Can 5 players play Machine Party?

No. The Steam store page states support for 2 to 4 players, and we have found no verified way — official or modded — to add a fifth. With five people, one sits out each round.

Is there an 8-player mode?

No. Nothing in the official material, the patch notes, or the two mods we can trace to their authors supports more than four players.

Can you play Machine Party solo?

The store page lists support for 2 to 4 players, so a solo run is not what the game is built for. The developers have not published a single-player mode.

How many controllers do four local players need?

Three or four. The v2.0 update supports up to four controllers, and notes that one player can use keyboard and mouse instead — so a group of four only needs three controllers.

Does split screen reduce the player count?

No. Local play covers the same 2 to 4 range. The v2.0 update adapted several simulations for shared and split screen specifically so a full group can play on one machine.

Machine Party Supports 2–4 Players

Quick answer

2–4players, in every mode

Last verified: 2026-08-15 · Machine Party on Steam — store page ↗

The same ceiling everywhere

The Steam store page lists “Support for 2 - 4 players”, and that figure holds whether you are playing online or sitting on the same couch. Local play arrived later — in v2.0 on 2026-08-12 — but it did not change the number.

Mode	Players	Notes
Online co-op	2–4	No matchmaking; you assemble the group
Local couch co-op	2–4	Up to four controllers, or three plus keyboard and mouse
With community mods	2–4	Unchanged — the cap is enforced in the mod as well

Can five players play?

No verified evidence supports it. We looked at the store page, every official patch note since launch, and the two mods that can be traced back to their authors' own repositories. Nothing raises the ceiling above four, and we are not going to pretend otherwise because the search volume is there.

If that changes — an official update, or a mod whose author documents it — this page changes with it, and the date at the top of the answer will tell you when.

What MachineParty+ actually does

The mod most often mentioned in “more players” threads is MachineParty+. It adds a server browser, voice and text chat, moderation tools and a scoreboard — genuinely useful things, none of which is a bigger lobby.

“Set max players with the up/down arrows (capped at 4).”
— MachineParty+ documentation, written by its authors

The more players mod questionThe full answer, the fake downloads to avoid, and how we monitor for a real one.Get four people playing tonightThe controller maths and a four-step setup for one screen.

Frequently asked

Can 5 players play Machine Party?: No. The Steam store page states support for 2 to 4 players, and we have found no verified way — official or modded — to add a fifth. With five people, one sits out each round.
Is there an 8-player mode?: No. Nothing in the official material, the patch notes, or the two mods we can trace to their authors supports more than four players.
Can you play Machine Party solo?: The store page lists support for 2 to 4 players, so a solo run is not what the game is built for. The developers have not published a single-player mode.
How many controllers do four local players need?: Three or four. The v2.0 update supports up to four controllers, and notes that one player can use keyboard and mouse instead — so a group of four only needs three controllers.
Does split screen reduce the player count?: No. Local play covers the same 2 to 4 range. The v2.0 update adapted several simulations for shared and split screen specifically so a full group can play on one machine.

Sources

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