- Online 404 co-op is a multiplayer zombie survival mode tested in the Steam Next Fest demo
- Team roles matter: split looting, lockpicking, and combat among players
- Crafting knowledge is learned in-game by searching the internet on your phone
- Saving is limited in the demo; expect restarts and report bugs
- Host a stable session and use flashlights and lockpicks to survive nights
Online 404 Co-Op Overview
Online 404 co-op drops you and your friends into a post-outbreak open world where zombies, scavenging, and an unusual knowledge system define the survival loop. The demo, featured during Summer Game Fest and Steam Next Fest, lets small groups spawn together, loot buildings, learn real skills through in-game web searches, and attempt to build a defensible base. This guide breaks down how the multiplayer experience currently plays and how to get the most out of a session with your crew.
Video Highlights:
- Full co-op demo session showing bugs and the door glitch update
- Team looting of hotels, police cars, and abandoned vehicles
- Grandma NPC quest with canned food and juice rewards
- Base building with hammer, wood, and building blocks
- Post-update session showing fixed doors and melee combat
The demo is an early, pre-alpha build. Expect inventory glitches, black screens on death, crashes, and host respawn failures. The developers have already shipped fixes (notably the door bug), but play with patience and low expectations for polish.
Team Roles and Loadout Division
In Online 404 co-op, an organized team survives far longer than a scattered one. Resources are scarce, encumbrance is punishing, and each player can only carry so much before movement becomes a liability.
| Role | Key Items | Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Scavenger | Lockpicks, backpack space | Opens cars, hotels, loots containers |
| Fighter | Shotgun, Glock, ammo | Protects looters during night raids |
| Builder | Hammer, hatchet, wood, nails | Constructs base walls, crates, stairs |
| Support | Food, bandages, power bank | Shares chicken, sardines, keeps phone charged |
Scavenger
- Priority: Lockpicks and knives
- Searches police cars and hotels
- Learns lockpicking via in-game web
Fighter
- Priority: Shotgun and bullets
- Holds flashlight for teammates
- Watch out for friendly fire in the dark
Builder
- Priority: Hammer and wood
- Uses right-click to select building blocks
- Middle-click destroys, R rotates pieces
Drop spare hatchets, knives, and lockpicks for teammates. Melee weapons exist despite early confusion, and a teammate with no weapon is a liability when zombies swarm.
Step-by-Step: Your First Co-Op Session
Spawn and Regroup
Players sometimes spawn apart or load into the wrong session. Confirm everyone is in the host's game before leaving the road, and rejoin if your character appears as a "new person."
Loot the Starting Area
Follow the road to find hotels, abandoned cars, and a police car that requires lockpicking. Prioritize weapons, canned food, lockpicks, and a hatchet.
Learn Skills via the In-Game Web
Your in-game phone lets you Google crafting recipes and skills. Searching "how to lockpick" or "how to skin an animal" teaches your character, at the cost of roughly 10% phone battery per read. Ads may pop up, click them off.
Complete the Grandma Quest
A sassy NPC grandma asks for five cans of food and juice boxes. Deliver them to the box by her door for a useful reward, but keep a weapon ready, zombies attack inside.
Build a Base Before Dark
Craft a hammer, gather wood, and place walls and stairs. Note that wooden crates require a box of nails, so hunt for nails while scavenging.
You can read which mushrooms are poisonous before eating them. In the demo, Bayletes and Portinis were the safe varieties, always check the in-game web first.
Night Survival and Known Bugs
Nights in Online 404 co-op are brutal. Your main light source is holding out your phone, which drains battery and occupies your hands. Zombies attack in the dark, and friendly fire is a real risk when nobody can see.
| Problem | Impact | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Doors blocked players | Could not enter buildings | Fixed in post-update patch |
| Stuck inventory screen | Blocks all actions | Drop the bugged item or restart |
| Black screen on death | No respawn for host | Host restarts the session |
| No save in demo | Progress resets each load | Wait for full version saves |
| Zombie damage immunity | Untouchable while eating | Retreat and re-engage |
Double-clicking melee attacks can cancel swings entirely, and zombies cannot be damaged while they are eating a downed player. Stay calm, time your swings, and never fight alone in the dark.
After the developers regained Steam access and pushed updates, doors, melee, and basic building functioned noticeably better, a promising sign for the full release.
Co-Op Session Checklist
Session Goals:
- Confirm all players loaded into the host's session
- Find a weapon for every teammate
- Learn lockpicking through the in-game web
- Complete grandma's food delivery quest
- Build walls and a crate before nightfall
- Charge or find a spare power bank for the phone
Treat the demo as a preview, not a finished product. The premise, co-op loop, and knowledge system show real promise, but bugs remain frequent.
FAQ
Q: Does Online 404 co-op support multiplayer in the demo?
Yes. The Steam Next Fest demo supports multiplayer sessions where a small group can spawn, loot, and survive together, though connection bugs can place players in the wrong session or force restarts.
Q: Can you save your progress in the Online 404 demo?
No. Saving is disabled in the demo and is planned for the full version, which hinted at options like tent-based saves. Every reload starts you fresh.
Q: How does crafting work in Online 404 co-op?
You learn recipes by searching the in-game internet on your phone, such as how to make lockpicks or skin animals. Reading drains phone battery by about 10% and may show ads you need to close.
Q: Is Online 404 worth playing right now?
The demo is very rough, with door bugs, crashes, and combat issues, though patches have already fixed major problems. Most players should wait for the full release, expected after further bug fixes.