Search “is Better Than Dead multiplayer” or “Better Than Dead co-op” and you get a wall of half-answers: forum threads where someone guesses, a Reddit reply that says “not sure,” a couple of “looks like Bodycam so probably PvP” takes from people who never opened the store page. Here is the cut that actually matters, and it is short: there is no multiplayer, there is no co-op, there is no PvP. None. Not hidden behind a menu, not “coming soon” with a date.
So this is the solo-player fact-check, and the answer is good news if you play alone. Better Than Dead is a single-player game from top to bottom. The Steam page lists it under one player category, Single-player, with no co-op or multiplayer tag anywhere on it. It is a level-based bodycam revenge FPS set in Hong Kong, developed by MONTE GALLO and published by MicroProse, and the entire design assumes one person, one bodycam, one revenge run. If your worry was “do I need mates to get value out of this,” you do not.
The honest caveat on “is co-op planned.” This is the bit people get wrong, so let me be precise. As of mid-2026 the developer has not announced any co-op or multiplayer mode, and the public Early Access roadmap does not point that way. What they have committed to is a second mode called “To Heaven”, described as a more hardcore, larger extension with some additional levels and the game’s intended true ending. That is still single-player. So when you see someone speculate “co-op will come later,” treat it as a guess, not a plan. The stated direction is more solo content, not networked play. If that changes I will update this, but right now betting on co-op would be betting on nothing the studio has actually said.
What the solo loop actually is. The Early Access build ships with 14 handcrafted levels that run the core experience beginning to end in its first mode. The hook is the bodycam presentation married to a fast, close-quarters revenge loop: you slide into bullet time, fight up close, learn each environment’s rhythm, and replay it faster and bloodier. It is not an open world and it is not a roguelike, it is authored, level-by-level, the way a linear single-player shooter is. That matters for the solo question because there is nothing here that degrades when you play alone; alone is the only way it is meant to be played.
Where the Early Access build sits. It launched into Steam Early Access on 12 May 2026 at $14.99 USD (about £13.75, call it a tenner-and-a-bit). The team expects roughly 6-12 months in Early Access and says it will flag any change to that in advance. The most recent meaningful drop, Update 0.20, added the first version of a Training Range plus improved aiming and bullet penetration, the range unlocks after level one and lets you practise sliding, bullet time and pistol work in a safer space before the real runs. Reviews as of mid-2026 are Mostly Positive, sitting around the low-to-mid 70s percent overall, which for a jank-leaning bodycam EA shooter is a fair-to-decent showing rather than a slam dunk.
Who it is for. If you specifically want a solo, story-driven, replay-the-level bodycam shooter and you do not care about playing with anyone, this is squarely aimed at you. If you came hoping for a co-op horde mode or a PvP bodycam thing in the Bodycam mould, this is not that game and is not trying to be. For the wider “is it any good as a solo pick” read, my Better Than Dead best bodycam shooter breakdown goes deeper, and if you like punishing single-player shooters generally, the hardest realistic shooter rundown on Operator and the is Vein worth it verdict are in the same lane.
The short version. Better Than Dead is 100% single-player, no co-op, no multiplayer, no PvP, and none announced as of mid-2026. It is 14 levels, $14.99, Early Access since May 2026, with a second solo mode (“To Heaven”) on the roadmap and a Training Range added in Update 0.20. Buy it because you want to play alone, not in spite of it. More tactical-shooter breakdowns live over in the intel index.
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FAQ
Is Better Than Dead multiplayer or single-player?
It is single-player only. The Steam store page lists Better Than Dead solely under the Single-player category, with no multiplayer or co-op tags. The whole game is built as a solo, level-based bodycam revenge FPS set in Hong Kong.
Can you play Better Than Dead co-op?
No. There is no co-op or multiplayer mode of any kind, and as of mid-2026 the developer has not announced one. The published Early Access roadmap focuses on a second single-player mode called "To Heaven," not networked play.
How many levels does Better Than Dead have?
The Early Access build ships with 14 handcrafted levels that deliver the core experience start to finish in its first mode. The developer plans to add a harder second mode, "To Heaven," with extra levels and the intended true ending later in Early Access.
How much does Better Than Dead cost and is it in Early Access?
It is $14.99 USD (about £13.75) and launched in Steam Early Access on 12 May 2026, developed by MONTE GALLO and published by MicroProse. The team expects roughly 6-12 months in Early Access. Recent reviews sit at Mostly Positive.
What did Update 0.20 add to Better Than Dead?
Update 0.20 added the first version of a Training Range, plus improved aiming and bullet penetration. The range unlocks after the first level and lets you practise sliding, bullet time and close-range shooting in a safer space.
Sources
- Better Than Dead, Steam store page (modes, price, EA, 14 levels, To Heaven) ↗
- Steam Community, Better than Dead (Update 0.20 / Training Range patch notes) ↗
- SteamDB, Better than Dead (price history, app data) ↗
- Saving Content, Better Than Dead launches into Steam Early Access ↗
- Gematsu, Better Than Dead launches in Early Access on May 12 ↗
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