Culdcept BEGINS multiplayer has four forms: the Story campaign, Solo Battle against AI Cepters, Alliance 2v2 teams, and real-time Online Battle against other players. Two of them put a human being across the table from you, and the other two are the places where the game teaches you and where you grind.
Culdcept BEGINS Multiplayer: The Four Modes
| Mode | Who you play with | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Story | AI only | A numbered chapter campaign around Kamru's training at the Royal Cept Academy. Every chapter is one match on a named board against a named opponent with a fixed target, and side stories branch off the main quest. |
| Solo Battle | AI only | One board with four Cepters — you plus AI opponents such as the Professor, Tarhunt and Ishara — and a result screen that ranks all four. This is where handicaps are set and where autoplay and 2× speed are available. |
| Alliance 2v2 | One human ally and the opposing pair | You and an ally take the field together against the opposing pair. |
| Online Battle | Other players | Real-time matches through online matchmaking, entered as a Quick Match or as a room match. |
- The Story mode also pays out. As you progress it unlocks the Card Shop, new card packs and titles, so the campaign is the place where your collection comes from.
- Solo Battle is the fastest way to make gold. Autoplay and 2× speed can be enabled, which is what makes farming practical.
- Handicaps are a solo tool. You set a handicap for yourself and your ally and a separate one for the enemy AI, and the higher handicap levels unlock as you complete solo games at the previous level.
- Alliance 2v2 is the team format, built around two Books that work together rather than one.
Map Modes and the Goal You Can Choose
Alongside the four modes, the game offers Map Modes and a selectable magic goal. A random map can have its goal magic set for you, and in multiplayer a specific target can be chosen when the map is selected. Cathedral boards add symbols on top of the usual magic, which changes how a map scores and how a match plays out.
Steam Feature List
The Steam store lists the game under Single-player, Multi-player, PvP and Online PvP, with full controller support, Steam Achievements and Steam Cloud. It does not list shared or split-screen, which is the one multiplayer format the PC version does not have.
Playing With People in the Same Room
If the second player is sitting next to you rather than on the other side of the internet, the Steam build has no mode for it. Local multiplayer on Steam covers what the PC version does and does not offer.
Playing Against People Online
Real-time matches with other people are the mode that does have real Steam support. Online multiplayer explains Quick Match, room matches and the cross-play rules.