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Play together

How to Play Factorio With Friends

Short answer

Factorio works with PlayBound Connect two ways: host it yourself on your own PC, or run it on a PlayBound server. A PlayBound server is the default — your party reaches the host over Connect's overlay network, so nobody forwards a port.

Full game details

Ways to play together

My computer

Your PC runs the game. Lowest latency, and your party reaches it over the PlayBound network — no port forwarding. The room ends when you quit.

PlayBound server

Default

We host the room on our server. It stays up even if you leave, and anyone can join without being in your party.

At a glance

Max playersNot yet verified
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux
How PlayBound connects youLAN-only (bridged over Connect)

Step by step

  1. 1Open PlayBound and create or join a party.
  2. 2Add Factorio as the party's game.
  3. 3Choose how to host: "My computer" for self-hosting, or "PlayBound server" for a room that stays up on its own.
  4. 4Launch. Everyone in the party connects to the same room with no manual setup.
  5. 5In Factorio itself: Play → Multiplayer → Connect to address; enter the PlayBound server address and port.

Why there's no port forwarding

Most home connections can't accept inbound traffic, which is normally what breaks self-hosting. PlayBound Connect puts everyone in the party on one private network instead, so the host is directly reachable without opening anything on their router.

How PlayBound Connect works →

Questions

How do I play Factorio with friends?

Factorio works with PlayBound Connect two ways: host it yourself on your own PC, or run it on a PlayBound server. A PlayBound server is the default — your party reaches the host over Connect's overlay network, so nobody forwards a port.

Do I need to forward a port to host Factorio?

No. Party members reach a self-hosted room over PlayBound Connect's overlay network, which needs no port forwarding. A port is only mapped if you make the room publicly joinable to people outside your party.

Can players on different platforms play Factorio together?

Factorio is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, though cross-play support isn't confirmed — check the game's own platform requirements before your party mixes systems.

Does PlayBound run Factorio's multiplayer servers?

Yes, for the modes above. Factorio uses LAN-only (bridged over Connect) through PlayBound Connect.

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