The definitive guide to playing local-only multiplayer PC games with remote friends. No router configuration, no port forwarding headaches, and no expired Hamachi rooms.
To play LAN-only games over the internet, players must share a private encrypted virtual network tunnel. Modern tools like PlayBound Connect bypass CGNAT and router port forwarding by establishing peer-to-peer encrypted tunnels automatically, allowing in-game LAN server browsers to discover remote hosts seamlessly.
You don't have to manually configure virtual LAN tunnels, install virtual TAP network adapters, or configure router port forwarding. When you form a party in PlayBound and launch any supported LAN-only title, PlayBound Connect solves this automatically: it negotiates peer-to-peer NAT traversal, creates encrypted virtual tunnels, and mirrors broadcast packets behind the scenes. All you and your friends do is click “Launch.”
Classic PC games designed for local multiplayer rely on UDP broadcast packets. When you click “Host Game” in an older game, the computer sends packets to the local subnet address (e.g. 192.168.1.255), announcing that a server is ready.
On the public internet, commercial routers intentionally block these broadcast packets to prevent internet-wide flooding. Furthermore, most modern residential ISPs use Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT), where hundreds of households share one public IP address. If you are behind CGNAT, traditional router port forwarding cannot route incoming packets to your machine.
For years, gamers turned to third-party tools like Hamachi or Radmin VPN. While they proved the concept, they come with substantial drawbacks today:
| Feature | LogMeIn Hamachi | Radmin VPN | PlayBound Connect |
|---|---|---|---|
| User Limit | Max 5 per room (free tier) | Unlimited | Unlimited in Party |
| Port Forwarding Needed | No | No | No (CGNAT-Safe) |
| Virtual Network Driver | Kernel TAP driver required | Kernel driver required | Userspace Peer-to-Peer |
| Built-in Game Launcher | None | None | 1-Click Party Launch |
Download and launch the free PlayBound client on both your computer and your friend's computer.
Open the Party panel in PlayBound, invite your friends with a link or username, and select the game you want to play.
When launching a LAN-only game, PlayBound Connect automatically assigns each party member a private virtual IP and bridges local network broadcasts.
One player clicks 'Host LAN Game' inside the game; friends will see the host appear in their local multiplayer server list, or can paste the host's 1-click Connect IP.
Explore dedicated step-by-step multiplayer guides for top titles supported by PlayBound Connect:
Local multiplayer games look for other devices on the same local subnet (like 192.168.1.x) using broadcast packets. When played over the public internet, home routers and ISP NAT firewalls block those broadcasts unless the players share an encrypted virtual local network.
Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT) means your internet service provider places multiple customers behind a single shared public IP address. Because you don't have a unique public IPv4 address, standard router port forwarding cannot route incoming traffic to your PC.
PlayBound Connect solves this automatically. It uses lightweight peer-to-peer virtual networking tunnels under the hood. When you launch a LAN-only game from a PlayBound party, Connect automatically negotiates a direct encrypted tunnel between your computers, bridging local network broadcasts without router port forwarding or manual IP setup.
Yes. Virtual LAN bridging, party voice integration, and peer-to-peer multiplayer connectivity are 100% free and built into the PlayBound desktop client.
Any PC game with a LAN or direct-IP multiplayer mode, including classic RTS games (OpenRA, Warzone 2100), retro arena shooters (Xonotic, OpenArena), racing games (SuperTuxKart), and simulation games (OpenTTD).