Requirements

Every player needs the Steam Early Access version updated to the current public build and must be visible as a Steam friend to the person sharing the Realm. Together supports a total of four Realm members: the creator plus up to three invited friends.

The current Early Access flow is private. There is no public random-matchmaking browser in this setup.

Create and share a Realm

  1. Open Realms from the main menu.
  2. Choose Create Realm.
  3. Name the Realm and select Torn, Chosen, or Unspoken difficulty. The Realm administrator can change this later.
  4. Finish creation and select the new Realm.
  5. Choose Share and confirm the prompt.
  6. Invite up to three Steam friends who own the game.
  7. Each friend opens their Realms menu, selects the shared Realm, and chooses Accept.
  8. Enter the Realm with the intended character.

Once accepted, the Realm remains available to the member. Friends do not need the creator online to continue playing.

First-session checklist

Before advancing:

  • Decide whether quests and bosses wait for the full group.
  • Confirm who is a Realm administrator and may change difficulty.
  • Decide how picked-up gear will be identified and traded.
  • Choose a shared storage and town-project policy.
  • Activate the same early Whispers and regroup before major cutscenes.

Patch 1 loading screens now show the Realm name plus the current character name and level. Use that check to avoid loading a progression character into the wrong shared world.

Character and progression cautions

Realm state and character progression are related but not identical. A late-joining low-level character can enter a world whose quests and enemies have advanced. Do not assume co-op automatically resets the story for the newcomer.

If a friend is joining late, compare current objective, unlocked Whispers, equipment level, and world progression before running a boss. Creating a fresh Realm together can be cleaner when the group wants the full story in sync.

Troubleshooting the join flow

  • Invite not visible: verify Steam friendship, game build, Steam online status, and that the Realm was shared rather than only created.
  • Friend sees the Realm but cannot enter: have them accept the share in the Realms menu before joining.
  • Loading returns to menu: restart the game and Steam, verify files, and test a newly created character/Realm boundary before editing local data.
  • Prologue loop: check whether the character and Realm expect the prologue state; use the normal in-game flow and official support before changing save files.
  • Wrong world state: leave and read the Realm name and current character shown on the loading screen.

Do not follow forum instructions that edit account or save files unless official support confirms the exact current case and you have a recoverable backup.

Once connected

Use Realms for persistence rules, Loot & Trading before opening contested rewards, and Text Chat & Callouts for the current communication tools. The Realm is a shared campaign, not a disposable lobby.