Multiplayer

Last Harbor multiplayer guide

How co-op and PvP work in Last Harbor: crew setup, roles, claim rules, raid windows and the social contracts that keep a crew alive on the open water.

Two multiplayer modes, one shared world

Last Harbor ships with two multiplayer flags on the Steam store page: Online Co-op and Online PvP. They are not separate games — they are toggles inside a shared session.

Co-op — a session-based game where 2–6 players share a single boat. PvP damage between crew members is disabled by default.
PvP — a server-based game where multiple crews share a single map. Players can raid each other, steal boats, and contest high-value islands.

Co-op crew roles

The single biggest mistake new crews make is dividing labor by "who is online". Last Harbor needs defined roles on the boat. We recommend splitting into:

Captain — pilots the boat, calls the route, owns the map. One per crew.
Engineer — owns the workbench, refuels, repairs, manages inventory. One per crew.
Scout — first off the boat, clears beaches, calls threats. One per crew, optional.
Gunner — operates the deck cannons and harpoon. One per crew, optional.
Medic — owns the medical inventory, heals, distributes antibiotics. One per crew, optional.

PvP server rules

Last Harbor's PvP servers use a consent-based raid system. The key rules, as confirmed in the Steam store copy and the reveal trailer:

Boat damage — you can damage other players' boats, but it costs a raid flag that makes you visible on the map for 30 minutes.
Claim rules — a player cannot raid the same crew twice in a 4-hour window.
Off-hours protection — most servers have a 3-hour daily window where PvP damage to boats is disabled (typically 03:00–06:00 server time).
Safe harbors — certain islands are designated as safe. You cannot damage a boat that is anchored in a safe harbor.

Defending against raids

Don't be a target. Park your boat in a kelp bed or hidden cove. The bigger your boat, the more visible it is.
Boat speed > defenses. If you see a raid flag approaching, sail. You can outrun almost any hostile boat in a T2 or better hull.
Spread your loot. Never keep all your high-value items in one boat. Stash some in island caches.
Build a defender crew. If you are going to play on a PvP server with a permanent base, build a crew of 3+ who can rotate watch.
Use the radio as a decoy. Broadcast distress calls from a non-critical boat to draw raiders away from your main base.

Server settings we expect

Player slots — 2–6 per session, 30–60 per server.
PvP toggle — server admin can disable PvP damage entirely.
Day/night length — adjustable. A 4-hour day is the standard for hardcore servers.
Zombie density — adjustable. A "zombie horde" preset is expected for hard-core play.
Loot respawn — adjustable. Casual servers respawn loot daily; hardcore servers respawn weekly.

Common co-op mistakes

Sharing one inventory. The inventory is shared by default. Tag your personal items with a prefix (e.g. [JD]) to avoid "who took my meds" arguments.
Splitting the crew on land. The whole point of co-op is mutual defense. Send the scout first, then the rest of the crew together.
Forgetting to refuel. Have one player own the fuel inventory. Fueling is boring and easy to forget.