- Games
- The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
A branching horror story on a ghost ship for two online or up to five sharing one controller.
Online co-op for exactly 2 players and shared-screen co-op for up to 5 players.
- Exactly 2 online
- 5 shared-screen
Where to buy
Playing together
- Online co-op2 playersExactly 2 players required
- Local co-op5 playersShared screen
- Not confirmedFriends on different platforms, such as PC and PlayStation, can play together.
- Not confirmedA friend can join or leave while you are already playing, without starting over.
- Not confirmedFriends play free with a Friend's Pass or similar.
- Steam DeckVerifiedValve's own rating
About the game
Four young Americans and their skipper are trapped on a ghost ship. You explore the wreck, talk to the other characters and press button prompts when a scene turns dangerous. Any of the five can die, and who survives changes the ending. One playthrough takes about four to five hours.
You can play alone, online as a pair, or with up to five people in one room. Online is called Shared Story. You and a friend each control a character at the same time, so each of you sees only part of what happens until you compare notes. In a room it is Movie Night, where the characters are handed out and the controller is passed on whenever the story moves to someone else.
In Movie Night only one person holds the controller, so the rest watch, debate and wait for a turn. It is short, and it works best with people who enjoy talking a story through.
How it feels
Kind of game
Plays like a board game or tabletop role-playing night. Turns, choices and a long campaign you plan together.
- At its heart
- A big part
- Now and then
- Laughter and chaos
- Working in sync
- Exploring
- Fighting
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
- About
- Monsters
Rated on our own feel scale. 7 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
Why it scores 97%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Tabletop-style campaign
- Core to both
- Story
- About
- Monsters
- Notable in both
- Fear, Time to hang out, Tension and danger
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
- Co-op
- Online co-op for 2 players and shared-screen local co-op for up to 5 players
- Exactly 2 online
- 5 shared-screen
Both play like a tabletop night with friends. Both have a story you follow together. Both are about monsters that hunt you.
No big difference from The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan.
The Quarry
Why it scores 96%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Tabletop-style campaign
- Core to both
- Story
- About
- Monsters
- Notable in both
- Fear, Time to hang out, Tension and danger
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
- Co-op
- Shared-screen local co-op
- 8 shared-screen
Both play like a tabletop night with friends. Both are often scary. Both have a story you follow together.
No big difference from The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan.
As Dusk Falls
Why it scores 77%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Tabletop-style campaign
- Core to both
- Story
- Notable in both
- Time to hang out, Tension and danger
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
- Co-op
- Online and shared-screen local co-op
How As Dusk Falls differs
- Less scary than The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
- 8 online
- 8 shared-screen
- Crossplay
Both play like a tabletop night with friends. Both are easy to play while you chat. Both have online and shared-screen local co-op.
But less scary than The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan.
All co-op facts
Last checked 28 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Free base co-op
- No
Steam marks the game as not free, with a list price of $19.99. PlayStation lists a separate free trial, which does not count.
- 691011
- Confirmed free setups
- Does not apply
- Crossplay
- Not confirmed
- Crossplay between
- Not confirmed
- Friends can join mid-game
- Not confirmed
- Only one of you needs to buy it
- Not confirmed
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Platforms
Genres
Sources
17 pages
supermassivegames.comOfficial news, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Local co-op, Most players on one screen.
- Online co-op: The maker's multiplayer post of 2019-07-11 describes Shared Story as 2 player online co-op where both share the story at the same time.
- Most players online: The post gives 2 players for the online mode.
- Local co-op: The post describes a local mode for a group with one controller that is passed around.
- Most players on one screen: The post says up to 5 players play locally with one controller.
service-en.bandainamcoent.euOfficial support page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Local co-op, Most players on one screen.
- Online co-op: The publisher's multiplayer FAQ calls it 2 player co-operative online multiplayer. Each player needs a Steam, Xbox or PlayStation account.
- Most players online: The FAQ gives 2 players online.
- Local co-op: The FAQ says up to 5 players play offline and take turns on one pad.
- Most players on one screen: The FAQ says up to 5 players play at once offline.
thedarkpictures.comOfficial site, read 28 October 2026
Backs Local co-op, Most players on one screen.
- Local co-op: The ways to play list Movie Night, an offline multiplayer mode where the players share one room and are assigned characters.
- Most players on one screen: Movie Night is described as an offline mode for 2 to 5 players.
service-en.bandainamcoent.euOfficial support page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Sessions, About, Story.
- Sessions: The general FAQ says one playthrough is around 4 to 5 hours, and the game is built to be played again for new endings.
- About: The FAQ describes the cast held captive on a ghost ship with a growing horror aboard. The vocabulary has no ghost ship theme, so monsters is the nearest fit.
- Story: The FAQ says the ending depends on the choices and on which of the five protagonists live or die.
supermassivegames.comOfficial news, read 28 October 2026
Backs Release date.
- Release date: The maker's page gives 30 August 2019 for PS4, Xbox One and PC. Steam and PlayStation show August 29, 2019. The maker's date is used.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 28 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID, Online co-op, Local co-op, Most players on one screen, Release status, Platforms, Free base co-op.
- Online co-op: The store text says to play with a friend online. Steam's category list shows PvP and no Co-op for this app, which does not match the maker or the other stores, so no co-op fact comes from the categories.
- Local co-op: The store text describes up to five players offline.
- Most players on one screen: The store text gives up to five players offline.
- Release status: Steam lists the game as available, not coming soon.
- Platforms: Backs windows only. Steam lists no macOS or Linux build.
- Free base co-op: Steam marks the game as not free, with a list price of $19.99. PlayStation lists a separate free trial, which does not count.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 28 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve rates the game Verified on Steam Deck.
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Fear, Tension and danger, Story.
- Fear: User tags include Horror, Psychological Horror and Survival Horror.
- Tension and danger: User tags include Quick-Time Events.
- Story: User tags include Story Rich, Choices Matter and Cinematic.
xbox.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Fewest players online, Local co-op, Most players on one screen, Platforms, Release date, Free base co-op.
- Online co-op: Features list Online co-op (2-2).
- Most players online: Features list Online co-op (2-2).
- Fewest players online: Features list Online co-op (2-2), so the online mode needs exactly 2 players.
- Local co-op: Features list Xbox local co-op (2-5).
- Most players on one screen: Features list Xbox local co-op (2-5).
- Platforms: Lists Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
- Release date: Gives 8/30/2019, which agrees with the maker.
- Free base co-op: Xbox sells the game, with a list price of $19.99. No free version was found.
store.playstation.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Most players on one screen, Platforms, Free base co-op.
- Online co-op: Says it supports up to 2 online players with PS Plus.
- Most players online: Says it supports up to 2 online players with PS Plus.
- Most players on one screen: Lists 5 players in the compatibility notes.
- Platforms: One product covers the PS4 and PS5 versions.
- Free base co-op: The full game is sold for $19.99. A separate free trial is listed, which does not count.
nintendo.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Local co-op, Most players on one screen, Platforms, Free base co-op.
- Online co-op: The included modes list 2-player online play, which needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
- Most players online: The included modes list 2-player online play.
- Local co-op: The included modes list a 5-player mode on one console.
- Most players on one screen: Lists 1 to 5 players and a 5-player mode on one console.
- Platforms: The Switch page marks Nintendo Switch 2 compatibility Supported, with behavior consistent with Switch. Switch 2 plays the Switch edition through backward compatibility.
- Free base co-op: Nintendo sells the game, with a regular price of $19.99. No free version was found.
wikidata.orgWikidata, read 28 October 2026
Backs Wikidata item, Genres, Release date, Platforms.
- Genres: P136 is survival horror.
- Release date: P577 is 2019-08-30 worldwide.
- Platforms: P400 lists Windows, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch, which agree with the stores.
gamerevolution.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Split or shared screen, Kind of game.
- Split or shared screen: Guide from 2019-08-28 says Movie Night has no split screen. One controller is shared and passed on when the story moves to another character.
- Kind of game: The guide describes players in one room taking turns on assigned characters. Online, two players play two characters at once.
thexboxhub.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Kind of game, Fear, Tension and danger, Time to hang out.
- Kind of game: Review from 2019-08-28 says Movie Night passes the controller around after decisions and has the group debate each choice.
- Fear: Praises the jump scares and says they feel stronger with a group.
- Tension and danger: Calls the quick-time events tricky, with a section where you match a heartbeat to stay hidden.
- Time to hang out: Says Movie Night encourages debating, arguing and agreeing over each player's choices.
denofgeek.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Fear, Tension and danger, Story.
- Fear: Review from 2019-08-28 credits genuinely scary moments and dread that lingers, with jump scares throughout.
- Tension and danger: Says quick-time events give only a couple of seconds to react, and a wrong choice or a miss can kill a character.
- Story: Says wrong choices can kill a favorite character, which gives a reason to replay.
filmstories.co.ukPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Working in sync, Fighting, Exploring.
- Working in sync: Review from 2019-09-18 says in Shared Story each player sees about half the game, and partners piece it together by talking. Each still plays their own character.
- Fighting: Calls the action sequences quick-time events, one of three main parts of play.
- Exploring: Names exploration as one of three main parts of play, next to dialogue and quick-time events.
engadget.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Laughter and chaos, Fear.
- Laughter and chaos: Review from 2019-08-30 calls some of the writing awkward or comical next to the tense scenes. Play stays controlled.
- Fear: Says the jump scares wear off quickly and the psychological horror is brief, so the fear is real but uneven.