How to Fix “How to Fish” Connection Error in Co-Op Mode (2026 Guide)

If there is one thing that can ruin a great co-op game faster than a bad fishing rod, it is staring at “Attempting to Join Game” for five minutes while your friends are already sailing away without you.

That has been my experience with How to Fish, the surprisingly addictive indie co-op game from Dazed Games. I went in expecting a simple fishing game with some goofy boat customization, but there is much more to it than that. Once you have a few friends in the same boat, the combination of exploration, upgrades, fishing and accidental friendly-fire chaos becomes genuinely entertaining.

The problem? Getting everyone into the same session isn’t always as enjoyable.

Since the game’s launch, players have reported several multiplayer connection problems, including “Can’t Join,” “Pending Connection Failure,” black screens and endless lobby loading. I’ve run into enough connection weirdness myself to know that randomly restarting Steam twenty times isn’t exactly a troubleshooting strategy.

So, after testing the obvious fixes and digging through the usual community reports, I’ve put together the approach I’d actually recommend to another player. Start with the simple stuff, then move into network troubleshooting only if necessary.

What Causes the How to Fish Connection Error?

There isn’t one universal reason why How to Fish refuses to connect. That’s what makes this particular problem annoying.

In my experience, multiplayer failures usually fall into a few categories:

The good news is that most of these problems are fixable without reinstalling the entire game.

And honestly, don’t start with a complete reinstall. There are several much faster things worth trying first.

1. Restart the Host Before Doing Anything Complicated

This sounds almost insultingly simple, but I’d make this your first step.

If the host has previously experienced a failed connection, there is a chance the multiplayer session itself is stuck in a bad state. Simply returning to the main menu isn’t always enough.

When I get one of those mysterious multiplayer bugs, I prefer doing a proper reset:

• Close How to Fish completely.
• Make sure Steam isn’t still showing the game as running.
• If necessary, open Task Manager and terminate the game’s process.
• Have your friends do the same.
• Restart Steam.
• Launch the game again and create a completely fresh co-op lobby.

The important part is that the host should create a new session rather than repeatedly trying to resurrect a broken one.

I’ve seen plenty of games where players spend twenty minutes changing network settings when the actual solution was simply restarting the host. How to Fish can definitely fall into that category.

2. Verify Your Steam Game Files

If restarting the lobby doesn’t work, my next move is always checking the installation.

Small patches can occasionally leave behind damaged or incorrectly updated files. In a multiplayer game, even a relatively minor installation problem can potentially create strange behavior during matchmaking or session initialization.

Here’s the Steam procedure:

1. Open your Steam Library.
2. Right-click How to Fish.
3. Select Properties.
4. Open Installed Files.
5. Click Verify integrity of game files.
6. Wait for Steam to complete the scan.
7. Restart the game after the process finishes.

If Steam discovers a damaged or missing file, it will replace it automatically.

What About the Shader Cache?

You can also clear the Steam download/shader cache if you’re dealing with persistent weirdness after an update.

I wouldn’t treat this as the first-line solution for every connection problem, though. A shader cache problem is much less likely to be the actual cause of a networking failure than a stuck lobby, firewall rule or NAT issue.

Still, if the game has started behaving strangely after a patch, cleaning things up can be worthwhile.

3. Check Windows Defender Firewall

This is one of the fixes I’d pay particular attention to if your friend can host successfully but you can’t join their session.

Windows Defender Firewall can occasionally interfere with games that need network communication, particularly after an update or a fresh installation.

To check it:

1. Press the Windows key.
2. Search for Firewall & network protection.
3. Select Allow an app through firewall.
4. Click Change settings.
5. Find How to Fish in the list.
6. Make sure the appropriate Private network permission is enabled.
7. If you’re using a network classified as Public and the game genuinely needs that permission, enable Public access as well.
8. If the game isn’t listed, choose Allow another app and manually select its executable.

I’d strongly recommend being careful here rather than blindly allowing every application through every firewall profile.

If you don’t recognize an executable, don’t add it just because its filename looks vaguely related to the game.

4. Try Joining Through Steam Instead of the In-Game Lobby

Sometimes the easiest way around a problematic matchmaking interface is to avoid it.

If How to Fish supports Steam’s Join Game functionality for the current session, try connecting directly through your Steam friends list.

Have the host:

1. Launch How to Fish.
2. Create a fresh online co-op session.
3. Wait until the session is fully loaded.
4. Stay in the game rather than repeatedly changing menus.

Then the joining player can open the Steam friends interface and look for the host’s Join Game option.

This is particularly worth testing if the game’s own invitation or lobby-code system appears to be the part failing.

If it still produces “Pending Connection Failure,” don’t immediately assume your installation is broken. Try reversing the roles. Have the other player host a new session and see whether the connection works in the opposite direction.

That little experiment can tell you a lot.

If Player A can join Player B but Player B cannot join Player A, you’ve potentially narrowed the problem down to one player’s network, firewall or local configuration.

5. Make Sure Windows Time Is Correct

This is a less obvious fix, but it takes about thirty seconds to check.

Some online services rely on time-sensitive authentication or session information. If your Windows clock is significantly out of sync, it can occasionally cause problems with online services.

On Windows:

1. Right-click the clock in the taskbar.
2. Open Adjust date/time.
3. Make sure Set time automatically is enabled.
4. Find the synchronization option.
5. Click Sync now.
6. Have your friend check their system clock as well.

I wouldn’t call this the most likely How to Fish connection fix, but when you’re troubleshooting multiplayer, it’s one of those easy variables that costs almost nothing to eliminate.

6. Test the Game on a Mobile Hotspot

This is probably my favorite diagnostic trick on the entire list.

Instead of immediately changing router settings, use your phone’s 4G or 5G hotspot temporarily and test How to Fish again.

Why?

Because this tells you whether the problem is actually related to your normal internet connection.

For example:

Home Internet → Can’t Join

Mobile Hotspot → Joins Successfully

That’s a huge clue.

It suggests the problem may involve your router, NAT configuration, ISP routing or another restriction on the primary network.

This doesn’t automatically mean you need to disable IPv6 or buy a static IP. Those are much more advanced steps, and I wouldn’t touch them until you’ve confirmed the network is actually responsible.

If the hotspot test works, then I’d investigate the router and ISP side next.

7. Turn Off VPNs and Network Optimization Software

VPNs are fantastic when you actually need one, but they’re not something I’d leave running while troubleshooting a finicky multiplayer connection.

A VPN can add latency, change your route to the game service and potentially introduce another layer of NAT.

For testing, completely disable:

• VPN applications
• Gaming network optimizers
• Packet-routing utilities
• Proxy connections
• Other software that modifies network traffic

Then restart Steam and test again.

Don’t forget overlays either.

Programs such as Discord, GPU recording software and other background applications don’t necessarily cause this particular issue, but if you’re troubleshooting a black screen or frozen multiplayer transition, removing unnecessary variables makes the process much easier.

8. Don’t Change Router Settings Too Early

This is something I learned from troubleshooting PC games for years: don’t start changing ten router settings at once.

You might find a solution, but you’ll have no idea what actually fixed the problem.

I would only start investigating NAT, IPv6, port configuration or ISP restrictions after completing the simpler tests above.

The mobile-hotspot experiment is especially useful because it gives you evidence that your home network is involved.

If the game fails on both your home connection and mobile data, I’d look elsewhere.

If it only fails on your home connection, then the router or ISP becomes a much stronger suspect.

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My Recommended Order of Fixes

If you don’t want to read through the entire guide while your friends are waiting in the lobby, this is the order I’d personally follow:

1. Completely restart How to Fish and Steam.
2. Create a brand-new host lobby.
3. Verify the game files through Steam.
4. Check Windows Defender Firewall permissions.
5. Try joining through Steam’s Friend/Join Game functionality.
6. Sync Windows system time.
7. Disable VPNs and network optimization software.
8. Test the game through a mobile hotspot.
9. Only then investigate router or ISP-level issues.

That order matters because the first half takes only a few minutes and doesn’t involve potentially breaking your network configuration.

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Final Thoughts

I really like what How to Fish is trying to do. It’s the kind of small multiplayer game that doesn’t need to take itself seriously. You can spend one minute trying to land a good catch and the next minute watching your friends turn the boat into complete chaos.

That’s exactly why the connection problems are so frustrating.

When the game works, How to Fish is one of those easy-to-recommend co-op experiences for a relaxed night with friends. When the lobby refuses to connect, however, the experience can quickly become more technical troubleshooting session than fishing trip.

Fortunately, you usually don’t need an extreme fix.

A full host restart, Steam file verification, firewall check and network test should cover the majority of situations worth investigating before you start changing router configurations.

And if you discover that the game works perfectly over a mobile hotspot but refuses to connect through your normal internet, you’ve at least learned something valuable: the game installation probably isn’t the problem.

For me, that’s the biggest rule with multiplayer troubleshooting: don’t guess when you can test. Change one variable, try the connection again, and work from the evidence.

Hopefully, the next time you see “Pending Connection Failure,” you’ll be back on the boat before your friends have time to complain that you’ve missed the best fishing spot.

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