Co-op Multiplayer

1:10 Slay the Spire 2 can be played online by up to 4 players together: "up to 4 players can now team up to face the Spire's challenges together in an all-new co-op mode," with "multiplayer-specific cards, powerful team synergies" (Mega Crit's launch post, Mar 5, 2026). It is "Online co-op with no matchmaking, so Steam friends only" (Mega Crit's FAQ). The party climbs one shared map and fights the same enemies, whose HP and damage scale with the number of players, but each player has their own character, HP, deck and loot, and the run ends only when every player is dead (TheGamer, Mar 9, 2026). Co-op was new to the series; the first game was single-player (see Differences from Slay the Spire).

Quick facts

Starting a co-op run

To play together, choose Multiplayer, then Host or Join. The host invites friends from a button at the top left of the character select screen, and co-op is open from the first launch (TheGamer, Mar 9, 2026). The host must be Steam friends with everyone; there are no password lobbies, no matchmaking and no local co-op (PC Gamer, Mar 24, 2026).

The whole party has to be there from the start. PC Gamer's guide says you cannot add a player later or fill an abandoned seat, and everyone must be present to continue a save. Each player has three profiles, each able to host one campaign at a time, and a new profile starts with only the Ironclad unlocked (PC Gamer).

Saved co-op runs can be resumed, but not alone: Mega Crit's v0.107.1 notes say "You can no longer start a loaded multiplayer game with only one person" (Major Update #2, Jun 19, 2026).

Crossplay works across every system the game runs on. Slay the Spire 2 is sold only on Steam, for Windows, macOS and Linux (Steam), so friends on any of the three, or on a Steam Deck, can play together; there is no console version to cross with (see PC Requirements and Steam Deck).

The map: drawing and voting

5:02 The party travels one map together. Everyone can draw on it while picking a route (TheGamer), and players vote on the next room; PC Gamer says a split vote is settled at random (PC Gamer). Since v0.100.0, on the main branch since Apr 17, 2026, a setting hides other players' drawings (v0.100.0 notes); on the public beta since v0.109.0 (Jul 17, 2026), "Map ink circles are now the same for all players" (v0.109.0 notes). See Acts and the Map.

Combat in co-op

Enemies are the same, only tougher. TheGamer reports that enemies gain no new moves but their health and damage scale with the player count and they target all players (TheGamer); PC Gamer adds that enemy attacks hit the whole party (PC Gamer). Mobalytics notes bosses' defenses scale too: the Vantom needs double the hits to break its Slippery (Mobalytics, updated Jun 2, 2026).

4:47 Players act at the same time. Energy is not shared, anyone can play cards at any point in the party's turn, and the turn ends when everyone presses End Turn (PC Gamer). PCGamesN's Nat Smith found that previews of the card each player is about to play hang over their head, and that you can take your turn back after ending it while a partner is still thinking (PCGamesN, Mar 21, 2026).

Mega Crit retunes the scaling in patches. Major Update #2 (v0.107.1) "Nerfed multiplayer scaling for enemy Artifact, Slippery, and Skittish powers" and changed the Fossil Stalker so it gains a set amount of Strength when it hits any player rather than Strength per player hit; on the public beta since v0.108.0 (Jul 3, 2026), enemy Block scaling was also lowered in 2-player games (Major Update #2; v0.108.0 notes).

3:45 Debuffs and potions reach across the party. Mobalytics says Weak and Vulnerable applied by one player help everyone, and that some potions, such as the Block Potion and Energy Potion, can target a teammate (Mobalytics); on the public beta since v0.109.0, "You can now play nearly any potion on another player" (v0.109.0 notes). You can inspect allies' relics, potions and decks, but not their hand (Mobalytics).

Rewards, Ancients, events and the Merchant

0:39 Everyone gets their own loot. Relics, potions, Gold and cards are not shared (PC Gamer), each player has their own rewards from events (TheGamer), and each player picks their own Ancient blessing: Mega Crit clarified in v0.108.0 that Neow's Silken Tress "applies only to the player who chose it" (v0.108.0 notes). PC Gamer adds that each player sees a different shop with different prices (PC Gamer). See Neow and the Ancients and Merchant and Rest Sites.

Some events become shared. Mega Crit made Morphic Grove "a collaborative event" in multiplayer in v0.100.0 (v0.100.0 notes), and some events appear only if every player qualifies, such as Endless Conveyor, which needs all players at 120 Gold or more (v0.100.0 notes). Unlocks are checked per player too: Colorful Philosophers "can no longer be encountered if a player has only Ironclad unlocked" (v0.103.1 notes). See Events.

Treasure chests: the relic fight

5:18 How a contested chest relic is settled is not documented by Mega Crit. Its patch notes mention a "Fight" message in the multiplayer treasure room and "a treasure room relic fight" without describing it (v0.100.0 notes; v0.108.0 notes). Guides differ: PC Gamer says a chest holds one reward per player and chance decides when two players pick the same one (PC Gamer), while Mobalytics says the game settles it by rock-paper-scissors and the loser gets a random other relic (Mobalytics).

You cannot skip a chest relic in co-op. Single-player gained a skip in v0.100.0, but v0.102.0 disabled it in multiplayer: "Too many people thought it was the Proceed button" (v0.102.0 notes).

Rest sites: healing an ally

14:24 Rest sites let you heal a teammate instead of yourself. TheGamer says a player can give their healing to an ally (TheGamer), and PC Gamer calls the option Mend, restoring 30% of one ally's HP (PC Gamer). Mobalytics calls Miniature Tent "incredible" in co-op because of Mend (Mobalytics), and PCGamesN's Nat Smith warns that a partner who keeps healing allies instead of upgrading can leave the team too weak for the next act (PCGamesN).

Dying and revives

5:24 A co-op run ends only when every player is dead (TheGamer). What happens to a fallen player is not settled in Mega Crit's posts: PC Gamer says dead players are revived after the battle if the party wins (PC Gamer), and other guides describe the return differently. Game Rant notes that against the Waterfall Giant, whose death blast scales with its stacks, only one player needs to survive in co-op (Game Rant).

Multiplayer cards

Some cards appear only in co-op. They give Block, Energy, Strength or cards to other players, or make an enemy take more damage from the rest of the party; Mobalytics' examples include Knockdown (the enemy takes double damage from other players that turn), Beacon of Hope (others gain half your Block) and the Necrobinder's Legion of Bone, which gives every player an Osty (Mobalytics). On the public beta, v0.108.0 (Jul 3, 2026) added 15 more, three per character, two for the Regent and one Colorless, among them the Ironclad's Midnight and the Colorless The Ball, and v0.109.0 added the Regent's Tutor (v0.108.0 notes; v0.109.0 notes). Every card is on Multiplayer Cards, and team building on Co-op Strategy.

Neow can hand you one at the start. Her Massive Scroll, offered only in multiplayer, lets you choose 1 of 3 multiplayer cards (Game Rant).

Co-op Ascension

Ascension in co-op is its own ladder. PCGamesN says it is unlocked separately from single-player, starts from scratch and is not tied to characters: a co-op win unlocks the next level for all five (PCGamesN, Mar 10, 2026). PC Gamer adds that it can be earned with different groups and that a party plays at the lowest member's unlocked level (PC Gamer), and TheGamer that the next level unlocks on beating the Act 3 boss even if some members died (TheGamer). See Ascension.

Unlocks, Dailies, Badges and mods

Co-op runs count toward your own progress. TheGamer says they fill the Compendium and earn Epochs like solo runs (TheGamer); see Unlocks and the Timeline. Daily runs can be played in multiplayer as well, and since v0.103.0 a multiplayer run's Gold score is averaged across the players for the leaderboard (v0.103.0 notes); see Daily Climb and Custom Mode.

Four Badges exist only in multiplayer. Spire Codex's game data (v0.107.1) lists Damage Leader ("Dealt the most damage to enemies in multiplayer"), Debuffer ("Applied the most Debuffs in multiplayer"), Mender (heal allies at rest sites once, twice or three times for its three tiers) and Team Player (a deck with 3 or more multiplayer-only cards) (Spire Codex). See Achievements and Badges.

Mods work in co-op if everyone matches. A mod whose manifest sets affects_gameplay to false is not checked against the host's mods (v0.99 notes), and Mega Crit recommends "having the same exact mods enabled as your teammates, particularly if they actually affect gameplay" (v0.108.0 notes). See Mods and Steam Workshop.

Connection problems and what may come

The common disconnect is error 5008, a Steam multiplayer connection timeout. Major Update #1 "resolved many 'Error 5008' disconnections" (Major Update #1, Apr 17, 2026), and Major Update #2 made the game show the right message for it (Major Update #2).

Matchmaking and voice chat are not planned for now. Asked about matchmaking or in-game chat in April 2026, Yano said matchmaking "is a bit up in the air", text chat is possible, and voice is unlikely "Unless something horrible happens to Discord" (Mega Crit's April 2026 Neowsletter).

How much co-op is played, and what critics said

Co-op is a minority of play by one estimate. PC Gamer's Evan Lahti guesses multiplayer is about 10% of playthroughs (PC Gamer, Sep 18, 2026); Mega Crit has published no figure. The first big community tournament, Devour the Tower on May 25, 2026, was a 4-player co-op event with 34 streamers (Mega Crit's May 2026 Neowsletter); see Records and Speedruns.

Critics liked it. The A.V. Club called co-op "a great way to hang out" (Mar 16, 2026, quoted by Metacritic), PCGamesN wrote that "Slay the Spire 2 is worth it just for the co-op" (PCGamesN), and PCGamesN's review counted two-player co-op needing balance among its cons.

Frequently asked questions

How many players can play Slay the Spire 2 co-op? Slay the Spire 2 supports 1 to 4 players in online co-op. A mod raises the limit to 16 without difficulty scaling, per PCGamesN's list of mods.

Does Slay the Spire 2 have matchmaking or public lobbies? No: Slay the Spire 2 co-op is "Online co-op with no matchmaking, so Steam friends only," in Mega Crit's FAQ. The host invites friends from the character select screen.

Is Slay the Spire 2 crossplay between Windows, Mac and Linux? Yes: every copy of Slay the Spire 2 is on Steam, so Windows, macOS, Linux and Steam Deck players can play together. There is no console version.

Does Slay the Spire 2 have local or split-screen co-op? No: Steam lists Slay the Spire 2 as online co-op only, and PC Gamer confirms there is no local co-op.

Do players share relics and Gold in Slay the Spire 2 co-op? No: in Slay the Spire 2 each player keeps their own HP, deck, relics, potions, Gold and card rewards. Contested chest relics go through a "relic fight" that guides describe as either chance or rock-paper-scissors.

What happens when you die in Slay the Spire 2 co-op? The Slay the Spire 2 run continues while any player is alive and ends when all are dead. PC Gamer says fallen players are revived after a won fight; Mega Crit has not spelled out the rule.

Is Ascension shared in Slay the Spire 2 multiplayer? Yes: Slay the Spire 2 co-op has its own Ascension ladder, separate from single-player, and a co-op win unlocks the next level for every character. A party plays at its lowest member's unlocked level.

Can you play Slay the Spire 2 co-op with mods? Yes, if everyone runs the same gameplay mods: Mega Crit recommends "having the same exact mods enabled as your teammates." Cosmetic mods that declare they do not affect gameplay are not checked.

Sources

• Slay the Spire 2 is out NOW in Early Access!!, Mega Crit, Mar 5, 2026
• Slay the Spire 2 FAQ, Mega Crit on Steam Community (demileaf), May 1, 2024, edited 2026
• Steam store API: appdetails 2868840, Valve, read Oct 26, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.99, Mega Crit, Mar 13, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.100.0, Mega Crit, Mar 20, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.102.0, Mega Crit, Apr 3, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.103.0, Mega Crit, Apr 10, 2026
• Beta Hotfix Patch Notes - v0.103.1, Mega Crit, Apr 16, 2026
• Major Update #1 - v0.103.2, Mega Crit, Apr 17, 2026
• The Neowsletter - April 2026, Mega Crit (Casey Yano), Apr 17, 2026
• The Neowsletter - May 2026, Mega Crit (Demi Montes), May 23, 2026
• Major Update #2 - v0.107.1, Mega Crit, Jun 19, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.108.0, Mega Crit, Jul 3, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.109.0, Mega Crit, Jul 17, 2026
• Badges (game data, v0.107.1), Spire Codex, read Oct 26, 2026
• How Multiplayer Works In Slay The Spire 2, TheGamer (Axel Bosso), Mar 9, 2026
• How To Unlock Every Ascension Level In Slay The Spire 2, TheGamer (Collin MacGregor), Mar 16, 2026
• How Slay the Spire 2 multiplayer co-op works, PC Gamer (Andrea Shearon), Mar 24, 2026
• After 894 hours in Slay the Spire 2, these are our 12 strongest opinions, PC Gamer (Evan Lahti, Harvey Randall, Austin Wood), Sep 18, 2026
• Slay the Spire 2 Co-Op Multiplayer Guide, Mobalytics, updated Jun 2, 2026
• All Ascension levels in Slay the Spire 2, PCGamesN (Christian Vaz), Mar 10, 2026
• Slay the Spire 2 is worth it just for the co-op, PCGamesN (Nat Smith), Mar 21, 2026
• Slay the Spire 2 review - refining a modern classic, PCGamesN (Christian Vaz), Mar 24, 2026
• Every Biome and Boss in Slay the Spire 2 (So Far), Game Rant (Marc Santos), Mar 12, 2026
• Here's Every Ancient and All the Relics They Offer You in Slay the Spire 2, Game Rant (Marc Santos), Mar 11, 2026
• Slay the Spire 2 (PC), Metacritic, read Oct 26, 2026
• Slay the Spire 2 - Early Access Trailer, Mega Crit, Feb 19, 2026 (video)
• Slay The Spire 2's Next-Level Co-Op Makes It An Early GOTY Contender, GameSpot, Mar 7, 2026 (video)
• Slay the Spire 2 Early Access Review, IGN, Mar 17, 2026 (video)
• Slay the Spire 2: Q&A with Anthony & Dani of Mega Crit, Manifest Conference, Jul 10, 2026 (video)
• Slay the Spire 2 - 15 Biggest Changes From Slay the Spire 1, IGN, Mar 7, 2026 (video)