Use the Patch 1.0.9 main-menu Steam relay diagnostic when connection setup fails. Patch 1.0.11 marks the invisible-player fix as hopeful; 8-player lobbies are confirmed, but crossplay is not.
How to Fish supports Steam online co-op, and official patch 1.0.4 confirms lobbies of up to 8 players. This support page explains the Patch 1.0.9 Steam relay diagnostic and the official response to a red relay status. It does not provide a host or invite sequence because the checked official sources do not publish one. Patch 1.0.11 says the inventory bug that could make players invisible after joining was “hopefully fixed,” so that fix is not guaranteed.
| Feature | Official status |
|---|---|
| Single-player | Listed |
| Multiplayer | Listed |
| Co-op | Listed |
| Online co-op | Listed |
| Maximum lobby size | Up to 8 players in patch 1.0.4 |
| Local split-screen | Not listed in the current Steam categories |
| Console or cross-platform play | Not confirmed by the official sources checked here |
The 8-player figure comes from the official Patch 1.0.4 lobby announcement. Do not turn it into a claim about local play or cross-platform matchmaking. Full-controller support is not evidence of a PlayStation or Xbox version, and the official sources checked here do not confirm a console release or a console-to-PC matchmaking pool.
Steam relay troubleshooting
Separate relay failure from an invisible player
The main-menu relay signal and the post-join inventory symptom are different branches.
- 01Connection failed?Restart Steam and finish the same update on every PC
- 02Open the main menuRead the connection debug added in Patch 1.0.9
- 03redRelay text is redUse the official Discord #common-bugs guidance
- 04connectedLobby connection succeedsThe relay branch is complete
- 05separate symptomA player is invisiblePatch 1.0.11 calls this only hopefully fixed
Read the route as text
- Connection failed?Restart Steam and finish the same update on every PC
- Open the main menuRead the connection debug added in Patch 1.0.9
- Relay text is redUse the official Discord #common-bugs guidance
- Lobby connection succeedsThe relay branch is complete
- A player is invisiblePatch 1.0.11 calls this only hopefully fixed
Use this order for a failed connection. These are low-risk checks around the diagnostics the developer added; the patch notes do not publish a universal port-forwarding or network-settings fix.
- Restart Steam. The 1.0.9 and 1.0.11 announcements both tell players to restart Steam to receive the update. Let Steam finish applying the same current game update for every player before trying again.
- Open the game's main menu. Patch 1.0.9 adds a short Steam connection debug that shows whether the connection failed while initializing.
- Read the Steam relay status. If the relay text is red, use the official Community Discord’s
#common-bugschannel for the current fix guides, as the developer instructs. The announcement does not name one guaranteed fix that applies to every red-relay failure. - If a multiplayer connection succeeds but a player is invisible, separate that symptom from the relay check. Patch 1.0.11 says the join-inventory bug was “hopefully fixed.” That wording records an attempted fix, not a promise that every invisible-player case is gone. Do not describe the issue as definitively resolved from this patch alone.
For the current device list, see How to Fish platforms. For the main route and boss answers, return to the How to Fish guide hub.
Sources & evidenceOpen the references used for this page
QUICK ANSWERS
Questions players ask next
Does How to Fish have online co-op?
Yes. Steam lists online co-op, and official patch 1.0.4 confirms support for lobbies of up to 8 players.
How many players can join a How to Fish lobby?
Up to 8 players, according to the official patch 1.0.4 announcement. That is the patch-confirmed lobby ceiling; it does not confirm local split-screen or cross-platform play.
What should I do if the Steam relay text turns red?
Restart Steam, open How to Fish, and check the short Steam connection debug in the main menu. Patch 1.0.9 directs players with a red Steam relay message to the Community Discord’s
Did Patch 1.0.11 definitely fix invisible players after joining?
No. The developer wrote “Hopefully fixed inventory bug on join, making players invisible.” Treat it as an attempted fix, not a guarantee that every join-inventory invisibility case is resolved.
Does How to Fish support cross-platform multiplayer?
Cross-platform multiplayer is not confirmed by the official sources checked here. The supported boundary confirmed here is Steam online co-op; do not assume a console or cross-platform matchmaking pool.
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