Chained Together Isn't Free, But One Purchase Lets Four People Play

Chained Together blew up on YouTube and Twitch thanks to its chaotic co-op gameplay — friends literally chained together, trying to escape hell through platforming puzzles. The viral content has driven new players asking two questions: is it free, and how do you play with friends?

The Pricing Question

No, Chained Together is a paid game on Steam. However, Steam Remote Play Together allows one person to purchase and invite up to three friends — even if they don't own the game.

How Steam Remote Play Together Works

1. The host launches Chained Together on their Steam account
2. Open the Steam Friends List
3. Right-click on a friend and select "Remote Play Together"
4. The friend receives the invite and joins immediately

The Catch: Connection Quality

Because the host streams the game to everyone, the host's upload speed is critical. Common issues include input delay, visual compression, disconnections, and lag affecting the whole group.

Improving Remote Play Quality

The host needs strong upload speed. A wired connection for the host is strongly recommended.

All players should use wired connections. Wi-Fi variability affects both stream quality and input responsiveness.

Close competing applications. Streaming, downloads, and cloud sync introduce latency.

Network routing optimization. GearUP Booster optimizes the connection between players, reducing network discrepancies that cause lag and disconnections.

Console Availability

Chained Together is currently PC-only. The development team has hinted at exploring console ports, but no timeline has been announced.

The Value Proposition

One purchase covers up to four players. The Remote Play Together feature means you can rope in friends who are curious but not ready to commit financially.