Split-screen on PC

Dead Island

Up to 4 players on one PC, with controllers or keyboard and mouse.

4Verified handler

Handler “DeadIslandx86” by Talos91, version 2

What works

With Nucleus Co-op, up to 4 players can play Dead Island together on one PC, each in their own part of the screen, with controllers or keyboard and mouse. The free community handler “DeadIslandx86” by Talos91 does the setup and was checked by hub moderators: version 2, updated 3 Aug 2021. Dead Island is a shooter and hack and slash game from 2011.

Players4
ControllersSupported
Keyboard and mouseSupported
Several keyboards and miceNot supported
Hub moderatorsVerified

How to play Dead Island split screen on PC

Get Nucleus Co-op
Download Nucleus Co-op, free for Windows 10 and 11, and unzip it into its own folder, for example C:\NucleusCo-op. There is no installer.
Keep it out of Program Files, your user folder and OneDrive.
Download Nucleus Co-op
Install the Dead Island handler
In Nucleus Co-op, search the Hub for Dead Island and install its handler, or download the handler file from this page and drop it on the Nucleus window. Then show Nucleus where Dead Island is installed.
Download the handler file (.nc)
Take a seat
Each player presses a button on their own controller to join and takes a spot on the screen. Pick a layout that fits your players.
Launch and connect
Press Launch: Nucleus opens one copy of Dead Island per player and lays the windows out on your screen. Then link them in game, usually one player hosts a LAN or online session and the others join it. The handler notes say how.

What you need

A Windows 10 or 11 PC
Nucleus Co-op runs on Windows only. System requirements
Dead Island for Windows
Installed on that PC. Nucleus starts every player's window from that one install.
Nucleus Co-op, free
With .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later and the Visual C++ 2015–2022 runtimes (x86 and x64). Download
Something to play with
One controller per player; one player can use the keyboard and mouse. Controllers
A PC that can run 4 copies
Each player runs their own copy of Dead Island, so the PC carries several times the usual load. Lower the graphics settings if it struggles. Performance tips
A multiplayer mode
Nucleus links the windows through the game's own LAN or online mode; the handler takes care of it.

Handler notes

ONLY for the original 32 bit Steam version of the game. Guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/localmultiplayergames/comments/euk0jl/dead_island_local_coop/

Authors and Contributors of this handler: Talos91 from the Split Screen Dreams Discord.

About Dead Island

Dead Island is a action role-playing survival horror video game developed by Polish developer Techland and it is centered on the challenge of surviving a zombie-infested open world island with a major emphasis on melee combat, and the making of weapons and weapon mods. You gain XP and level up, gaining skill points. Dead Island takes place on the fictional (based off a true island near Papua New Guinea) island of Banoi. You play as one of four different characters with different skills and skill trees, and different intro videos. The worlds is half open, you can roam the world as you wish but you will have to go through the main story to progress to the next large open area The combat is largely melee focused, but you also have firearms and throwing weapons, bullets and guns are scares in the start of the game, but towards the end of the game they are much easier to find. The zombies are mostly slow, but there is a wide range of different zombies throughout the game. Dead Island: Riptide, was released in 2013. A spin-off, Escape Dead Island, Dead Island 2, is set to be released in 2016.

Summary from IGDB