Nightingale: How to Play With Friends Using Join Codes

Select the character you want to take into the session

Begin by selecting an existing character or creating a new one. That character choice applies whether you host the game yourself or join another player’s server. [1]

The developer says existing characters can visit a friend’s realm and bring progress back to their own world using Play Solo. You do not have to create a disposable new character solely to enter a friend’s game. [1]

Steps

1. Choose the character from the roster, or create the character that will join or host. [1]

Download a previously online character if needed

If the desired character was previously online, Download Characters in the main menu gives access to characters created after Realms Rebuilt. Keep that date limitation in mind: this instruction does not promise recovery of every character from before that update. [1]

Host a simple session from the game client

A listen server is the simple in-client option. Host a Game sets it up without extra server software or a rental. [1]

The host’s PC runs the world while that person plays. Plan the session around the host staying online. [1]

Steps

1. After selecting the character, choose Host a Game. [1]
2. Choose Join Code from the hosting connection options. [2]

Share the code from Social and have the friend enter it

Share the hosting code from the Social tab. The friend enters that code to join. The February update describes this as a simpler connection route that automatically finds the host and chooses the best available method. [2]

The connection method is selected automatically; the code workflow does not require inventing a fixed IP address or port from this guide. [2]

Steps

1. Open Social and send the displayed Join Code to the friend. [2]
2. Have the friend enter the code to join the hosted game. [2]

Use the supported Steam and Epic crossplay route

Join Codes support Steam-to-Epic crossplay. The announcement identifies those PC storefronts; it is not evidence of support for an unannounced console version. [2]

When a direct connection is not possible, traffic can use Valve’s Steam Datagram Relay. The developer supplies that fallback, rather than requiring players to disable security settings as a generic workaround. [2]

Use a dedicated server for access after the host leaves

A listen-server session ends when its host leaves. For a world available without that player, use a dedicated server. [1]

Dedicated servers run separately from the game client, so friends can continue exploring after you log off. [1]

To join a dedicated server, choose Play, select the character and choose Join a Game. The official guide supports connecting via Steam or an address and port supplied by the server host. [1]

Steps

1. For an IP/LAN dedicated server, enter the address and port shared by its host. [1]