) is saved by whoever hosts it.

So when you play on a friend's co-op world, you keep your character's progress when you leave, but the base you built stays in their world. You can only continue that world when they host it. This is why groups who want a shared base everyone can visit usually end up on a dedicated server.

Co-op or dedicated server: which should we use?

Co-op is the right choice for a duo or a group that always plays together on the same evenings. A dedicated server is the right choice as soon as someone says "can I keep building while you are away?"

How do I keep the Enshrouded world online when the host is offline?

Only a dedicated server does that. The official server is a Windows program installed through SteamCMD as app ID 2278520, configured with enshrouded_server.json, and listening on UDP port 15637. Running it yourself means a machine that stays on, enough RAM and CPU, and a forwarded port. How to make an Enshrouded server walks through it, and Enshrouded server requirements covers the hardware by group size.

Already playing in co-op? You can move the host's world to the server. The world file is named with an 8 character ID, and the server loads the one named 3ad85aea. Our save transfer guide shows where the files live and how to rename them.

Can PC and PS5 players play Enshrouded together?

No, not at the 1.0 launch. Enshrouded 1.0 releases on 15 October 2026 on PC and PlayStation 5, as Keen announced on Steam, and Keen Games said in July 2026 that crossplay would not be ready for 1.0, with no date given. The dedicated server is a Steam application, so only PC players can join it. PS5 players host sessions for other PS5 players, and Keen's console announcement describes co-op for up to eight there. The Xbox Series X|S version is planned for spring 2027. Details in our Enshrouded crossplay guide.

What should your group agree on before starting?

• Difficulty preset. Dedicated servers offer Default, Relaxed, Hard and Survival, or Custom for detailed control over enemy damage, resource yield and day length. See Enshrouded server settings.
• Who can build where. Give regulars the Friend password and newcomers a Guest role without base editing, so nobody's house gets rearranged.
• One world or several. One server runs one world at a time.
• Whose world to keep. If two people have co-op worlds, pick one to move to the server.

Is Enshrouded fun with 2 players?

Yes. The game scales well for a duo, and quests, bosses and building all work at that size. Co-op is usually enough for two people who play together. The case for a server is the same at any size: whether one of you wants to play while the other is away.

FAQ

How many people can play Enshrouded together?

Up to 16, in co-op hosted from the game or on a dedicated server. There is no official way past 16.

Can my friends play on my Enshrouded world when I am offline?

Not in co-op, because the world runs on your PC. Move it to a dedicated server and anyone can play any time.

Do I keep my character when I join a friend's world?

Yes. Characters are saved on your own PC, so your level, skills and inventory come with you.

Is Enshrouded crossplay?

No. At 1.0, PC and PS5 players cannot play together, and only PC players can join a dedicated server.

Do my friends need to own Enshrouded?

Yes. Each player needs their own copy. The dedicated server needs no license.

Hosting your world with us

Our Enshrouded server hosting gives your group a world that stays online, ready minutes after paying, with the Friend and Admin passwords as panel settings and one click backups before updates like 1.0. Plans are 8 GB for up to 4 players, 12 GB for 8 and 16 GB for 16, from 19.99 USD a month, with 50% off the first month for new customers on monthly plans. Friends can each pay their own share from a link.