How to Play Co-Op Games When the Host Is Offline
Can't play your co-op world because the host isn't online? Here are the best ways to keep playing, including automatic save sharing with SaveSync.
You have been building a world with your friends for weeks. You have mined the resources, built the base, expanded the farm, defeated the bosses. Then one evening you sit down to play and the host is not online. Maybe they are busy, maybe they are asleep in a different timezone, maybe they just do not feel like playing tonight. It does not matter. The result is the same: you cannot access your world.
This is the single biggest frustration in co-op gaming. Most peer-to-peer co-op games store the save file on the host’s machine. When the host is not there, the save is not there. Your world might as well not exist.
Why Most Co-Op Games Lock You Out
The vast majority of co-op survival, sandbox, and farming games use a host-based model. Games like Schedule I, Stardew Valley, Valheim, Satisfactory, Enshrouded, and dozens of others all work the same way: one player hosts the world, and everyone else connects to that player.
The save file sits on the host’s hard drive. There is no cloud server keeping it alive when they close the game. When they log off, the world goes dark.
This is not a design flaw exactly. It is the simplest architecture for developers to implement. But for players, it creates a frustrating dependency. Your gaming schedule becomes chained to one person’s availability.
The Manual Workarounds (And Why They Fall Short)
Over the years, players have come up with several workarounds. Each one helps to some degree, but none of them are great.
Copying Save Files Manually
The most common approach is having the host send the save file to another player through Discord, email, or a USB drive. The other player drops it into their game’s save folder and hosts the session themselves.
This works in theory. In practice, it is a mess. You need to know exactly which files to copy, where to put them, and you need to do this every single time you switch hosts. One wrong move and you overwrite hours of progress. Version conflicts are almost guaranteed once three or more people are involved.
Using Cloud Storage (Google Drive, Dropbox)
Some groups set up a shared Google Drive or Dropbox folder for their save files. After each session, the host uploads the latest save. Before the next session, whoever is hosting downloads it.
This is slightly better than Discord file sharing, but it still relies on someone remembering to upload and download the correct files. Generic cloud storage was not built for game saves. It does not understand versioning in a gaming context, and sync conflicts can silently corrupt your data.
Running a Dedicated Server
For games that support them, dedicated servers solve the host dependency problem entirely. The world runs on a server that is always online, and anyone can connect whenever they want.
The downsides are significant though. Dedicated servers cost money, typically between five and fifteen dollars per month. They require technical knowledge to set up and maintain. Many popular co-op games do not even support dedicated servers. And for a casual group of friends who play a few times a week, paying a monthly fee feels excessive.
How These Methods Compare
| Method | Cost | Effort | Reliability | Works for All Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual file transfer | Free | High (every session) | Low | Yes |
| Cloud storage | Free | Medium (every session) | Medium | Yes |
| Dedicated server | $5-15/month | High (initial setup) | High | No |
| SaveSync | One-time purchase | Minimal (automatic) | High | 27+ games |
SaveSync: The Clean Solution
SaveSync was built specifically to solve this problem. It is a Steam tool that automatically synchronizes your co-op save files across every player in your group. After each session, the latest save is shared. Before the next session, whoever wants to host simply pulls the save and starts the game.
No manual file juggling. No monthly server fees. No technical knowledge required. You install it from Steam, create a group, invite your friends, and select your game. SaveSync handles the rest.
It currently supports 27 games including Schedule I, Stardew Valley, Minecraft Java Edition, Valheim, Satisfactory, Terraria, Enshrouded, and more. The list keeps growing based on community requests.
Stop Waiting for Permission to Play Your Own World
Your co-op world belongs to the whole group, not just the person who happened to host first. If you are tired of staring at your Steam library because one friend is not online, there is a better way.