Screw Drivers Multiplayer
Race your friends, set records, and dominate the leaderboard together.
Multiplayer in Screw Drivers lets you race against other players on dedicated servers or through Steam invites. Whether you want casual races with friends or competitive leaderboard grinding, the multiplayer system has you covered.
Multiplayer features
Screw Drivers supports dedicated servers that run independently of any player’s game. This means the server stays online even when the host disconnects, and all players experience consistent physics and race conditions. Server files are included in the game installation, so you can host your own server without downloading additional software.
Steam integration makes inviting friends straightforward. You can send invites directly through the Steam overlay, and friends can join your session without dealing with IP addresses or port configuration. For larger communities or persistent servers, dedicated server hosting is the way to go.
Getting started
Setting up a server requires some network configuration. The Server Setup guide walks you through port forwarding, Windows Firewall rules, and server configuration step by step. If you just want to play with friends through Steam invites, the process is much simpler — see the Steam invite section below.
Once connected, you will see other player names floating above their vehicles. The game syncs vehicle physics in real time, so you see exactly how other players’ cars move, crash, and recover. This creates dynamic racing where you can learn from watching others.
Performance options
Multiplayer can be demanding on lower-end hardware because you are rendering other players’ vehicles and their physics interactions. The game includes performance options to help: you can disable other players’ physics and particle effects to reduce the load on your system. This does not affect your own vehicle or the race results — it just simplifies what you see.
Ghost mode activates when a player is repairing or resetting their vehicle. During the six-second ghost period, the player is transparent and cannot collide with other racers. This prevents griefing and gives everyone a fair chance to recover from crashes without being rammed.
Competitive play
Multiplayer includes leaderboard tracking for race times. Competitive players can grind for the fastest times on each track and compare their performance against the community. Leaderboard competition drives the meta and pushes players to optimize their builds.
For build optimization in competitive multiplayer, see Speed Builds and Multiplayer Tips. Understanding which builds perform best in multiplayer conditions — where you need to account for other players, ghost mode timing, and track knowledge — is different from solo career optimization.
Related resources
- Server Setup for hosting your own server
- Multiplayer Tips for performance and competitive advice
- Builds for race-optimized vehicle designs
- Controls for driving keybindings
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
Can I play multiplayer without setting up a server?
Yes. You can invite friends directly through Steam. Dedicated servers are for larger communities or persistent sessions.
What ports does Screw Drivers multiplayer use?
The game uses UDP ports 8766, 38011, and 38012. These must be forwarded on your router for dedicated server hosting.
How does ghost mode work?
When a player repairs or resets their vehicle, they become a ghost for 6 seconds. Ghost players are transparent and cannot collide with other racers.