The Crimson Hunt split screen co-op allows two players to complete the full survival-horror campaign together on a single PC. Developed by Farelas, the game pairs veteran vampire hunter Victoria with Eleanor, an escaped captive, in a gothic mansion filled with vampires, ghouls, and mechanical puzzles. While the title focuses primarily on local shared and split-screen play, players can also team up online using Steam Remote Play Together.
How Split Screen Co-op Works in The Crimson Hunt
The game is designed from the ground up as a classic third-person survival horror experience with built-in cooperative features reminiscent of titles like Resident Evil: Revelations 2. Rather than duplicating identical protagonists, cooperative play splits the two players into distinct roles with complementary abilities.
Character Roles: Victoria and Eleanor
- Victoria: Serves as the primary combatant. Equipped with defensive training and traditional weaponry, she handles firearms such as pistols, shotguns, and crossbows. Victoria is responsible for eliminating threats directly, executing parries, and performing stealth takedowns or melee finishers on staggered foes.
- Eleanor: Acts as the supportive survivor. While more vulnerable than Victoria, Eleanor carries crucial utility items, including an ultraviolet (UV) flashlight and a crowbar. Vampires in the mansion are physiologically sensitive to UV radiation; Eleanor can shine the UV beam at enemy heads to blind and weaken them, creating openings for Victoria to deal lethal damage. Eleanor can also attack with crowbar combos, break crates, and assist with physical bypasses.
Setting Up Split-Screen and Remote Co-op
The Crimson Hunt natively supports local offline co-op on Windows. It does not feature built-in online server matchmaking, meaning online sessions require Steam's streaming infrastructure.
Local Couch Co-op Setup
- Connect two input devices to your PC before launching the game. Full controller support is included. You can use two gamepads (such as Xbox controllers) or pair one controller with a keyboard and mouse.
- Launch The Crimson Hunt from Steam.
- From the main menu, select the cooperative campaign mode. Player 1 assumes control of Victoria, while Player 2 takes control of Eleanor.
- The display will automatically adjust to split-screen view during gameplay.
Steam Remote Play Together Setup
- Launch the game on the host machine.
- Open the Steam Overlay (Shift + Tab) and select a friend from your friends list.
- Click Invite to Remote Play Together.
- Once your partner accepts, assign controller inputs within the Steam Remote Play overlay window to ensure player inputs do not conflict.
Co-op Gameplay Mechanics and Team Dynamics
Surviving the mansion requires constant coordination between both players across combat, puzzle-solving, and inventory handling.
Combat Coordination
Ammunition and healing syringes are scarce throughout the campaign. Engaging every monster head-on quickly drains supplies, making combined tactical actions necessary:
- Light and Firepower: Eleanor can track approaching vampires with the UV light to stun them, freezing them in place so Victoria does not waste bullets on moving targets.
- Melee Follow-ups: Damaging or blinding an enemy creates a stagger state. Victoria can deliver physical kicks or backstabs to conserve ammo while Eleanor applies crowbar strikes.
- Environmental Traps: Certain sequences require one player to distract roaming creatures while the other works a lever or navigates through an open grate.
Collaborative Exploration and Puzzles
The mansion features mechanical locks, missing gears, statue heads, and sequence puzzles:
- Assisted Movement: Specific high ledges require players to trigger co-op interactions, where one character boosts the other upward to unlock doors or lower ladders from the opposite side.
- Simultaneous Triggers: Puzzles and sewer passages frequently demand that both players activate levers or valves at the same time to advance through locked gates.
- Item Ownership: Quest items, keys, and pliers take up actual inventory slots. An item must be held by the specific player interacting with the matching lock or mechanism; finding an item does not automatically trigger the interaction for your partner.
Known Co-op Issues and Workarounds
Player reports from early demo playthroughs and community discussions on the Steam forums have highlighted several technical bugs unique to the co-op mode.
| Bug / Issue | Observed Impact | Temporary Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Remote Play Controller Merging | One controller registers as both Player 1 and Player 2, causing a single player to move both characters. | Ensure the host and guest use distinct input types, or reorder controllers in Steam's Big Picture controller settings before launching. |
| Menu and Inventory Collision | Opening an inventory or inspecting a note while a partner is in a puzzle can close the partner's screen or bind cursor controls. | Communicate before opening inventory screens; avoid opening menus during active puzzle sequences. |
| Grab Stun Lock | Interrupting a vampire's grab animation on a partner by shooting or striking can cause the victim to freeze in place permanently. | Allow the grab animation's natural break-free prompt to finish, or reload the checkpoint at the nearest grandfather clock save point. |
| Ultrawide Split Screen | Horizontal split screen can distort aspects or misalign UI elements on 21:9 or wider displays. | Set the monitor resolution to standard 16:9 (1920x1080 or 2560x1440) in the display settings. |
| Boost Position Lock | If Player 2 enters the boost stance before Player 1 is in position, the character can become locked waiting for input. | Have the boosting character stand in place first before initiating the boost prompt. |
PC System Requirements for Co-op
Running split-screen renders two camera viewpoints simultaneously, which increases graphical and processing demand compared to single-player sessions.
| Hardware Specification | Minimum Requirement | Recommended Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 (64-bit) | Windows 11 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600 | Intel Core i7-10510 / AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| Memory (RAM) | 16 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon RX 580 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 5700 |
| DirectX Version | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| Storage Space | 20 GB available space | 20 GB available space |
The Crimson Hunt Split Screen Co-op FAQ
Does The Crimson Hunt support online matchmaking with random players?
No. The game does not feature built-in online lobbies or matchmaking servers. Online multiplayer is exclusively possible via Steam Remote Play Together or third-party screen-sharing utilities.
Can the entire game be played in split-screen co-op?
Yes. The full campaign is playable collaboratively from the point where Victoria meets Eleanor in the mansion through the catacombs and finale.
Can Eleanor use firearms?
In standard progression, Victoria handles firearms like the pistol, shotgun, and crossbow, while Eleanor uses support tools such as the UV flashlight, crowbar, and specific scenario weapons like flare guns encountered later in the catacombs.
How do saving and storage chests work in co-op?
Game progress is saved manually at grandfather clocks throughout the estate. Storage chests allow players to offload surplus ammunition and quest items. Players should be aware that community bug reports indicate storage items can occasionally glitch between scene reloads, so carrying vital supplies directly in player inventories is recommended.
