How to Play Hytale with Friends

How Hytale Friend Joins Work

Hytale allows you to open your singleplayer world to friends without running a dedicated server. When you enable friend joins, Hytale:

1. Uses UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) to automatically configure your router
2. Generates a share code containing encrypted connection information
3. Friends paste the share code to connect directly to your game

The share code contains multiple connection candidates including your local network addresses, public IP (via UPnP), and any VPN addresses (like Tailscale). The joining client tries each candidate to find a working connection.

How to Host Your World for Friends

1. Load your singleplayer world
2. Press ESC to open the pause menu
3. Click Online Play
4. Toggle "Allow Other Players to Join" to ON
5. (Optional) Set a Password to restrict access
6. (Optional) Toggle "Include Password in Share Code" to embed the password
7. Click Save

After saving, Hytale performs UPnP negotiation with your router. Once complete:

• A share code appears in the text field
• Connection status shows below (e.g., "Connected via UPnP")
• NAT Type displays your network configuration

Click Copy to Clipboard and send the code to your friends.

How to Join a Friend's World

1. From the main menu, go to Servers
2. Click Join via Code
3. Paste the share code
4. Enter the password if required and not embedded
5. Click Connect

The client attempts each connection candidate in priority order until one succeeds.

Troubleshooting Connection Issues

Share Code Not Generated

Symptom: After clicking Save, no share code appears or you see an error.

Friend Cannot Connect

Symptom: Share code generated successfully, but friend gets connection timeout or failure.

How to Check for CGNAT

Your ISP may use Carrier-Grade NAT, meaning you share a public IP with other customers. UPnP cannot work in this scenario.

1. Open PowerShell
2. Run: tracert -d 8.8.8.8
3. Check the first few hops

If the first hop is a public IP (not 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, or 172.16-31.x.x), you likely have a direct connection. If you see multiple private IP ranges before reaching public addresses, you're behind CGNAT or Double NAT.

You can also compare your router's WAN IP (shown in router admin panel) with your public IP (search "what is my IP" in a browser). If these don't match, you're behind CGNAT.

Alternative Solutions

1. Try Having Your Friend Host

The simplest fix when you can't host: have your friend create the world and invite you instead. Different network configurations mean one player may be able to host while another cannot.

2. Use Tailscale VPN

Tailscale creates a peer-to-peer VPN tunnel between devices using WireGuard. It bypasses NAT and firewall issues entirely. See our Tailscale Setup Guide for detailed instructions.

3. Rent a Dedicated Server

For persistent worlds or more than a few friends, consider a dedicated server:

• Better performance (server isn't also rendering the game)
• Persistent uptime when you're offline
• More configuration options
• Reliable connectivity without NAT issues

View Hosting Plans

Technical Details

Share Code Format

The share code is a Base64-encoded, compressed JSON structure containing:

{
  "HostName": "PlayerName",
  "HostUuid": "...",
  "ServerName": "World Name",
  "Password": "optional",
  "ExpiresAt": "2026-01-09T01:50:03Z",
  "Candidates": [
    {"Type": "Host", "Address": "192.168.1.100", "Port": 52102, "Priority": 1000},
    {"Type": "Host", "Address": "100.86.150.116", "Port": 52102, "Priority": 1000},
    {"Type": "UPnP", "Address": "82.12.145.33", "Port": 52102, "Priority": 900}
  ]
}

Connection Priority

When connecting, candidates are tried in this typical order:

1. Local network addresses (fastest, same network)
2. Tailscale/VPN addresses (reliable, punches through NAT)
3. IPv6 addresses (direct if both have IPv6)
4. UPnP public IP (requires successful port mapping)

Frequently Asked Questions

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