Co-op Etiquette: Be a Good Teammate

Ask before starting a cutscene or skipping one. Wait at checkpoints rather than rushing ahead. Every game teaches its rules before it tests them, so the first hour is worth paying attention to.

Understand the system first

Share loot by need rather than by speed. Communicate the plan before a boss or a puzzle. Preparation is usually the difference between a fair challenge and a frustrating one.

Prepare before the hard part

Do not spoil story moments for a first-time player. Use the ping system if voice chat is not available. A failed attempt is information, not a verdict, provided you change one thing next time.

Before looking up a solution, spend one attempt watching what the game is actually asking for. Most hard sections telegraph the answer through enemy behaviour, level design, or a line of dialogue. Write down what killed you and change one variable next time: position, timing, or equipment. A guide is most useful after you understand the problem, not before. Keep a short note of what you tried and what changed, because memory after a failed attempt is unreliable.

Respect the host rules on shared worlds. Guides are most useful when they explain why a tactic works rather than only what to press.

Before the next attempt

• Ask before skipping
• Wait at checkpoints
• Share loot fairly
• Do not spoil the story

Learn from one attempt

Do not take resources someone is clearly farming. Say when you are leaving, so the group is not left short. The difficulty setting exists to keep the game enjoyable, and using it is not cheating.

Match the pace of the least experienced player. Avoid blaming teammates after a loss.

Stop when it stops being fun

Ask before changing the difficulty or the settings. Keep the voice chat volume reasonable, with no background noise. Take a break when progress stops, because fatigue makes the same mistake feel unavoidable.

If progress stalls for several sessions, lower the difficulty or take a longer break rather than repeating the same attempt. Games are designed to be finished, and the setting is part of the design. Keep notes short, avoid spoiling the parts you have not reached, and remember that a guide is a tool for enjoying the game, not a measure of how you played it. Play a short session with the new approach before judging it, and stop when the game stops being enjoyable rather than proving something to the difficulty setting. Note the attempt number and what changed, since the pattern of failures names the missing skill more clearly than the guide does, and change the approach rather than the effort when the same mistake repeats.

Help a new player learn rather than doing everything for them. Apologise quickly and move on after a mistake. A good teammate is remembered longer than a good score. If you want the wider picture, read Inventory Management That Saves Time before you decide.

For the underlying guidance, see the PC Gamer guides.