How to Fish Game Multiplayer Not Working

Run the same clean baseline on every PC

1. Have all players leave the current session through the normal menu and close How to Fish.
2. Restart Steam on every PC. Do not assume an update applied equally just because one player can launch.
3. Let How to Fish finish updating and compare the displayed version among host and guests.
4. On the failing PC, run Verify integrity through Steam Properties and restart Steam after it completes.
5. Confirm each player is signed into the intended Steam account and appears online to the friends involved.
6. Launch the game, create one fresh lobby, and send a new invite.

Check lobby privacy and capacity

Patch 1.0.5 added private invite-only lobby and session settings. If the host chose a private configuration, joining should follow the invite flow rather than treating the lobby as publicly discoverable. Recreate the lobby when settings are uncertain, and have the host state the chosen privacy mode before testing.

Patch 1.0.4 added support for up to eight-player lobbies. The older Steam store copy that says one to four players was not updated to match that later patch note. Capacity still does not prove that a particular session is healthy; start with host plus one guest, then add players one at a time if the basic connection works.

Separate invite, join, and in-session failures

• Invite never appears: verify Steam account, online presence, friendship, and that the host created a new lobby after restarting.
• Invite opens but join never completes: synchronize versions, verify the failing installation, and test a new host.
• Screen turns black while joining: use the dedicated black-screen procedure because patch 1.0.4 only attempted a fix.
• Player reaches the lobby but disconnects in play: record timing, host, player count, and Steam Relay debug state.
• Only one person fails: focus testing on that PC and account before asking every player to change their systems.
• Everyone fails with one host: create a comparison lobby with another player as host.

Use the Steam Relay clue correctly

The patch notes direct players to the official Discord common-bugs information when Steam Relay debugging turns red. Treat red as a useful observed state, not proof of a specific router or firewall cause. Record when it changed, who hosted, and whether all guests saw the same outcome.

Do not forward arbitrary ports, disable a firewall permanently, or install networking utilities based on a generic game guide. The cited sources do not establish a port list for How to Fish. If Relay remains red after Steam restart, version alignment, and a fresh lobby, use the official developer guidance so the remedy matches the current build.

Protect progress during multiplayer tests

Before repeated joining tests, each player with valuable progress should close the game and copy the entire Saves folder at C:\Users\<name>\AppData\LocalLow\Dazed Games\How to Fish\Saves. Do not merge folders between host and guests and do not delete files to reset networking.

Patch 1.0.6 says crashes no longer trigger an immediate save. Use manual Save, Main Menu, or Quit when available; an autosave runs about once per minute. If a multiplayer failure ends in a crash, recent progress may not have been written. That is a reason to save deliberately, not a reason to alter the save directory.

Report the smallest repeatable case

A useful report includes the current version on every PC, host identity, privacy setting, player count, exact failure stage, Relay indicator color, and whether changing host changes the result. Mention whether solo mode works and whether verification reacquired any files. Avoid posting account details or save contents publicly.

If two players work but a later addition fails, state the exact count and join order. If no pair works, say whether invites arrive at all. Share the report through the official Steam community or developer Discord route, and recheck its common-bugs material because connection advice can change with patches.

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