Waterpark Simulator PS5 Multiplayer: How to Play Co-Op with Friends

What This Guide Covers

Waterpark Simulator is a first-person management sim where you design, build, and run a waterpark. On PS5, the game supports online co-op, letting you and a friend build and manage a park together in real time.

This guide walks you through the setup, the first-day workflow, and the exact sequence of actions that keeps your park from falling apart. You'll also learn how to recover from the most common multiplayer failures — injuries, refunds, and negative ratings — before they spiral out of control.

What You Need Before Starting

Before you launch into multiplayer, confirm the following:

Crossplay details are not confirmed in the source material. If you're playing with friends on other platforms, check our Waterpark Simulator crossplay guide for the latest information.

Step-by-Step: Running Your First Multiplayer Session

This sequence is based on a full multiplayer playthrough of the 1.0 build. Follow it in order to avoid the most common early-game disasters.

1. Create or Join a Multiplayer Session

The host creates the park and invites the second player. Both players control characters in the same world simultaneously. You can both enter build mode at the same time, which lets you split construction duties.

2. Assign Roles Before Opening

Communication matters more than skill. In the recorded session, the two players split work as follows:

• Host: manages the front desk, sells tickets, and handles announcements
• Second player: handles repairs, cleaning, and food service

Switch roles if one of you gets overwhelmed. The key is that both players are never doing the same task at the same time.

3. Build Before You Open

Do not open the park until you have at least:

• One pool
• One slide
• One diving board
• Two toilets
• A trash bag (from the dumpster)

In the playthrough, the players opened the park with almost nothing built, then had to close it immediately to construct basic attractions. That wasted a full day and generated refunds.

4. Test Every Attraction Yourself

Before opening, each player should test the slide and diving board. In the recorded session, the diving board was placed in a spot where guests kept missing the pool and dying. Testing first would have caught that problem.

If a guest dies or gets injured, grab a medkit from the nearby supply and use it on them. You can also pick up injured guests and carry them to safety.

5. Open the Park and Watch for Refund Triggers

Once you open, monitor these three things constantly:

• Injuries: guests die if they miss the pool, slip on puddles, or collide with objects
• Dirt: attractions drop to 0% cleanliness quickly; use the mop to clean them
• Negative thoughts: guests leave the park when they collect too many negative thoughts, which triggers ticket refunds

In the playthrough, the first day ended with 8 refunds and a −$700 profit. Most of those refunds came from avoidable injuries and dirty attractions.

6. Prioritize Research Points

You earn research points by repairing and cleaning attractions. Spend them in this order:

1. Hot dog stand — gives you a steady income source
2. Trash bins — reduces litter and keeps guests happy
3. Basic pools — replaces the tiny starter pool
4. Showers — guests who shower before entering the pool stay cleaner
5. Water gun — lets you clean smelly guests from a distance
6. Paintbrush — improves decoration rating, which affects your star rating

Do not unlock the paintbrush before the water gun. In the recorded session, the players unlocked painting first and ran out of money before they could buy paint.

7. End the Day and Review the Report

Each day ends with a report showing profit, refunds, and guest feedback. Use this to adjust your strategy for the next day.

The first day in the playthrough ended at −$700. The second day nearly broke even. The third day turned a profit. Expect a learning curve of at least two in-game days.

Common Mistakes and How to Recover

Opening the Park Too Early

Symptoms: guests arrive, find nothing to do, and leave immediately. You get refunds before you've earned any money.

Recovery: close the park, build the essentials, and reopen. You lose a day but avoid a cascade of negative reviews.

Placing Attractions in Unsafe Spots

Symptoms: guests die on the diving board, miss the pool, or get stuck in walls.

Recovery: move the attraction in build mode. In the playthrough, the diving board was relocated after multiple deaths. Test each attraction after moving it.

Ignoring Cleanliness

Symptoms: attractions drop to 0%, guests get angry, and you receive refunds.

Recovery: assign one player to mop duty permanently. The mop is available from the start — you don't need to research it.

Letting Injured Guests Lie on the Ground

Symptoms: guests die, you receive fines, and your rating drops.

Recovery: grab a medkit and revive them immediately. If you can't reach them, pick them up and carry them to a safe spot. Do not push injured guests — they will not get up on their own.

Confusing "Smelly" Guests with Dirt

Symptoms: your park is clean, but your rating is stuck below two stars.

Recovery: use the water gun to spray smelly guests directly. In the playthrough, the players discovered that cleaning smelly guests was the key to advancing their star rating. The water gun also cleans attractions from a distance, which saves time.

Taking the Mafia Loan Without Understanding the Terms

Symptoms: you get quick cash but lose $200 per day to payments.

Recovery: only take the loan if you're confident you can generate $200+ profit daily. In the playthrough, the players declined the loan because the daily payment was too steep for their early-game income.

Advanced Tips for a Smooth Co-Op Run

Split the Map, Not the Tasks

Instead of both players doing everything, assign each player a zone. One handles the pool area, the other handles food and entrance. This prevents collisions and duplicated work.

Use the Walkie-Talkie for Coordination

The walkie-talkie lets you communicate in-game without voice chat. Use it for quick callouts like "guest dying at the slide" or "hot dogs are out." It's faster than typing and keeps both players focused.

Watch for Cheaters

Guests without wristbands will sneak into the park. Eject them immediately — they don't pay and they lower your rating. You can identify them by the missing wristband animation.

Prioritize the Water Gun Over the Paintbrush

The water gun does double duty: it cleans smelly guests and cleans attractions from range. The paintbrush only improves decoration. Unlock the water gun first — it directly impacts your star rating.

Use the Boxing Glove for Problem Guests

If a guest is causing trouble (loitering, refunding, or sneaking in), hit them with the boxing glove to knock them out of the park. This is faster than picking them up and carrying them out.

Save Before You Sleep

Sleeping saves the game. Always sleep at the end of the day so you don't lose progress if the session crashes.

Related Guides

• Waterpark Simulator Multiplayer Overview — everything you need to know about co-op mechanics
• Waterpark Simulator Multiplayer Release Date — version history and platform availability
• Waterpark Simulator Crossplay — play with friends on other platforms

What Could Not Be Verified

The following details were not confirmed in the source material:

• Crossplay support between PS5, Xbox, and Steam
• Exact star-rating thresholds for unlocking new zones
• Mafia loan terms beyond the $750 offer with 20% interest
• Character customization options on PS5 specifically

Check the official Waterpark Simulator channels for these details.