How does co-op work in Blanc? Explained

The charming indie game Blanc hinges on a co-operative experience. Although it’s possible to play the game on your own, it’s designed around two-player co-op play, whether locally or online, if you want the intended experience. Sometimes games don’t make it that easy to set up co-operative multiplayer, but luckily Blanc makes it quick and simple.

How to play co-op in Blanc

There are four play options available to players when they start a new game in the cozy world of Blanc. The first two choices, “1 Controller” and “2 Controllers,” are the true local play options — the first is essentially solo play mode, while the second allows two people to play in couch co-op mode, using a controller and keyboard if on PC or two Joy-Cons if on Switch. In the latter, each player chooses whether they will control the wolf or the fawn, while the former uses the two control sticks and the triggers on the controller to pilot both heroes at once. The controls are simple, with only movement, “jump,” and “interact” to keep track of, so even a less experienced gamer in your life should be able to join you for a game. You can also swap at will between 1- and 2-player local mode during play by going into the pause menu.

Related: How co-op works in Wild Hearts

The other two options in the new game menu are “Online” and “Local.” As the names suggest, these are the more remote options for play. “Online” allows you to go online and team up with anyone from your friends list who also has the game, allowing you to work together over the internet to complete the game. The somewhat confusingly-named “Local” meanwhile is intended for local area network games. It should be noted that at the time of writing, online play is not cross-platform — so if you’re playing on PC, you’ll need to play with your PC-owning friends, while Switch players will need to stay in that ecosystem.