Tape to Tape is a local couch co-op game first. There is no dedicated online matchmaking, and the only way to play with faraway friends is through Steam Remote Play Together — but on the couch, the game opens up to as many as six players in campaign co-op and up to ten in Play Now. Every player grabs a controller and takes control of one skater on the ice, so the multiplayer question is really about how many friends you can fit on one couch.
Local Co-op in the Campaign
The campaign is built for solo or local couch co-op. Up to six players can play through the campaign together or take on a team of AI, with each player controlling one of the characters on the field. When all six slots are filled, one person steps into a permanent goalie role, so the sixth player spends the whole run between the pipes. The run stays cooperative from start to finish — you are battling rival teams and the campaign's boss-like encounters as a unit, never against each other.
Here is how the player counts break down across the game's modes:
| Mode | Local players |
|---|---|
| Campaign co-op | Up to 6 |
| Play Now | Up to 10 |
| Online | Via Steam Remote Play Together |
Co-op turns the roguelite loop into a shared decision. Between games, the whole group chooses which path to take, who to hire, and which upgrades to grab. In practice, couch co-op players spend as much time strategizing boosts and debating the next upgrade as they do actually playing hockey.
Play Now and Other Local Modes
Play Now scales higher than the campaign, supporting up to 10 local players — one of the more generous couch hockey options around. The official site also lists Tournament and Shootout alongside Play Now as ways to challenge friends without committing to a full campaign run.
For quick sessions, Play Now is the cleanest entry point. You skip the roguelite management, pick a squad, and drop straight onto the ice. Groups that only want a fast arcade hit can jump in here instead of working through an entire run, which makes it the right choice for a short visit or a big group that wants everyone involved at once.
For bigger groups, Play Now's higher cap means nobody has to sit out. The trade-off is that Play Now skips the campaign's management layer, so the deep team-building loop lives in campaign co-op instead. If your group wants both the chaos and the progression, start a co-op campaign and treat Play Now as the warm-up.
Online Multiplayer via Steam Remote Play Together
Tape to Tape does not ship native online co-op. Co-Optimus lists online co-op, combo co-op (local plus online), and LAN play all as "Not Supported" on PC. If you want to play with friends who are not in the room, the entire online story is Steam Remote Play Together.
Remote Play Together streams the host's local session to the rest of the group, so only the host needs to own the game. Everyone else joins from the Steam Friends list. Because it is a stream, the game feels the same as local play — the remote friend simply takes one of the controller slots the host has open. A stable, low-latency connection matters more than raw bandwidth, and for the smoothest experience the host should run a wired connection when possible.
What Tape to Tape Multiplayer Is Not
If you are looking for competitive online hockey, Tape to Tape is not that game. Reviewers who went in expecting online ranks, leaderboards, hardcore PvP, or a ranked ladder came away noting that none of those exist. It is a vibes-and-chaos game, not a competitive ecosystem.
There is no cross-platform matchmaking queue to sit in and no LAN or system-link mode. The multiplayer design stays deliberately local, with online play bolted on through Remote Play Together rather than built in. Knowing that up front sets the right expectation before you and your group drop in.
Is Multiplayer Actually Fun?
The strongest signal comes from people who played it on a couch. One reviewer who tested both solo and couch co-op with two and three players said co-op is where the game became extremely fun, describing a session of strategizing boosts, talking through abilities, and figuring out the next upgrade after each win.
"Chaotic, but ridiculously fun" is the shared verdict on co-op. The game's roguelite structure also suits short bursts — groups often pull it out for a night or two when someone is in town, which is exactly the low-commitment couch slot the game fills. If you grew up on arcade hockey like NHL Hitz or Gretzky 3D Hockey, this scratches that same itch with a progression layer on top.
Who Should Play Multiplayer
A few familiar player types get the most out of a group session. Social players who like talking through decisions and strategizing as a team are the clearest match — one reviewer described exactly that loop of picking boosts together and debating the next upgrade after each win. Achievement and progression-minded players also fit, because every run hands the whole group new upgrades and unlocks to experiment with.
System lovers who enjoy a win, upgrade, experiment, push-further cycle will find a playground of builds disguised as hockey. The game is less suited to competitive players looking for online ranks, leaderboards, hardcore PvP, or a ranked ladder, and story-driven players should look elsewhere, since the narrative stays light and formula-heavy after a few runs.
Setting Up a Smooth Session
Couch co-op works best when you sort out the logistics before the puck drops:
- Plug in and test every controller before launching, so no one has to restart.
- Assign each player a clear slot on the character select screen.
- Agree on a squad and a hiring plan before the run, so nobody drafts against the team.
One recurring note from co-op players is that the game does not auto-switch control to another skater, which can lead to passing to yourself. Knowing that up front avoids most of the early confusion, and groups that plan their roles before hiring get dramatically more consistent runs.
Ultimately, Tape to Tape's multiplayer is simple by design: grab controllers, pick a squad, and play on one screen. Set expectations around Remote Play for long-distance friends, and the game delivers a reliably fun couch co-op hockey session every time.