Multiplayer
Host or join LAN games for up to six human players using deterministic lockstep netcode, with AI fill, alliances, and automatic custom-map transfer.
Warigami multiplayer is LAN-first and built for lag-free, in-sync matches.
How the Netcode Works
Multiplayer uses deterministic lockstep netcode. Every player re-simulates the same game on their own machine; only commands are sent across the network, so the match stays perfectly in sync. This keeps bandwidth tiny and the simulation identical for everyone.
Players and Slots
- Up to 12 colours (players) on a map, grouped into teams however the map or the host likes.
- Up to 6 human players — fill the remaining seats with AI or leave them closed. Seats nobody fills are stripped at launch, so an empty colour never becomes a ghost base that somebody has to raze.
Hosting and Joining
Start a game from the main menu with Multiplayer -> Host. Once a lobby is open, other players on the same network can:
- Discover the open lobby in a browse list, or
- Join by game code.
In the Lobby
As the host, you control the setup for each slot:
- Assign each seat to Human / AI / Closed, and pick each player’s province (⛩ Pious or 冥 Profane).
- Set alliances between seats — unless the map is a Use Map Settings map that fixes them.
- Set the max players.
Presets make common setups quick:
| Preset | Setup |
|---|---|
| FFA | Free-for-all, everyone against everyone. |
| Split Teams | Two balanced sides. |
| 2 vs 1 | Two players against one. |
Alliances
Allies share the field but keep their own economies. Allied players have:
- Separate bases
- Shared vision
- No friendly fire
- Shared win/loss
Maps
Maps are sized to the player count. The game can procedurally generate a fair, symmetric map — with mirrored spawns and water corridors — for any number of players, or you can play a hand-made custom map built in the Map Editor.
Custom maps transfer automatically to everyone in the lobby before launch (up to about 30 MB), so guests don’t need the file beforehand — and they keep a copy afterward under the Library’s Downloads chip.
Drops and reconnects
If a player’s connection drops, the match holds for twenty seconds while they reconnect, then carries on without them; a player who comes back later can rejoin the same room and catch up. Everyone must be on the same game version. Discovery uses UDP port 41734 and game traffic TCP port 27341 — if the firewall blocks discovery, the host can read out the room code instead.
During a Match
- Vote-to-pause: any player can call a pause during a match.
Victory in Team Games
- You win when all enemy alliances are eliminated.
- You lose when your own Palace or Prime is destroyed.
- An ally being knocked out doesn’t end the game for you.