The Hytale adventure makes the most sense when sharing the exploration of Orbis, building epic bases, or conquering dungeons with friends. Hytale offers several methods to connect and enjoy an unforgettable cooperative experience.
This guide will explain how to start games, join your companions, and resolve potential connection issues.
Hosting your world and inviting friends
Hytale integrates an ingenious system allowing you to open your singleplayer world to friends without having to configure a dedicated server. This friend join system uses UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) technology to facilitate direct connection between players.
Warning: Share codes contain your IP address. Never publish them publicly, on streams, or in open group chats. Share them only with trusted people.
Hosting your world: the steps
Here is how to open your world to your friends in a few clicks:
| Step | Action | Description |
| 1. | Load your solo world. | Start by loading the world you want to play in. |
| 2. | Open the pause menu. | Press the Esc key. |
| 3. | Select “Online Play”. | In the menu, choose the “Online Play” option. |
| 4. | Enable sharing. | Toggle the “Allow other players to join” setting to On. |
| 5. | Set a password (optional). | To restrict access to your world, you can add a password. You can also choose to include the password in the share code. |
| 6. | Save and copy the code. | Click Save. Hytale will attempt to configure your router via UPnP and generate a share code. Click “Copy to clipboard”. |
| 7. | Share the code. | Send this share code directly to your friends. |
Joining a friend’s world: the steps
If one of your friends has hosted a world and sent you a share code to join, here is how to proceed:
| Step | Action | Description |
| 1. | Access the main menu. | From the Hytale main menu, select “Servers”. |
| 2. | Select “Join via code”. | Click the “Join via code” option. |
| 3. | Paste code and password. | Paste the share code your friend sent you. If a password is required and wasn’t embedded, enter it. |
| 4. | Connect. | Click Connect. Your client will attempt to establish a direct friend connection. |
Troubleshooting: resolving connection issues
The direct connection system is still in a maturation phase, and problems may arise. Here is a troubleshooting guide for the most common connection issues.
The share code is not generated or the connection fails
| Possible cause | Solution | Related concepts |
| UPnP disabled on your router | Log in to your router’s admin panel and enable UPnP. | universal plug and play |
| Your router does not support UPnP | Consider manual port forwarding or an alternative solution like Tailscale. | manual port forwarding |
| Multiple routers (Double NAT) | Enable UPnP on all routers or connect your PC directly to the main router. | network configuration |
| Firewall blocking Hytale | Allow Hytale through Windows Firewall for private and public networks. | firewall |
| CGNAT (Carrier-Grade NAT) by your ISP | Your ISP shares a public IP among multiple customers, which prevents UPnP. Use Tailscale or ask your friend to host. | cgnat |
| Expired UPnP mapping | Re-save online play settings in Hytale to refresh the mapping. | re-save online play setting |
| Antivirus interference | Temporarily disable your antivirus or add Hytale to its exceptions. | firewall |
| ISP blocking game ports | Contact your ISP or use Tailscale. | connection issue |
Alternative connection solutions
- Switch host roles: Since every player’s network configuration is different, one of you might have an easier time hosting than the other. If you encounter issues, try letting your friend create the world and invite you. You can share existing world save files if necessary.
- Use Tailscale (Peer-to-Peer VPN): Tailscale creates a direct VPN tunnel between your devices, bypassing NAT and firewall issues. This is an excellent alternative since Hytale does not provide relay servers due to costs and relay latency overhead. Once installed and connected by both players, simply re-save online play settings so Hytale detects the Tailscale addresses and includes them in the share code.