- Games
- theHunter: Call of the Wild
theHunter: Call of the Wild
A quiet open-world hunting game where up to eight friends track wild animals through large reserves.
Online co-op for up to 8 players.
- 8 online
Where to buy
Playing together
- Online co-op8 players
- Local co-opNot confirmed
- 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 DeckPlayableValve's own rating
About the game
You play a hunter in big outdoor reserves. The base game has two, in North America and Europe, and paid ones add more. You mostly walk, crouch and listen. You follow tracks until you find an animal, then pick a weapon that suits it and wait for a clean shot. Wind carries your scent, and noise sends prey running. Between hunts you earn levels and fill a trophy lodge.
Up to eight players can hunt in the same reserve online. You can plan a hunt together, or compete for the best trophy. A paid reserve is open to the whole group if one of you owns it. On consoles, online play needs a paid subscription.
Play is slow and calm, with long quiet stretches and a few tense moments when you spook an animal. That leaves time to talk. Some reviewers find the pace dull and the learning curve steep, so it suits a patient group.
How it feels
Kind of game
A calm world you share and look after at your own pace, with little danger.
- At its heart
- Now and then
- Fear
- Tension and danger
- Working in sync
- Rivalry in the group
- Fighting
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- About
- Hunting
Rated on our own feel scale. 5 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked theHunter: Call of the Wild
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
Farming Simulator 22
Why it scores 77%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Cozy shared world
- Core to both
- Calm and coziness, Time to hang out
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Notable in both
- Planning ahead, Getting better, Unlocks and progress
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Farming Simulator 22 differs
- Less exploring than theHunter: Call of the Wild
- More building than theHunter: Call of the Wild
- 16 online
- Crossplay
Both give you a calm world to share at your own pace. Both are calm and low on stress. Both are easy to play while you chat.
But less exploring than theHunter: Call of the Wild.
Dinkum
Why it scores 75%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Cozy shared world
- Core to both
- Time to hang out
- Notable in both
- Calm and coziness, Exploring, Planning ahead, Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Dinkum differs
- More building than theHunter: Call of the Wild
- 6 online
Both give you a calm world to share at your own pace. Both give you one lasting world to come back to. Both are easy to play while you chat.
But more building than theHunter: Call of the Wild.
Farming Simulator 25
Why it scores 75%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Cozy shared world
- Core to both
- Calm and coziness, Time to hang out
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Notable in both
- Planning ahead, Getting better, Unlocks and progress
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Farming Simulator 25 differs
- More building than theHunter: Call of the Wild
- 16 online
- Crossplay
Both give you a calm world to share at your own pace. Both are calm and low on stress. Both are easy to play while you chat.
But more building than theHunter: Call of the Wild.
All co-op facts
Last checked 28 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Fewest players online
- Not confirmed
- Local co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on one screen
- Not confirmed
- Split or shared screen
- Not confirmed
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Free base co-op
- Not confirmed
- Confirmed free setups
- Not confirmed
- 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
Sources
10 pages
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 28 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID, Online co-op, Platforms, Release status, Release date.
- Online co-op: Categories include Co-op and Online Co-op.
- Platforms: Lists Windows as supported and Mac and Linux as not supported.
- Release status: Steam lists the game as available, not coming soon.
- Release date: Steam lists 16 Feb 2017.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 28 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve rates the game Playable on Steam Deck.
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Kind of game, About, Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Exploring, Fighting.
- Online co-op: The features list shows Online Co-op.
- Most players online: The text says online multiplayer is for up to eight players.
- Kind of game: User tags include Relaxing, Nature and Multiplayer, and the text says you can explore alone or with friends.
- About: User tags include Hunting, and the text calls it an authentic hunting game.
- Calm and coziness: User tags include Relaxing and Nature.
- Time to hang out: User tags include Relaxing and Walking Simulator.
- Exploring: User tags include Open World and Walking Simulator.
- Fighting: User tags include FPS and Shooter, but the text describes tracking prey and choosing a weapon for each animal, not fighting enemies.
callofthewild.thehunter.comOfficial site, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Sessions, About, Calm and coziness, Working in sync, Rivalry in the group, Exploring, Planning ahead.
- Online co-op: Says you can collaborate and strategize with friends in online multiplayer.
- Most players online: Says online multiplayer is for up to eight players.
- Sessions: Says new content keeps arriving, and you display trophies in a lodge.
- About: Calls it a hunting game in a realistic open world.
- Calm and coziness: Mentions relaxing by the fireplace between hunts.
- Working in sync: Says you can collaborate and strategize with friends.
- Rivalry in the group: Says friends can also compete for the most impressive trophy.
- Exploring: Says you roam freely across many regions and biomes.
- Planning ahead: Says you match prey to weapons and plan how to track, lure and ambush.
store.playstation.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Platforms, Most players online.
- Platforms: Shows a PS4 version and says the game is playable on PS5, with some PS4 features possibly missing.
- Most players online: Says up to 8 online players with PS Plus, which online play needs.
xbox.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Platforms, Most players online.
- Platforms: Lists play on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
- Most players online: Lists online co-op for 2 to 8 players. Online play on console needs a Game Pass plan.
wikidata.orgWikidata, read 28 October 2026
Backs Wikidata item, Release date.
- Wikidata item: The item's Steam app id (P1733) is 518790.
- Release date: P577 is 2017-02-16.
pcgamer.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Kind of game, Calm and coziness, Tension and danger, Getting better, Time to hang out, Planning ahead.
- Kind of game: Review from 2017-03-20 describes a peaceful, serene world and slow, quiet play.
- Calm and coziness: Calls the ambience peaceful and serene.
- Tension and danger: Says a spooked animal gives the game a nice sense of tension.
- Getting better: Says there is depth and scope for mastery, and tracking black bears is a real test of skill.
- Time to hang out: Describes long stretches of waiting and creeping between short rewards.
- Planning ahead: Says wind, heart rate and ammo choice all change a hunt.
gamingtrend.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Fear, Getting better, Unlocks and progress, Exploring, Fighting, Sessions.
- Fear: Review from 2018-01-16 mentions real terror while tracking a dangerous animal in the dark, and a jolt from a thunderstorm.
- Getting better: Says the learning curve is steep, though the reviewer grew eager to master it.
- Unlocks and progress: Describes leveling, skill trees, XP and new equipment to unlock.
- Exploring: Calls it an open world with massive maps and plenty to discover.
- Fighting: Mentions the risk of being attacked by a bear while hunting.
- Sessions: Describes a large amount of content, with quests and leveling, in two big reserves.
gamerant.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Working in sync, Unlocks and progress.
- Working in sync: Guide updated 2023-04-29 says multiplayer lets people hunt as a team, and the map lists nearby players.
- Unlocks and progress: Says cash earned in multiplayer sessions unlocks new guns and equipment.