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Biztopia

Page 15

Online co-op

Playing together with friends: starting a game, who can find it, inviting and joining, the Players panel, voice chat, riding together, what is shared, and what to do when something goes wrong.

Updated 3 November 2026

The basics

  • Up to 4 players play in one company.
  • The host owns the game. Everyone else is a guest. When you join, you travel into the host's world.
  • You need the same version of Biztopia as the host.
  • Co-op games and lobbies run through Epic Online Services. Steam is your platform: your Steam friends and Steam invites work as usual, and you do not need an Epic account.
  • Orders, employees, loans, deliveries, company money, XP and your player level are shared by everyone in the company. Hunger, energy and health are personal.

Hosting a game

There are two ways to host:

New Game

  1. On the main menu choose New Game.
  2. Choose the mode Online co-op.
  3. Pick Who can find this game (see below).
  4. Start the game.

A saved game

  1. On the main menu open Load Game and pick your save.
  2. Choose Host online co-op. The game starts straight away, without asking for visibility. You can change it any time in the Players panel.

The Host online co-op button is disabled for saves that cannot be played, and for backup file entries.

A game you started on your own can also become joinable: once you are online, a co-op lobby can open for it so friends can join later.

Who can find this game

  • Invite code only (the default): the game is not listed. Players find it with your code. Steam invites you send still work.
  • Friends: your Steam friends see your game in the public games list.
  • Public: everyone sees your game in the list.

Inviting friends

Once you are in the game there are three ways, and you can use any of them:

  • Press I (gamepad: D-pad Up). The invite panel opens and the game copies your invite code, with the toast "Invite code copied: ...". Send the code to a friend by chat. Press I again to close the panel. It does not open over the tablet, another menu or the map, and it needs an available code.
  • Open the pause menu (Esc) and choose Invite friends. This opens Steam's invite window, so your Steam overlay must be on. It does not copy the code. The button is available to the host and to guests, and it is hidden when Steam or the overlay is not available.
  • Open the pause menu, Players panel, and click the Invite code to copy it.

Guests also publish the game through Steam presence, so their friends can join the same game.

Joining a game

There are three ways:

  1. Steam invite. Accept your friend's invite. If you are in a game, return to the main menu first. The game tells you "Return to the main menu to join the game you were invited to."
  2. Invite code. On the main menu choose Join Friend, type the code in the Invite code field (hint: "Type the code") and press Join or Enter. Spaces around the code are removed and letters are made uppercase for you. If the field is empty you see "Got an invite? Enter it here." While it works you see "Looking for a host..." and then "Found a host. Joining the mission...". The field and the button wait until the try is over.
  3. Public games list. On the Join Friend screen choose Browse public games. The Public games list shows each game with the host's name and how many players are in it, for example 2/4. These are co-op games of your version that were opened to everyone or to Steam friends. The game searches ("Looking for games...") and you can press Refresh to search again. A full game shows Full and cannot be joined. If nothing is open you see "No open games right now. Refresh in a moment, or join with an invite code."

The Players panel (host)

Open the pause menu and choose Players. It is only for the host. You see:

  • Who can find this game, with the three choices.
  • The Invite code. Click it to copy it.
  • A row for every guest, with their platform name. The list updates while it is open when guests join or leave.
  • Remove on a guest row. Press it, then Yes, remove to take that guest out. They go back to the main menu with a short note. A guest you removed cannot join that world again with a code, the list or an old invite. This lasts until you return to the main menu.
  • "No one has joined yet." when you are alone.

Who owns what

  • The host saves the game. A guest can keep playing, but the save belongs to the host. In the pause menu the guest sees the Save button disabled, with the note "The host saves this game". At a save point a guest cannot advance the day, the game says "Only host can save the current session."
  • The host sets the traffic density. Guests see that Settings row greyed out: "In co-op the host sets the traffic density."
  • The trade history of the ATM exchange is kept on the host only.
  • Only the host can found the museum, change its name and logo and change ticket prices. In the museum guests see messages when someone finds a mystery box or places an artifact.
  • Only the host's store is shown on the website status of the Company page.

Your items and Safekeeping

Your own items stay yours. When a co-op partner leaves, their items that can be stored are moved to the Safekeeping app on the tablet, under that partner's name (or "Co-op partner's items" when the name is not known). Items that cannot be stored stay in the world.

  • When you rejoin a host's game, the items that waited for you are returned to your inventory automatically. What does not fit stays in Safekeeping.
  • When you join, a small toast tells you how many items are waiting for you in safekeeping. You only see it if you have at least one.
  • Your items are for you. The host can take the items of a partner who is offline, but not those of a partner who is playing. Items that belong to the company are host only.

Voice chat

  • Hold V to talk (push to talk). On a gamepad it is the Back/View button.
  • In Settings > Audio you find:
  • Voice chat: Push to talk, Open mic (your microphone is on while you play co-op) or Off. Off also mutes what you hear from others.
  • Microphone: pick your device. It is disabled if no device is found.
  • A Voice chat volume slider for your friends' voices.
  • The game warns you when it cannot hear you:
  • "No microphone found. Plug one in or pick it in Settings."
  • "Your microphone is not working. Check it or pick another one in Settings."
  • "Windows is blocking the microphone. Allow it in Privacy & security > Microphone."
  • If you tap the key twice, too briefly to send a word, the game reminds you: "Push to talk: hold the key while you speak."

Riding together

Only one player drives a vehicle. A friend can ride as passenger: look at the passenger side of a car someone else drives and use the prompt Ride as passenger (E, or the right face button on a gamepad). Use Get out to leave the seat.

  • A car has one passenger seat, so only one passenger fits.
  • Your hands are emptied when you get in.
  • You need a free spot beside the car to get out, and the car keeps moving when you leave.
  • The seat itself is not saved. If the game is saved while you ride, your saved position is next to the car.

Same version required

If your version differs from the host's you see: "This game runs a different version of Biztopia. Both players need the same update to play together." Update your game and try again.

If something goes wrong

  • Could not join: a card titled "Could not join the game" says why: the game is full ("This game is full (4/4 players). Try again when a spot opens."), it has ended or the code is old ("This game has ended or is no longer open to join. Ask the host for a new invite code."). Choose Try again (your last code is kept) or Main menu. Esc closes only the card, so you can fix the code underneath.
  • Timeout: "Could not reach the host in time. Check both internet connections and try again."
  • Connection failed: "Could not connect to the co-op game. Please try again."
  • Connection lost: "The connection to the co-op game was lost."
  • The host leaves: "The host left the game. You are back in the main menu."
  • You were removed: "The host removed you from their game. You are back in the main menu."
  • Invite not found: "The game you were invited to could not be found. It may have ended."
  • Restricted account: "Your account is restricted from co-op games. Single player is not affected."

Tips

  • Update the game before a session. A new version stops friends from joining.
  • The host should save before the group quits. Progress the host did not save is lost for everybody.
  • Keep Invite code only if you play with friends. Use Friends or Public when you want new people.
  • Guests leave with Leave the game in the pause menu instead of closing the game window.
  • Check the microphone in Settings before you start a session.

Screenshots needed:

  • New Game screen with the Online co-op mode and Who can find this game
  • Invite panel (I key) with the "Invite code copied" toast
  • Join Friend screen with the Invite code field
  • Public games list with a Full row and the Refresh button
  • Pause menu Players panel with a guest row, Remove and Yes, remove
  • Settings > Audio with Voice chat, Microphone and the volume slider
  • The "Could not join the game" card
  • A passenger seat prompt "Ride as passenger"