By Blackmead · Published:
Everyone plays during the same turn. Here is how a little conversation turns four separate hands into a party, and how to bring that party back for the next session.
Jump to rows and playing together at 2:19.
Nobody has to wait for their own little turn
Someone has spotted a target. Someone needs healing. Someone has already decided the answer is fire. Welcome to party planning in Tarnished Crown: Ascent.
Ascent supports solo play and parties of up to four. In co-op, everyone can play cards during the same turn. Each player presses Ready when finished. You can work on your hand while your friends work on theirs, instead of watching three separate turns before getting back to your cards.
The useful conversation can be short. Which enemy matters most? Who is in danger? Has everyone finished? Calling out a plan gives the other hands something to work with.
Bring different ways out of trouble
Each player chooses a different hero. The Vanguard protects the party. The Berserker turns lost health into damage. The Ranger marks targets and reaches beyond the front row. The Pyromancer brings firepower and needs a plan for surviving the response.
The Cleric heals and smites with Holy Power. The Druid brings roots, healing over time and zones. Those are different starting points for deciding what your party wants to do, rather than a requirement to follow one fixed lineup.
A friend taking risks may appreciate protection. A dangerous enemy behind the front row may give the Ranger a clear job. Talk about the fight you can see, then use the cards you actually drew. A grand plan is much easier to admire when everyone survives it.
Decide who is doing what between fights
The host chooses the route. Each player chooses their own card reward and Hearth action, while the host handles traders, events and chests for the party. There are individual decisions inside the shared journey.
That is a good reason to say what you need before the next stop. One player may be comfortable pressing onward while another is hoping for a chance to recover or work on their deck. A quick check is cheaper than discovering the disagreement in the next fight.
To start, open Play together on the title screen, choose Host a party and share the friend code. Friends enter it, press Join and choose their heroes. Get everyone onto the same current build before setting out.
Leave room for another evening
The saga saves automatically, including during combat. Continuing resumes at the start of the turn you left. The host keeps the co-op save; continuing it opens a rejoin lobby where friends reclaim their heroes, with bots available to fill open seats.
A disconnected player is replaced by a bot during a live session. The host still needs to stay: if the host leaves, the other players return to the title screen. Decide who will host with that in mind.
Online parties connect directly to the host. Friend codes depend on the host router supporting the connection through UPnP; there is no matchmaking relay. Players on the same local network can use the Same network code. The co-op guide explains these requirements before you arrange a session.
Bring a friend, compare your plans and see what the first island makes of them. Ascent has a public Windows preview with no signup or Faction Wars invitation required.