Co-op in Seafarer: The Ship Sim puts a full crew on a single ship instead of running everyone through their own game. The Co-op Crew Update built the mode around task division, so the point is not simply sailing together but splitting the jobs a mission needs done at the same time. It works across a chosen set of cargo runs, firefighting calls, and rescue operations.
Quick answer: Create or join a session at any major harbor for up to four players, then operate the same vessel together while each crew member handles a different task in cargo, firefighting, or rescue missions.
Start or join a co-op crew
Sessions are hosted from the open world rather than a separate lobby screen. From any major harbor in the Northern European map, you can create a new session or join one that a friend is running. Once players are connected, they share the same vessel and the same physical sea state, so everyone reacts to the same waves and weather in real time.
Co-op does not cover every activity in the game. Only a curated selection of missions is playable as a crew, and the rest of Seafarer remains available in solo play. You know the mode is active when more than one crew member is aboard the vessel and can pick up separate onboard roles.
The update adds built-in voice chat, letting you coordinate on the deck without using an external app.
How tasks split across the crew
Each supported mission divides its work into jobs that can run in parallel. The table below shows the recommended crew size and how the labor breaks down on the deck.
| Mission | Crew | How work divides |
|---|---|---|
| Container (Herbert) | 2 | One runs the crane, the other clears twist locks and lashing rods |
| Container (Big Trip) | 2 | Two players run both cranes at once to load or unload in parallel |
| Bulk cargo | 2 | Two cranes operated side by side at the same time |
| LNG transport | 2+ | One handles the crane, the rest manage loading or unloading |
| Firefighting | Up to 4 | One steers the vessel while up to three work the fire extinguishers |
| Rescue | Up to 4 | One pilots while the others throw lifebuoys and recover people |
Cargo work is currently best suited to a crew of two, since most of those missions only expose two simultaneous jobs. Firefighting and rescue scale up the most, giving all four players something to do at once because someone always has to keep the vessel moving while the rest handle the emergency.
Missions that support co-op
- Container cargo operations, including crane work and deck lashing
- Bulk cargo transfers using dual cranes
- LNG loading and unloading
- Marine firefighting with water monitor cannons
- Search and rescue with lifebuoy recovery
The same update expanded the Free Trade system so LNG and bulk cargo can be bought and sold between major harbors, which gives crews more reason to move those goods together. Two new missions also arrived alongside multiplayer. Highjacked! appears in Mettington after you reach Reputation Level 3 there and own either the Rigid or the Density, while Exchange and Jump In! opens at all major harbors once you own a tugboat.
Platforms and cross-platform play
Online co-op for up to four players is available on PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store, on PlayStation 5, and on Xbox Series X|S. There is no local or split-screen option, and no LAN or system link. Xbox play supports cross-platform multiplayer, and online sessions on console require a Game Pass Core or Ultimate subscription.
The mode is designed so responsibilities can shift moment to moment. One player can commit to a single job, such as running a crane or manning an extinguisher, while the others support elsewhere on the ship, which turns tasks that feel repetitive alone into a coordinated crew operation.
