Last Harbor Guide
Last Harbor co-op tips
Roles, communication and loadouts for 2–6 player Last Harbor co-op sessions — including how to share loot fairly and survive together.
Co-op is the heart of Last Harbor. The game is at its best with 3–4 players on a single boat, working together. This guide covers the role assignments, the loadout split, the communication conventions and the loot-sharing rules that keep a crew alive on the open water.
Crew size
The sweet spot for Last Harbor co-op is 3–4 players. 2 is too thin — one player has to solo an island while the other pilots. 5–6 is too crowded — inventory management becomes a mess, and you spend more time organizing than playing. If you have 5–6 friends, run two boats.
Roles
Define roles before you sail. The four core roles are captain (pilots the boat, calls the route, owns the map), engineer (owns the workbench, refuels, repairs), scout (first off the boat, clears beaches, calls threats) and gunner (operates the deck cannons and harpoon). Two of these can be merged for a 3-player crew.
Loadout split
Split your loadouts by role. The captain carries the pistol, the boat hook and a flare gun. The engineer carries the repair kit, a wrench and a fishing rod. The scout carries a melee weapon, a crossbow and a bandage stack. The gunner carries the shotgun, a pistol and a molotov. The rule: every player carries one melee, one ranged, one bandage, one repair item, one food and one water.
Communication
Use a voice channel. Last Harbor's UI does not replace voice comms. The standard call-outs are: north, south, east, west (always relative to the boat), and the four threat levels: green (clear), yellow (heard something), orange (spotted), red (engaged). Pick a convention and stick to it.
Loot sharing
The inventory is shared by default. Tag your personal items with a prefix (e.g. <code>[JD]</code>) to avoid "who took my meds" arguments. Distribute high-value items (antibiotics, fuel, electronics) by role — the engineer owns fuel, the medic owns antibiotics.
Quick checklist
- 3–4 players is the sweet spot
- Define roles before you sail
- Split loadouts by role
- Use voice comms, not UI
- Tag personal items with a prefix