Split-screen on PC

Stronghold 2

Up to 8 players on one PC, with keyboard and mouse or several keyboards and mice.

8Verified handler

Handler “Stronghold 2” by Zensuu, version 2

P4+4 more players

What works

With Nucleus Co-op, up to 8 players can play Stronghold 2 together on one PC, each in their own part of the screen, with keyboard and mouse or several keyboards and mice. The free community handler “Stronghold 2” by Zensuu does the setup and was checked by hub moderators: version 2, updated 5 Jun 2024. Stronghold 2 is a real-time strategy, simulation and strategy game from 2005.

Players8
ControllersNot supported
Keyboard and mouseSupported
Several keyboards and miceOne per player
Hub moderatorsVerified

How to play Stronghold 2 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 Stronghold 2 handler
In Nucleus Co-op, search the Hub for Stronghold 2 and install its handler, or download the handler file from this page and drop it on the Nucleus window. Then show Nucleus where Stronghold 2 is installed.
Download the handler file (.nc)
Take a seat
Each player joins with their own keyboard and mouse 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 Stronghold 2 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
Stronghold 2 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 keyboard and mouse per player. Controllers · Keyboards and mice
A PC that can run 8 copies
Each player runs their own copy of Stronghold 2, 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

The steam version of this game disabled AI in multiplayer, you can renable it by installing this mod.

◦ Supports 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 Stronghold 2

Tax, torture or treat your peasants! Rehabilitate criminals or sentence them to death? Decide as you joust over a lavish banquet, all while under siege from the warmongering Lord Barclay. Will you entertain with medieval tournaments or rule with an iron fist and dispense feudal justice to overworked and malnourished peasants? With powerful barons jostling for power over a disintegrating kingdom, it is up to you to stem the tides of ambition and unite the land under the one true King! Building on the sim gameplay of the original Stronghold, Stronghold 2 allows players to rule as they please and still conquer each skirmish. Unhappy peasants turn to crime and must be punished, rival lords can raise entire armies on their title alone and sieges must be fought tooth and nail, with close combat taking place inside castle structures. Stronghold 2 Online extends this gameplay to competitive multiplayer for up to eight players, with offline skirmish mode also available against computer-controller opponents. The online services used GameSpy which was shutdown. The Steam Edition is the only version of Stronghold 2 that still features multiplayer using Steam Multiplayer.

Summary from IGDB