Chained Together supports community maps and an integrated map editor. The official Workshop workflow is to subscribe to a community item, create a game, select Workshop as the mode and choose a subscribed item. The developer documented that sequence when version 1.8.4 introduced custom map creation and sharing on September 10, 2024.
This guide was reviewed on October 22, 2026 using the official announcements. We have not tested the current editor interface. The documented features below are separated from our suggestions for choosing a first map, organizing a group and building a small test course.
01
Start with the official Workshop workflow
The version 1.8.4 announcement describes the Workshop button in the startup menu as the entry point. For playing community content, it gives this sequence:
- Open Workshop from the startup menu.
- Subscribe to the community mode you want to try.
- Begin creating a game.
- Select Workshop as the game mode.
- Choose from the items you have subscribed to.
Subscription and selection are separate steps. Adding an item to your subscriptions does not, by itself, establish that your next session is running it. Check the selected mode and map before inviting everyone to begin.
If the current interface differs, use the labels your installed version provides rather than looking for an invented shortcut. This guide does not prescribe manual file placement, third-party installers or an unverified folder path for Workshop maps.
02
Choose a manageable first community map
For a first attempt, our recommendation is to choose an item whose author clearly describes its objective and expected style. A short, straightforward course is easier to evaluate than a large project with several unfamiliar systems.
Read the description for any stated player-count expectations, required settings or known problems. Look at when the creator last updated it and whether the accompanying notes explain recent changes. Those observations help you choose; they do not prove that a popular or recently updated item will work perfectly.
We do not publish a supposed best-map ranking or invented download figures. Your first useful question is simpler: can your group understand what this particular map asks you to do? Save more elaborate experiments for after you have successfully selected and started one community item.
03
Prepare a group before loading custom content
Agree on the same item, author and intended revision. Similar names can make a casual invitation ambiguous. Sharing the exact item your group selected is more reliable than telling everyone to search for a generic map title.
Ask everyone to update the game and check that their available community content is ready before the session. This is preparation advice, not a claim that Chained Together always requires every participant to subscribe separately. The official 1.8.4 note does not fully specify how every client's content is distributed during multiplayer.
The game itself supports one to four players, but that general limit does not tell you what a particular creator intended. Check the item's description before assuming a puzzle designed around several participants will make sense for a solo visit. For the base game's options, see player counts and solo play.
04
What the integrated editor officially supports
The developer introduced more than a collection of static platforms. Version 1.8.4 describes an editor with logical interactions and environmental controls, including the following tools.
| Documented feature | A useful first experiment |
|---|---|
| Buttons | Give one button a clear, visible purpose. |
| Triggers | Test one interaction before combining several. |
| Object movement | Observe a single moving obstacle through its full cycle. |
| Visibility controls | Check whether a changed object remains understandable. |
| Collision controls | Confirm which surfaces support or block the route. |
| Splines | Explore one controlled movement path. |
| Publishing and updates | Share a tested version, then describe later revisions. |
The left column summarizes official capabilities. The right column contains suggested exercises, not confirmed editor command names or a tutorial for specific parameter fields. We have not verified the current controls for placing, connecting or configuring those elements.
05
Build a minimum test route first
Begin with an entrance, a small number of clearly visible destinations and an obvious finish. Our suggested goal is a route that another person can understand without a spoken explanation. Keep the first version focused on movement before adding a chain of puzzles.
Test whether the next destination can be recognized from the previous one. If a player reaches a platform and cannot tell where to go, adjust the visual presentation before increasing the challenge. A readable route gives you a stronger foundation for later complexity.
Next, add one interactive element. A button that changes one visible obstacle gives you a clear question to test: does the player understand the relationship? Combining several buttons, invisible objects and moving platforms immediately makes it harder to identify why an attempt fails.
Keep notes on the change you made and the result you observed. For example, record that you moved a landing surface and then retested the approach. Those notes are more useful than relying on a general impression that the course feels better.
06
Test moving objects with other players
A course that makes sense to its creator still needs another person's perspective. Ask a friend to try the route while you observe where they hesitate. Let them explain their interpretation before revealing what you intended.
For moving obstacles, compare what participants see at the same moment. Do not assume a successful solo test establishes identical behavior in a group. The dated 1.8.6 announcement specifically records a fix for rotating-object synchronization in Workshop maps, showing that multiplayer behavior has been an area of maintenance.
That old fix is not evidence that the same fault exists today. It is a reason to include group observation in your testing rather than investigating only geometry and jump distance. Write down the map revision, game version and obstacle involved if participants report different behavior.
07
Publish an understandable version
The official introduction says maps can be published and updated from the game to Steam Workshop. Before sharing, give the course a title and a description that explains its purpose. The 1.8.5 patch note also records enforcement of titles for new Workshop items.
Our recommendation is to describe the route's intended player arrangement, main interaction and testing status. If it has only been tried solo, say that. If a later revision changes an obstacle or fixes a confusing passage, explain the change so returning players know what to expect.
Keep performance claims modest. A working test on your computer does not establish a guaranteed frame rate on every system. Likewise, a creator's challenge rules do not automatically establish eligibility for the base game's achievements or official leaderboard. Verify any competition's own rules before treating custom-map results as comparable.
08
If a subscribed item does not appear
Check that you are selecting Workshop mode and looking for the same item you subscribed to. Then check the creator's notes and your installed game version. Record what the menu displays instead of immediately moving or deleting files.
For general input setup, continue to the controls guide. For a first encounter with the original climb, use the beginner guide. A successful first Workshop session can be small: one clearly identified map, a group that can start it and an objective everyone understands.