The game will not launch at all. Where do I start?

With the Vulkan requirement. Steam lists Vulkan support as required on both Windows and SteamOS/Linux, so an outdated graphics driver is the most common cause. Our Vulkan page walks through the reversible checks in order.

What is a "protocol fail" error?

We do not know yet, and we are not going to invent steps for it. We have not been able to reproduce it or find an official explanation, so publishing a fix would be guessing with your machine. If you are hitting it, send us the report template below — enough real cases will tell us what it actually is.

Should I remove mods before reporting a bug?

Yes. Mods are third-party code the developers do not support, and the game has patched five times since launch. Remove the mods folder and verify your files first, so your report is about the game rather than about a mod that has not caught up yet.

My friends and I cannot find each other online.

That is expected rather than broken: Machine Party has no matchmaking or public lobby list, and the developers have said it is not coming. You arrange the group yourself — see our multiplayer guide and the LFG page.

Machine Party Troubleshooting

Start with the symptom. Every step we publish is either documented by the developers or reversible enough that trying it costs you nothing.

Last verified: 2026-08-15

Find your symptom

It will not launchBlack screen, instant crash, or a Vulkan error. Start here — Vulkan is a listed requirement.Controllers or local co-opPads not joining, lobby crashes, achievements not registering in Local mode.Cannot find friends onlineThere is no matchmaking by design. This explains what does exist.It broke after installing a modRemove mods, verify files, and check whether a patch moved underneath it.

Fixed in a recent patch

Every patch so far has shipped fixes. If you are on an older build, updating is often the entire solution — check what changed before troubleshooting further.

v2.1.2 (2026-08-14) — Hotfix for the vessel insertion intro cutscene failing to display in Original mode during Local play.
v2.1.1 (2026-08-13) — Added a shuffle option to Custom playlists and fixed local lobby controller disconnect crashes, achievement registration in Local mode, localisation errors, and a potential input issue in The Filter.
v2.0 (2026-08-12) — Couch co-op arrives: connect up to four controllers, or three controllers plus one keyboard-and-mouse player, and pick Original, Custom or Arcade from the Local menu. Five simulations were adapted for shared and split screen.
v1.5 (2026-08-04) — Added Arcade mode, a Direct3D 12 launch option for graphics troubleshooting, and a Godot 4.5.2 engine update that fixes graphical issues on several hardware configurations. The same post ruled out in-game public matchmaking and pointed players to an official looking-for-group Discord.
v1.0.7 (2026-08-01) — Corrected the translation credits for the Estonian, Finnish and Swedish versions, with further gameplay and graphics fixes flagged as still to come.

Report template

Machine Party — bug report

Game version: v2.1.2
Platform: [Windows 11 / SteamOS / other Linux]
Mode: [Online / Local — Original, Custom or Arcade]
Players: [how many, and on what input devices]
Mods installed: [none / names]

What happens: [describe the failure, not your theory of it]
Exact error text: [copy it verbatim, including any code]
Steps to reproduce: [1. ... 2. ... 3. ...]
How often: [every time / intermittent]
Already tried: [verified files, removed mods, updated driver, rebooted...]

Machine Party discussions on Steam ↗

Frequently asked

The game will not launch at all. Where do I start?: With the Vulkan requirement. Steam lists Vulkan support as required on both Windows and SteamOS/Linux, so an outdated graphics driver is the most common cause. Our Vulkan page walks through the reversible checks in order.
What is a "protocol fail" error?: We do not know yet, and we are not going to invent steps for it. We have not been able to reproduce it or find an official explanation, so publishing a fix would be guessing with your machine. If you are hitting it, send us the report template below — enough real cases will tell us what it actually is.
Should I remove mods before reporting a bug?: Yes. Mods are third-party code the developers do not support, and the game has patched five times since launch. Remove the mods folder and verify your files first, so your report is about the game rather than about a mod that has not caught up yet.
My friends and I cannot find each other online.: That is expected rather than broken: Machine Party has no matchmaking or public lobby list, and the developers have said it is not coming. You arrange the group yourself — see our multiplayer guide and the LFG page.

Sources

Everything on this page traces back to one of these. Checked on 2026-08-15; we re-check after every official patch.