If you’ve spent hours solo digging for copper or running from Shroud wraiths in Enshrouded, you’ve probably wondered how much more fun the game would be with friends. Learning how to play coop Enshrouded opens up a ton of new possibilities, from splitting resource grinding duties to taking down world bosses that are nearly impossible to beat alone. I’ve spent over 80 hours playing both public and private coop sessions with friends, and I’ve worked out all the kinks that most new players run into when they first try to team up. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to run smooth, enjoyable coop sessions without the frustration of lost progress or unbalanced loot.
How to Play Coop Enshrouded: First Steps to Set Up Your Session
The first thing you’ll need to do is decide if you want to run a private session for friends only, or a public session open to random players. Private sessions are best if you want to keep control of your world progress, while public sessions are great if you want to meet new players or get help with a tough boss fight. Crossplay is enabled by default for all platforms, so you can team up with friends on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox without any extra setup. You can have up to 16 players in a single coop session at once, though most groups stick to 2-4 players for more focused progression.
When you create a coop world, you’ll be set as the host by default. That means all world progress (including base builds, unlocked fast travel points, and completed story quests) is tied to your save file. Only the host needs to have purchased DLC or world expansions for all players to access them, so you don’t have to worry about everyone buying the same add-ons to play together. If you’re having trouble inviting friends, double check that your firewall or console NAT type is set to open – I’ve had sessions fall apart before we even started because one friend had a strict NAT type that blocked all incoming invites, so take 2 minutes to check this before you send out invites to save yourself a headache.
Key Coop Rules to Set Before You Start Exploring
Most coop conflicts happen because groups don’t set basic ground rules before they dive into the game. Enshrouded’s default settings let any player build, destroy, or take items from shared chests, so you’ll want to adjust these settings to match your group’s preferences. You don’t need super strict rules, but a few basic agreements will make your sessions way more enjoyable for everyone. At minimum, decide on these four points before you start exploring:
- Loot splitting rules: Decide if rare drops go to the person who found them, are rolled for, or are assigned based on class role
- Base edit permissions: Limit who can modify your main base to avoid accidental destruction of crafting stations or storage chests
- Resource sharing agreements: Set aside a portion of all mined ore, foraged plants, and hunted drops for shared base upgrades
- Playstyle alignment: Make sure everyone agrees if you’re focusing on story progression, base building, or Shroud exploration for the session
You can adjust permission settings for each player individually from the in-game pause menu, so you don’t have to use the same rules for close friends and random public players. If you’re running a public session, I highly recommend turning off build access entirely for anyone you don’t know. I’ve had randoms join my public session and blow up half my base for fun once, so trust me on that. You can always turn build access back on if you meet a player you click with and want to invite back for future sessions.
How to Optimize Coop Play for Your Team Composition
You don’t need a perfectly balanced team to have fun in Enshrouded coop, but a little bit of coordination will make your runs way smoother. The game’s open skill tree lets you mix and match abilities, so you can customize roles to fit your group’s playstyle. For example, if one player puts points into the survival tree to unlock larger inventory space and faster resource gathering, that takes a huge load off the rest of the team who can focus on combat or building. You don’t have to lock yourself into a single role either – you can reset your skill points at any time for a small fee if you want to switch things up.
One player should always invest at least a few points in the Shroud navigation skill tree to extend the time your whole team can spend in toxic Shroud zones. This makes exploring deep Shroud areas for rare resources way less stressful, and you won’t have to cut runs short because half the team is about to die from Shroud poisoning. If one player unlocks a spire fast travel point, everyone on the team can use that point for the duration of the session, so send your most mobile player to unlock spires first while the rest of the team works on base upgrades. Always carry a few extra healing potions even if you’re a pure DPS player, too – you never know when your healer is the one who goes down and needs a revive.
Fixing Common Coop Enshrouded Issues You Might Run Into
Even with perfect setup, you’ll probably run into a few small issues during your coop sessions. The most common complaint I hear from new players is that their progress isn’t saving when they leave a friend’s world. That’s not a bug – your character’s levels, skills, and inventory items save to your personal account, but all world changes (like base builds or unlocked quest lines) are tied to the host’s save file. So if you join a friend’s world and build a small outpost, that outpost won’t be there when you log into your own single player world. If you want to keep shared world progress, designate one person as the permanent host for all your group sessions, or rent a dedicated server if you play regularly and don’t want to rely on one person being online to play.
Another common issue is connection lag or rubber banding. If you’re experiencing delayed inputs or enemies that teleport, the host can lower the session’s player limit or turn off background graphics settings to free up processing power. If you’re playing on console, closing any other running apps will also help reduce lag. You might also run into issues where a player gets stuck in the Shroud far away from base with no way to get back. If that happens, another teammate can fast travel to their last location and revive them, even if they’re already dead, as long as you get there before their respawn timer runs out. I used this trick last week when my friend got swarmed by Shroud stalkers 20 minutes away from our base, saved him from losing all his rare Shroud ore.
At the end of the day, learning how to play coop Enshrouded is all about communication and setting clear expectations before you dive in. You don't need a perfectly optimized team to have fun, but a little bit of planning will save you from most of the frustrations that come with multiplayer survival games. Whether you're playing with long-time friends or randoms from the public lobby, the tips in this guide will help you get the most out of your multiplayer sessions. Don't be afraid to adjust rules as you go, either – every group has different playstyles, and what works for one team might not work for yours. Now grab your pickaxe, round up your friends, and go explore the Shroud together.