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A Summer multiplayer game is one project with two starting scenes. The client scene is what every player runs: input, camera, visuals and menus. The server scene runs without a screen and owns the rules: the score, the doors, who won. Summer runs the server for every match, so no player has to host, and nobody needs to share an address. The same code runs on your machine and once the game is published. There’s no separate “server version” to keep in sync, and no local-only shortcuts to remove later.

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How it fits together

Each player's device runs the client scene and moves its own character. One Summer server runs the server scene for the match, checks what players do and sends everyone the results. Each player's device runs the client scene and moves its own character. One Summer server runs the server scene for the match, checks what players do and sends everyone the results. A few words come up on every page in this section:
  • World: one running match or shared place, run by one server. A 10-minute round is a World, and so is a server that stays up for weeks.
  • Session: one player’s seat in a World. Summer checks who the player is before they get one, so your server always knows exactly who did what.
  • Queue: how players find a World, such as “casual” or “ranked 2v2”. See Match players into games.
Players in a queue are placed into a World. Inside the World, each player has a Session: their verified seat. Players in a queue are placed into a World. Inside the World, each player has a Session: their verified seat.

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What your players get

  • Instant controls. Each player’s own character responds the moment they press a key, on any connection. See Make movement feel instant.
  • A fair game. The server checks every move and request, so a modified client can’t give itself points, speed or items.
  • Nobody ends the match by leaving. No player is the host. If someone quits or drops out, everyone else keeps playing, and a player who reconnects in time gets their seat back.
  • The same account everywhere. Players sign in once with their Summer account, and your game sees their name in every match.

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Start here

Make my game multiplayer. Your agent sets up both scenes, joining, and a first Local Play run.

Explain how multiplayer would fit my game. No code, just a plan.

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Testing it on your machine

Local Play runs your whole multiplayer game on one computer. Press Play and Summer starts the server scene in the background plus one game window per player, side by side, each signed in as a test player. Choose the number of players in Debug > Local Multiplayer. No account, server or extra tools are needed, and your agent can start it for you. Pressing Play in Summer starts the server scene in the background and three game windows side by side, each signed in as a different test player. Pressing Play in Summer starts the server scene in the background and three game windows side by side, each signed in as a different test player. Your own machine has no lag, which hides timing problems. Local Play can add delay, jitter and packet loss to every window, so you see what players on a real connection will see. Run it that way before you call a feature done.

Test my multiplayer game on a bad connection. Several players, real lag, and what a passing run shows.

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Where to go next

Match players into games

Quick play, ranked, teams and the accept prompt.

Let friends play together

Friends queue as a party and land in the same match.

Keep a world running

Worlds that save and come back between sessions.

Make movement feel instant

Your character responds at once; others glide smoothly.

Make hits fair

Shots are checked against what the shooter saw.

Share the game world

Scores, doors, pickups and private hands of cards.

Save player progress

Progress that follows the player into every match.

Ratings and leaderboards

Skill ratings, score boards and the top 50.

End a match and show results

Wins, losses and rating changes.

Friends and messages

See who’s online and message them.

Text chat

Chat inside a World.

Sell items for Sparks

A store in your game, checked out by Summer.

Cosmetics

Skins and outfits players own and wear.

Paid games and tips

Charge for your game or let players support you.

Server size and player count

Pick how big each World’s server is.

Console commands

Type commands into a live World.

Analytics

See what players do in your game.

Publish your game

Ship it to players on summer.games.

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Games like yours

Tactical shooters

Round-based team shooters.

MOBAs

Ranked team battles with an accept prompt.

Survival and sandbox

Worlds players build in and come back to.

Co-op games

A small group against the game.

Party games

Quick, casual rounds with friends.

Card and turn-based games

Private hands, shared boards, rated duels.

Single-player and mobile games

Accounts, saves and a store.
Does this not help you? Reach out on Discord!