How to Pause in Raft: Which Settings to Use & Multiplayer Restrictions

Raft has finally launched its massive 1.0 update on Steam, attracting new and returning players alike. While some players might already have a handle on things, first-time players likely have simpler questions. For one, how do you pause? While it might seem easy enough at first glance, it’s a little trickier than the game lets on.

The trick to pausing in Raft is that your game has to be in offline mode. This means that if you wanted to pause the game while playing with friends, you’re out of luck. Even in single player mode, you might be playing in an online world, so how do you change it? Here’s our guide for how to pause in Raft.

If you’re already playing the game, you’ll need to exit to the main menu. Press esc to open the menu, then click “Save World” to save your game. Once your game is saved, press “Main Menu.”

How to Pause in Raft

Pause in an Existing World

1. From the main menu, click “Load World.”
2. Click the drop down menu labeled “Friends Can Join.” It also might say “Everyone Can Join.”
3. Select the option labeled “Nobody Can Join.”
4. Click the world you want to join and hit “Load World.” Now, when you load the game, it will be an offline world.
5. To pause, press the escape key. If you’ve done it correctly, the world will freeze around you.

Pause in a New World

1. From the main menu, click “New World.”
2. Type in the “World Name” box to name your world.
3. Click the drop down menu labeled “Friends Can Join.” It also might say “Everyone Can Join.”
4. Select the option labeled “Nobody Can Join.”
5. Hit “Create World.” Now, when you load the game, it will be an offline world.
6. To pause, press the escape key. If you’ve done it correctly, the world will freeze around you.

That’s how you pause in Raft. Remember: you can only pause in a single-player, offline mode. It will not work in a multiplayer game. Also note that the game will default to “Friends Can Join” mode, so you should check the setting every time you boot the game up. If you press the escape key and find that the world keeps moving, simply save your world, exit to the main menu, and reload the world with the proper settings.

While offline mode allows the escape key to pause the game, it does not change the functionality of the tab button. Pressing tab allows you to open the crafting menu and your inventory, but it does not pause the game, regardless of whether or not you’re online. If you were hoping for a shark-free rope crafting session, you’ll have to play a different game.

Learning how to pause in Raft makes the game a much more convenient experience. You can take a break without worrying about your hunger or hydration stats going down, you can step away without having to exit the game, and you’ll have plenty of time to check out more guides on fanbyte.com.