Split-screen on PC

Serious Sam: The First Encounter

Up to 16 players on one PC, with controllers, keyboard and mouse or several keyboards and mice.

16Verified handler

Handler “Serious Sam: The First Encounter” by Zensuu, version 2

P4+12 more players

What works

With Nucleus Co-op, up to 16 players can play Serious Sam: The First Encounter 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 “Serious Sam: The First Encounter” by Zensuu does the setup and was checked by hub moderators: version 2, updated 9 May 2024. Serious Sam: The First Encounter is a shooter and indie game from 2001.

Players16
ControllersSupported
Keyboard and mouseSupported
Several keyboards and miceOne per player
Hub moderatorsVerified

How to play Serious Sam: The First Encounter 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 Serious Sam: The First Encounter handler
In Nucleus Co-op, search the Hub for Serious Sam: The First Encounter and install its handler, or download the handler file from this page and drop it on the Nucleus window. Then show Nucleus where Serious Sam: The First Encounter 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 Serious Sam: The First Encounter 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
Serious Sam: The First Encounter 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 16 copies
Each player runs their own copy of Serious Sam: The First Encounter, 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: You need to disable the "Follow Gamepads API Indexes" setting in the Players tab in Nucleus Co-op's settings for gamepads to work properly.

◦ Requires the Serious Sam Classics Patch by Dreamy Cecil.

◦ This game already has native split-screen but with this handler you have access to more features, like multi monitor gameplay or more than 4 players.

◦ Supports xinput gamepads and multiple mice and keyboards.

◦ Read the handler notes in the UI carefully.

◦ Authors and Contributors of this handler: Zensuu. A special thanks to the Nucleus Co-op and Split Screen Dreams communities

About Serious Sam: The First Encounter

A first person shooter extravaganza where you take the role of Serious Sam, a badass killer whose goal is to defeat monsters commanded by Mental, an extraterrestrial entity that wants to destroy humanity. Serious Sam is a high-adrenaline arcade-action shooter heavily focused on frantic arcade-style single player action. In a world where cyberpunk meets fantasy-fiction and advanced technology is mixed with black magic and psycho-powers, Sam travels through the beautiful world of ancient Egypt and several diverse planets, confronting countless Mental's minions on his way to the Mental's base.Key Features Frantic Arcade-Style Action - Fight your way through 15+ nightmarish warriors in Mental's army, including the charging Sirian Werebull, screaming Headless Kamikaze and other crazy monsters, and finally challenge the multi-story Ugh-Zan boss!

Summary from IGDB