Greetings, Fountain Seekers!
Today’s a nice day to learn more about the upcoming multiplayer mode in SFOY, isn’t it? So, we’d like to talk a bit more about how crafting, time flow, and various production processes will work in coop.
Soooo… let’s dive into how all of this works!
“Bro said he knows a shortcut.”
Most actions in co-op happen instantly, allowing gameplay to stay fast, responsive, and focused on decision-making rather than waiting for progress bars to fill up. Instead of spending time watching crafting timers, players use Energy to perform most crafting actions and interactions.
Each player has their own individual Energy bar.
While one player might focus on exploration or gathering resources, another can continue crafting, building, or managing the base — allowing the group to stay productive in different ways at the same time.
“I’m helping by standing nearby.”
Sleep, however, is a shared activity for the whole crew. Time can be skipped to the next day only when everyone is ready to rest and enters the Sleep menu, encouraging players to coordinate their plans, manage Energy together, and decide as a team how to organize each day most efficiently.
We found that this creates a lot of fun co-op moments naturally — whether your group wants to push for one last productive evening or call it a day and prepare for tomorrow’s adventures.
“Alright everyone, mandatory multiplayer bedtime.”
Some things still require time to complete — for example, producing charcoal or drying hides. Certain resources and production chains will continue working over time even while players focus on other tasks.
It is scientifically proven that items craft faster when you watch them. And twice as fast if two players are watching.
As you progress through the game, you’ll gradually unlock new consumables, skills, tools, and perks that improve Energy efficiency and open up more possibilities for your crew.
What starts as a small group trying to survive day by day can eventually evolve into a highly coordinated and extremely productive team. In the mid and late game, players gain access to more advanced ways of organizing work, optimizing resource production, and supporting each other’s roles — making teamwork feel increasingly rewarding as your settlement grows.
Starting a coffee place on the Island of Hope to boost our energy with coconut lattes. That’s a life!
We’re really happy to share more and more details about the upcoming multiplayer in SFOY with you, and we hope you enjoyed this little peek behind the scenes!
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to leave a comment below. And don’t forget to sign up for the playtest if you want to try the game early and help us shape it for the official release.
To participate in the playtest, press Request Access on the game page — we’ll start granting it once the playtest is ready.
There’s still a lot more to show and talk about, so stay tuned for the next Dev Diary!
The Survival Fountain of Youth Team
