The Forest gets a two player cooperative mode, with possibly more later

The Forest thumb

Survival games are usually bleak and lonely affairs, even when other humans are about. So it's nice to see Endnight add a two-player cooperative mode to The Forest. The studio announced the functionality today with the usual Early Access caveat that players will almost certainly encounter bugs.

Two bugs specifically mentioned involve save games: saving in a multiplayer game will overwrite a single player save file, while destroying items is currently a bit creaky. The studio warns to "try not to destroy structures you haven't placed yourself".

The mode is currently limited to two players but more are expected to come, as well as other potential game modes as suggested by the community. The update also introduces a range of general bug fixes and tweaks which can be read in detail on the Steam Community page.

Andy Kelly took a close look at the The Forest earlier this year, advising that it still needs some work. "The Forest has a lot of potential, and is the only game I've ever played where a severed leg is both a weapon and a crafting material."

Shaun Prescott

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.