Book it if
You want a tight four-player shooter where every role matters and a session fits into an hour.
Skip it if
You want a group of five or more, or a slow building game with no combat pressure.
Trip sheet
- Crew size
- 1–4 players
- Online
- Yes
- Crossplay
- No
- Split-screen
- No
- Solo
- Fully playable with Bosco, a helper drone
- Voice chat
- Helpful
- Danger
- Dangerous
1The pitch
You and up to three friends play dwarven miners sent into a hostile planet's caves to dig out minerals and complete objectives. Every surface can be dug through, levels are generated fresh each mission, and waves of alien bugs arrive on a timer. When the job is done, you sprint back to the drop pod before it leaves without you.
2Playing together
Co-op is online only for 1 to 4 players, either through Steam friends or a public server browser. The Steam version plays with other Steam players; crossplay exists between Xbox and the Microsoft Store version, not with Steam. A shared resupply system and the constant need to revive each other keep the team close.
3Roles in the squad
There are four classes: the Scout lights caves with flares and grapples to hard-to-reach ore, the Driller tunnels through rock, the Engineer builds platforms and turrets, and the Gunner zips lines and lays down heavy fire. Duplicate classes are allowed, but a mixed team handles terrain far better. Each class has its own weapons and upgrade paths, so people tend to settle into a favorite.
4Look & sound
Low-poly caves look simple until a flare lights up a cavern of glowing crystals. The soundtrack ramps up when a swarm hits, and the dwarves' shouted voice lines give the game much of its humor. Visibility in the dark is part of the challenge, which makes the Scout's flares feel valuable.
5Setup & value
It costs $29.99 on Steam for Windows, and every player needs their own copy. Steam lists it as Playable on Steam Deck, with small text being the main note. Post-launch seasons have been free, and cosmetic DLC is optional.
Best bits
- Classes that genuinely depend on each other
- Fully destructible, procedural caves
- Short missions that fit a weeknight
- Free seasonal content
Watch out
- Capped at 4 players
- No crossplay with Steam
- Dark caves can feel samey after many hours
Score sheet
- Teamwork 25%
- 95
- Fun as a squad 25%
- 94
- Easy to join 15%
- 86
- Replay 20%
- 92
- Value 15%
- 92
95 × 25% + 94 × 25% + 86 × 15% + 92 × 20% + 92 × 15% = 92.35 → 92
Trip report verdict
Verdict
“Deep Rock Galactic is one of the clearest examples of co-op design on Steam: four classes, one shared goal, and constant reasons to help each other. It is limited to four players, but for a group that size it is very hard to beat.”
By the Squad Play Review editorial desk · Updated 6 Oct 2026 · How we score · Report an error
