Two players, one copy on Steam
Local co-op is two players. PlayStation’s store page says 1–2 players. The Xbox US store labels local co-op as 2–4 players. That conflicts with the two-player description in PlayStation and launch coverage, so this page preserves both rather than promising four-player sessions. Online play on PC is Remote Play Together: one owner streams the session. There is no public pairing queue and no cross-platform lobby in the 1.0 notes.
German store copy uses the line “Einer kauft, zwei zockt.” That matches the Steam rule. It is not a login flow. The game does not add its own account on top of Steam or the console account. Searches for a co-op signup are looking for a screen that was not announced.
What 1.0 changed in the backpack
Each player has a grid. The grids can sit against each other. You can mark an item in the other pack. Each pack has one extra column to unlock. The end-of-round card splits numbers per player, dims the lower figure, and shows a team total when a hit cannot be assigned. Co-op itself arrived in update 0.22 and was rebuilt for 1.0, so clips from summer 2025 have no second player at all.
| Local split screen | Yes, 2 players | 2 sources |
| Online | Steam Remote Play Together only | Official notes |
| Friend must buy | No, on Steam Remote Play | 2 sources |
| Controllers | Official 0.22 notes: one needed; wiki: both | 2 sources · conflict |
| Matchmaking | Not announced | Official sources reviewed · no announcement |
| Crossplay | Not announced | Official sources reviewed · no announcement |
| PS5 player count | 1–2 | PlayStation page |
| Xbox local count | Xbox: 2–4; PS5 and launch coverage: 2 | Source conflict |
Questions
Is there online co-op?
Only through Steam Remote Play Together. That is Steam’s streaming feature. The game has not announced its own matchmaking.
Does my friend need the game?
Not for Steam Remote Play Together. The 1.0 notes and the store page both say the other person does not have to own it.
Is there crossplay?
Not announced. PS5 and Xbox having the game does not connect them to a Steam host.
How many controllers?
Local play is two people. The store line is that one of you needs a controller. A wiki page also says both players need one. I leave both wordings up.
Sources
- Steam news — 1.0 co-op notes — checked 2026-11-02
- Steam 0.22 — one controller and Remote Play — checked 2026-11-02
- Xbox Store — local co-op 2–4 — checked 2026-11-02
- PlayStation Store — 1–2 players — checked 2026-11-02
- deadlydaysroadtripgame.wiki co-op — checked 2026-11-02
Limitation: public sources can omit conditions or change after the date shown; source counts and disagreements are recorded below.