How to Join Friends in Project Zomboid
Joining a friend's Project Zomboid server has three reliable paths. The simplest is the Steam invite — it auto-whitelists you on the destination server, no IP or password needed. For details on direct-IP joins, see our existing How to Join a Server guide.
Method 1 — Steam Invite (Easiest)
- Have your friend launch their server or join one as a player.
- Open Project Zomboid on your end (or close it — see the note below).
- Press Shift + Tab to open the Steam Overlay.
- Find your friend in the friends list — Project Zomboid should appear next to their name.
- Click Join Game.
Note: If your friend uses the in-game Invite Friend button (see Method 2), close Project Zomboid before accepting. The invite re-launches the game with special parameters; an already-running session can ignore the parameters.
Method 2 — In-Game Invite Friend (Auto-Whitelist)
This is the host's side of the workflow. Useful when your server requires whitelisting:
- The host opens the game and connects to their server.
- Press ESC to open the in-game menu.
- Click Invite Friend.
- Pick the friend from the Steam list. The friend gets a Steam invite popup.
- The friend clicks Accept. The game launches with auto-whitelist parameters.
This is the only invite path that works on whitelisted servers without the host running an admin command.
Method 3 — Server Browser by Name
Use this if your friend's server is public and you don't have them on Steam:
- From the main menu, click JOIN.
- Click the Internet tab at the top.
- In the bottom-left Name Filter box, type the server name your friend gave you.
- Highlight the server in the list and click Join Server.
If You Get "Account Username/Password" Prompt
The first time you connect to a server, Project Zomboid asks for an Account Username (your in-game character name on that server) and an Account Password (set by you, used on every return). This is per-server, not your Steam account. Forgotten the password? The server admin must delete your player file before you can rejoin.
Common "Why Can't I Join My Friend" Issues
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| "Server is not responding" | The server is still booting (give it 2–3 minutes) or the IP/port is wrong. |
| "Workshop Item Version Mismatch" | Your mod version differs from the server's. Unsubscribe and re-subscribe to the mod on Steam to force re-download. |
| "Steam P2P Connection Failed" | Restart Steam, restart the game, check your firewall isn't blocking ProjectZomboid64.exe. |
| Steam shows friend "In-Game Project Zomboid" but no Join Game option | They're playing solo, not on a multiplayer server. |
Group up. Host a Project Zomboid server with Supercraft and your friends can join via one-click Steam invite.