Split-screen on PC

Panic in the Woods

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

4Verified handler

Handler “Panic in the Woods” by birden, version 1

What works

With Nucleus Co-op, up to 4 players can play Panic in the Woods together on one PC, each in their own part of the screen, with controllers, keyboard and mouse or several keyboards and mice. The free community handler “Panic in the Woods” by birden does the setup and was checked by hub moderators: version 1, updated 5 Mar 2025.

Players4
ControllersSupported
Keyboard and mouseSupported
Several keyboards and miceOne per player
Hub moderatorsVerified

How to play Panic in the Woods 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 Panic in the Woods handler
In Nucleus Co-op, search the Hub for Panic in the Woods and install its handler, or download the handler file from this page and drop it on the Nucleus window. Then show Nucleus where Panic in the Woods 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.
Playing with several keyboards and mice? Press End once everything is in place to give each window its own cursor.
Launch and connect
Press Launch: Nucleus opens one copy of Panic in the Woods 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
Panic in the Woods 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, or one keyboard and mouse per player. Controllers · Keyboards and mice
A PC that can run 4 copies
Each player runs their own copy of Panic in the Woods, 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

IMPORTANT: Start the game once and change some settings before trying split-screen.

Make sure in the game menu that multiplayer is set to EVERYONE, now everyone can join by interacting with the cable (that's made for MP) in-game.

About Panic in the Woods

A horror survival and extraction game playable in single player or co-op for up to 4 players. Lost in a creepy forest, you and your friends are hunted by a monster. Stay quiet while extracting keys through nightmarish realms using items like traps, sonars, and flare guns to survive!

Summary from IGDB