Co-op campaign guide
Prepare a Tears of Metal online co-op campaign for up to four players with a factual setup checklist and no invented roles, matchmaking, or cross-play claims.
Last verified against official sources:
This page covers confirmed systems and preparation only. It will not publish names, values, or outcomes that have not been reproduced in the release build.
Confirmed co-op facts
Tears of Metal supports solo play, multiplayer, co-op, and online co-op according to its Steam categories. Paper Cult describes campaigns for one to four players and says friends can join your campaign. Steam also lists full controller support, recommends a gamepad, and includes a broadband connection in the recommended PC requirements.
| Feature | Status on July 15, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Party size | Solo or up to four-player co-op is confirmed. |
| Connection | Online co-op is listed; recommended requirements include broadband internet. |
| Controller | Full controller support and “Gamepad Recommended” are listed. |
| Local or split-screen co-op | Not listed on the captured Steam page. |
| Cross-play | Not confirmed by the captured official sources. |
| Matchmaking and voice chat | Not described in the captured official sources. |
Before the session
- Confirm every player meets the Windows requirements and has completed any available setup or tutorial the release build requires.
- Decide who is creating the campaign only after the game explains hosting and save ownership.
- Agree on a simple external voice or text channel until in-game communication features are verified.
- Use the same game version and record any branch, demo, or Early Access build label.
- Set a stopping point so the group can test how campaign saves and rewards behave when the session ends.
A role-free coordination plan
The official material does not publish a class list or fixed party roles, so this guide will not assign “tank,” “healer,” or damage roles before the game supports those terms. A group can still coordinate around observable tasks:
- Share the objective wording. More than 45 handcrafted environments and varied scenarios are confirmed; make sure everyone is solving the same objective.
- Call new choices precisely. Use the displayed names for heroes, Emblems, upgrades, and artifacts rather than shorthand that may hide different effects.
- Track one experiment per player. This creates more evidence about combinations without pretending a synergy is proven.
- Observe battalion behavior. Soldiers fight alongside the party and grow permanently; note whether ownership or progression differs between players.
- Review the post-campaign screen together. Compare rewards, soldier experience, and settlement changes before anyone leaves.
Save and progression checks
Co-op roguelike progression often raises questions about hosts and guests, but Tears of Metal's exact rules are not yet published in the captured official copy. Test these cases before giving progression advice:
| Test | Evidence to collect |
|---|---|
| Guest joins an existing campaign | Which progress, choices, or rewards appear for the guest? |
| Host ends the session | When and where does the game confirm a save? |
| Player disconnects and returns | Can they rejoin, and what state is restored? |
| Campaign completes | Which soldier and settlement rewards appear for each player? |
| Party composition changes | Does scaling or objective behavior visibly change? |
Co-op questions
How many players does Tears of Metal support?
The official Steam description says you can play solo or in co-op with up to four players.
Is online co-op confirmed?
Yes. Steam lists online co-op. Local co-op and split-screen are not listed on the captured page.
Does Tears of Metal support cross-play?
Cross-play is not confirmed in the official sources reviewed on July 15, 2026.
Can friends join a campaign in progress?
Paper Cult says friends can join your campaign, but exact mid-campaign joining, rejoining, and save ownership rules need release-build testing.
Launch-day checks will cover lobby creation, invites, host and guest saves, disconnect recovery, party scaling, and communication settings.