How to Play ARK: Survival Evolved with Your Friends

ARK: Survival Evolved is gradually dominating the hearts of most gamers with its gameplay loops. Its captivating landscapes, the plethora of prehistoric wonders, and constant content drops will never leave you bored. Most importantly, it unleashes the best gaming experience when you play with friends.

Joining the same servers or hosting a dedicated server can get you and your friends into the mysterious island with one goal: survival. But the aspect of dropping empty-handed can make the game tricky to survive. 

We advise you to check out Ark Survival Evolved hacks (PC) for tools to get started in the game. Afterward, apply the strategies below to play Ark with your friends.

How to Play ARK Survival Evolved with Your Friends

• Enable crossplay between Epic Games Launcher and Steam

ARK is not cross-platform, so it does not support official crossplay between Xbox One, PS4, or PC. However, friends who have the Epic Games Launcher and Steam can connect via detours; this works only with dedicated servers.

You’ll need to allow crossplay between the Epic Games Store and Steam in the settings of your server. Nitrado and G-Portal are some famous sites to do this. 

On the Nitrado server, go to “Allowed Platforms” under the server settings and allow players from Steam and the Epic Games Store to crossplay. On the G-Portal server, go to “Platforms” under “Basic Settings” to enable crossplay for “Steam and Epic Games Launcher” players.

• Activate split-screen multiplayer

On Xbox 360 games, you can activate split-screen multiplayer and connect with another user to play your session using a different controller. Furthermore, you can open a guest account to pair up with your friends. Their scores and progress will be recorded on their accounts individually.

This feature allows you to connect four to eight players per console in a world. Advisably, you can connect two to three players at a time and take turns. This will make the game run smoothly and give you a pleasant display.

• Join online or non-dedicated servers in Ark.

In ARK: Survival Evolved, there are several servers you can join, ranging from dedicated to non-dedicated servers. Agree with your team on which server they prefer to join. You must choose the same server to spawn in the same world. 

You can access the “Join Ark,” Host/Local Server, and Dedicated Server options in the main menu. However, consider the number of players already on the server. You don’t want to join a crowded server and experience lagging gameplay. 

• Explore your world

Once you’ve successfully connected with your friends, playing the game is next. Explore, communicate, build bases, craft weapons, and tools, and harvest food together. Remember that most creatures on the island are dangerous, so you must be careful about where you build your base.

Furthermore, engage in adventurous activities like making cloth, unlocking engrams, upgrading weapons, and taming dodos. The main goal of Ark Survival Evolved is to use the resources around you to survive, so stick to the objective.

Tips to make the most of your multiplayer adventure

Ark Survival Evolved is all about survival. With these tips, you’ll enjoy the best multiplayer adventure on the island.

• Collect resources as quickly as you can

Resources are vital for building shelters and crafting tools and weapons. Collecting resources early and getting into your base before night guarantees a longer life. 

So, mobilize your friend and get to work. Punch trees to get thatch and pick stones off the ground. Craft tools on time to help you collect wood and flint. You can harvest plants by hand to get fiber.

• Don’t light a fire at night

Lighting a fire or cooking during the night will put you and your friends at risk. It’ll draw the attention of some dangerous creatures and other players. 

If any of you dies, you’ll spawn at your bed’s location, and before you find your way back, your valuables are gone. To be on the safe side, avoid lights at night.

• Get rid of small animals

Dodos and fish are perfect examples of prey to kill. They are ideal sources of valuable items. Killing them off will leave you and your friends with many items to create powerful tools in the game.

• Keep your statistics intact all the time

Your stats will determine your strength or weakness in the game. Eat food and drink water to replenish your health and other core statistics. If any of them deplete, your performance in the game will be poor, so keep them intact always.

Conclusion

In a dangerous world where you spawn with only your hands, the only way to win is to play with your friends to survive. Enable crossplay between Epic Games Launcher and Steam to play with active friends on the server. Join Ark servers or Dedicated/Non-dedicated servers to enjoy a fun-filled game. 

Moreover, if you and your friends must survive, collect resources as quickly as possible. Don’t light a fire at night. Get rid of small animals to obtain valuable items. More importantly, keep your stats intact all the time.