HowToFishDirectConnect

Play How to Fish co-op over a plain direct IP connection — no Steam lobby and no Steam relay. The mod only replaces the network transport for the players who install it, and it never modifies the game's files or any Steam data.

Both players must install this mod to use the direct connection. Players without the mod keep using the vanilla Steam co-op exactly as before.

Features

• Host / Join by IP — the host opens a room and shares their IP; the friend enters it.
• Works across the internet — use a virtual-LAN tool (Radmin / ZeroTier / Tailscale) or a port-forward.
• Clean bilingual panel (English / 简体中文) that follows the game's own language.
• No Steam lobby required — the mod talks over the game's built-in UDP transport.
• Save safety — the host world is saved before the session is torn down; each remote player keeps their own save.
• Copy your IP with one click, remembers recent rooms, and shows clear status/hints.

Requirements

• Windows, x64 Mono build of How to Fish (tested on game 1.1.3).
• BepInEx 5 (installed automatically by the mod manager, or see below).
• Both players must run the same game version. Mod versions may differ freely.

Installation

With a mod manager (recommended): click Install with Mod Manager — it handles BepInEx.

Manual:

1. Install BepInEx 5.4.23.5 into the game folder (the folder containing How to Fish.exe).
2. Copy BepInEx/plugins/HowToFishDirect.dll into the game's BepInEx/plugins/.
3. Launch the game through Steam (the game itself requires Steam to be running).

How to play together

1. Host: open the panel (F7), go to Create Room, pick a save, set the port (default 7777) and player count, then click Create Room.
2. Click your local IP in the panel to copy it, and send it (plus the port) to your friend.
   • Same LAN: use your normal 192.168.x.x / 10.x.x.x.
   • Different networks: both install a virtual-LAN tool and use that IP.
3. Friend: open the panel (F7), go to Join Room, paste the IP and port, click Join Room.

If nothing happens within 40 seconds the mod returns you to the menu with a reason.

In-game panel

The panel appears at the right edge and is toggled with F7. The hotkey can be changed in Mod Settings. The panel language follows the game's language (Simplified / Traditional Chinese → Chinese, otherwise English).

• Create Room — save, UDP port, max players (host included), create.
• Join Room — host IP, port, recent-room history (click to fill).
• Mod Settings — font size, mouse-wheel speed, show-panel / verbose-log toggles, rebind the hotkey, diagnostics.

Compatibility notes

• Only the game version is a hard requirement; the mod version does not need to match. A built-in protocol number only rejects genuinely incompatible wire formats.
• Money / Euro is shared in multiplayer (the game's own design).
• If the handshake is very slow, a player may join with a temporary identity and that session's progress is not written to their normal save (a safety measure).

中文说明

• 这是什么：给《How to Fish》加一条“IP 直连”联机通道，绕过 Steam 大厅和中继。 本模组不修改游戏原始文件，也不需要 Steam 大厅。双方都要装这个模组。
• 怎么用：主机按 F7 打开面板 →「创建房间」→ 复制本机 IP 发给朋友；朋友按 F7 →「加入房间」→ 填入 IP 和端口 →「加入房间」。不在同一局域网就用 Radmin / ZeroTier 之类的 虚拟局域网，填那个 IP。
• 版本：只需要游戏版本一致；模组版本不需要一致（改 UI、修小问题不影响联机）。
• 面板语言：自动跟随游戏语言（简/繁中文显示中文，其余显示英文）。

Troubleshooting

• Black screen / stuck — the mod returns to the menu after 40s; check IP, port, firewall, UDP port-forwarding, and that both game versions match.
• Port in use — pick another port (both sides must use the same one).
• Can't see each other — make sure both game versions match.
• winhttp.dll disappeared — your antivirus removed BepInEx's loader; whitelist the game folder and reinstall.

Logs: <game folder>\BepInEx\LogOutput.log.