Playing together
Your whole run can be flown by two: two phones in the same place, the same room on both screens, a Vanguard each. There is no internet, server or account, and joining costs nothing.
What you need
- Two phones with the same version of the game. If the game says your versions differ, update both.
- The same Wi-Fi, or one phone's hotspot. Guest, school and hotel Wi-Fi often stop phones seeing each other, so try a hotspot there.
- One Full Game is enough. A host who owns it covers their guest, so a guest without it can fly the host's sectors 4 to 10. On their own, the guest still plays sectors 1 to 3.
Start a game
- On one phone, open Play together on the start menu and choose Host a game. A join code appears.
- On the other phone, open Play together and choose Join a game. Games on this Wi-Fi are listed, or use Join by code.
- The host starts or continues a run, and the friend flies in beside them.



Already in a run? Open Pause, tap Together and host from there. Your friend flies in beside you in the room you are in, even in the middle of a fight, and earns that fight's rewards. Enemies already up and a Guardian already fighting keep the health they have; those that come later take the two-player health.
New to the game? You can host or join from the first launch. The opening tutorial waits until you next start a run alone.
In the room
- One screen each, no split. Both phones show the whole room, and a door one of you takes moves you both.
- Telling you apart. Your friend's ship carries a number and a tint, and fires in its own colours. Their hull plates sit in a small row under yours.
- Same ship, tougher enemies. Your ships keep their solo numbers. Enemies and bosses take 1.9 times the health, with no extra bullets or waves, and the two of you should find it a little easier than flying alone.
- Enemies pick a target. Each aims at the nearest living ship and chooses again every 2 seconds, so one of you can draw fire while the other gets in close.
- Stillbell slows everyone. Either of you can ring it, from one shared pool of charges.
When someone goes down
At zero hull your ship does not die. It becomes a wreck that cannot fire or be hit, and both phones say so.
- Stand them up: hover within 28 px of the wreck for 3 seconds. A ring shows how far along you are, and it drains if you leave. Enemies do not wait, so dodge on the way in.
- What they come back with: 50% of their hull the first time, 30% the second, then one plate each time after, with 2 seconds of safety and a burst that clears nearby bullets. A dock rest or a boss kill resets the count.
- Clearing the room stands them up too, with one plate.
- Both down is a normal death: you both wake at the last dock.
Who keeps what
| What | Whose it is |
|---|---|
| The run, map and save | The host's. A guest has no run of their own from a shared game, and if the same friend comes back to that run, their ship returns as it was. |
| Guns, melee and armour | Each player's own. A guest brings their Loadout, though a gun comes along only once the host's run has found it. Each of you picks on your own phone at a dock. |
| Modifiers, abilities and items | Each ship's own. When a reward comes up, you each choose yours, and the room waits for you both. |
| Skills | Each player's own tree, on their own ship. |
| XP | You both earn the normal amount, whoever landed the hit. The guest's XP goes into their own game. |
| Story | The host's. NPC stories and endings move on for the host only, but boss words and story panels open on both phones, and either of you can close them. |
Docks, pausing and the map
- Lantern Docks: either ship on the pad rests both, refills both and saves the run.
- Pause: either of you can pause both phones.
- Map travel: the host flies the map. The guest can look at it but cannot travel.
- False walls: either of you can open them.
Boss Arena practice and the tutorial are for one player.
If the connection drops
- A guest's phone drops: the game holds for up to 20 seconds while it rejoins. After that the host flies on alone, and enemies go back to solo health from the next room.
- A guest leaves: the host flies on alone.
- The host leaves: the guest goes back to their start menu. The XP they have earned is theirs.
- Can't connect? See the fixes in the FAQ.
What goes between the phones
Only the game itself: moves, the world and a generated name such as "Vanguard 1207". There is no chat or typed text, and nothing leaves your Wi-Fi.