Outlast Trials multiplayer: How to play with friends
Playing The Outlast Trials multiplayer makes the horror game a bit easier to manage, especially for the less scare-tolerant, though Red Barrels’ new take on the Outlast universe makes playing with friends a bit cumbersome until you’re used to it.
Our Outlast Trials multiplayer guide explains how to join up with friends and what the benefit is versus playing alone.
If you're just getting started in Red Barrels' latest, check out our Outlast Trials beginner's guide for some handy tips.
Can you play Outlast Trials solo?
Yes, but you might not want to. The Outlast Trials is brutal if you go it alone, since you’re having to manage all the tasks necessary for escape and every enemy on your own. It’s feasible, and in some cases, the tension that comes from handling everything alone makes the experience even scarier.
Having more people in a trial means you can coordinate more efficiently, make distractions while other team members handle objectives, or sacrifice someone so everyone else can progress (don't do that).
How Outlast Trials multiplayer works
The Outlast Trials’ multiplayer options are the same as they are for solo players. You can only pick them after completing the tutorial and waking up in the Sleep Room, which is where you’ll land every time you boot the game as well.
From there, you can pick:
- Any trial – A quick queue option that chooses the program and trial for you
- Select program – Pick one of the three current programs
- Select a trial – Pick one of the program’s five trials
You can join a queue and play with strangers, or you can form a group with friends.
Not the kind of situation you want to be in alone
Red Barrels
How to play Outlast Trials with friends
The Outlast Trials lets you invite friends from your Steam list on PC, and you can use a friend code system on console to add friends to your in-game list. Open the Terminal menu, and highlight and select one of the empty player silhouettes. This brings up the invitation screen, and you can invite from your Steam friends list or enter a friend code for pals on console.
You can also do this from the Friends tab on the menu and form a group that way.
Other options include matching with people currently in the lobby and rejoining people from the most recent trial run. You can also choose the “Quick Invites” option to automatically send invitations to all your active friends. A party only holds four people, though, so bear that in mind if a lot of you are playing The Outlast Trials simultaneously.
The person who invites others and forms a group is the group’s de facto leader, which means they have the final say in which program and trial the group plays. You can choose “Promote Leader” in the group menu to transfer the responsibilities to someone else.
