Dual Protocol Co-op Setup: Copies, Voice & Friend Pass
Dual Protocol is built for exactly two people, and the setup decides whether your first evening is a mystery or a tech-support call. Here is what Steam actually lists, and what is still unknown.
What you need
- Two copies. Each player runs the game on their own PC. A player asked on the Steam forums on September 30, 2026 whether there would be a Friend Pass. There was no developer answer when we checked, so plan on buying two copies.
- Two Windows PCs. The store page lists Windows only. See the PC specs page. The bar is very low.
- A voice line. The store page calls your voice and the information you relay “your only weapons”. It does not mention built-in voice chat. Use Discord, Steam voice chat or a phone call, whichever drops the least.
Online or same room?
The official Steam categories are Multi-player, Co-op and Online Co-op. Some players have also tagged it “Local Co-Op”, but that is a player tag, not one of Valve’s feature categories. In practice that means:
- Long distance: both of you launch the game and join through Steam online co-op.
- Same room: it still runs as online co-op on two PCs. Sit where you can’t see each other’s monitor. The game is designed around not seeing the other screen, and peeking spoils the puzzles.
Finding a partner
If nobody you know owns it, the developers opened an official Discord on September 27, 2026 and named finding a co-op partner as one of its main uses. The invite link is on the Steam store page and the studio site (aegeancrafters.co). The Steam discussion board for the game is the other place pairs are forming.
Before you press start
- Agree who is Eva and who is Miles.
- Open a shared notes doc or keep paper nearby. Numbers, dates and symbol orders come up constantly.
- Settle on how you will name directions and colors. Our communication tips have a ready-made system.
- Use Save Anytime (listed on Steam) when one of you needs a break, so nobody repeats a puzzle.
Known unknowns
The price, whether there is in-game voice chat, and whether a Friend Pass is coming were all unconfirmed on October 1, 2026. We will update this page once the game is out.
Noted. Back to the case.