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Bread & Fred key art from the Microsoft Store listingImage: Atari, Infogrames via Microsoft Store

Xbox Series X|S · Switch · PC (Steam)

Bread & Fred co-op

On one console, the stores list 2 players on Xbox Series X|S, 1-2 players on Switch; online play goes up to 2.

  • Co-op
  • Mixed skill OK
  • Remote Play Together
  • Tabletop OK
  • Online needs NSO

Co-op or versus: from the Microsoft Store co-op fields and Steam categories.

Quick answer for your console

Yes: 2 players on one Xbox Series X|S

Grab a second controller.

  • The store's Shared/split screen label is on; it does not say which
  • Online: 2 players (co-op)
  • Regular price $14.99
  • Microsoft Store (Xbox), checked Oct 18, 2026

Same console or online

P1 · Same console

Up to 2 players

  • Xbox Series X|S: 2 players (co-op)
  • Switch: 1-2 players
  • PC (Steam): Local co-op listed (no player count on Steam)
  • Drop-in: no store description says so (we only read store text for this). Not sure? See role notes
P2 · Online

Up to 2 players

  • Xbox Series X|S: 2 players (co-op)
  • Switch: 1-2 players, needs Nintendo Switch Online
  • PC (Steam): Online play listed
  • Steam Remote Play Together: friends can join a local session over the internet

How to split the roles

When one of you plays more than the other: who takes which seat in Bread & Fred, and why.

P1 · For the more experienced player

Handle the swings and jumps; let the newer player anchor on the ground.

The rope lets one player propel the other, and anchoring keeps both from falling.

P2 · For the newer player

Anchor on the ground and use the official assists when the climb gets punishing.

The official assists are there to ease the climb, and the game says climbing together is the most important part.

Skill-gap friendly · higher is easier

4out of 5

Official assists (Pull rope, Checkpoints, Better grab, Infinite jumps) are aimed at easing the climb for a weaker partner.

Official help aimed at a weaker or newer player: assist or beginner mode, a support seat, a way to carry or rescue a partner, or a game built for young children. No sourced invulnerability.

Easy to coordinate · higher is easier

1out of 3 · Hard

The two penguins are tied by a rope, so both must coordinate every swing, anchor, and grab.

Hard: constant talking, or one player sees or knows what the other needs.

The roles Same moves for both

Both players control a penguin tied together by a rope. Roles come from who anchors and who swings, not from different characters.

  • Anchor Moderate

    Moderate seat: planning and timing.

    Holds tight to the ground so the swinging partner does not drag both players into the abyss.

    • Planning
    • Timing
  • Swinger Demanding

    Demanding seat: timing and platforming.

    Uses the rope to propel the partner beyond what a penguin could jump, and climbs or grabs walls.

    • Timing
    • Platforming

Help for the newer player

  • Official assist options: Pull rope, Checkpoints, Better grab, Infinite jumps.
  • Single-player mode lets one player use a rock named Jeff instead of the penguin partner.

If one of you fails: Each fall moves you one step further from the target.

Ways to split the work

  • Anchor on the ground before your partner swings so you do not both fall.
  • Turn on Checkpoints or Infinite jumps if the climb is too punishing.
  • Use the Better grab assist for wall hangs, which the game says only last a few seconds.
Sources (5, 5 official) and how we rate
  1. 1. Microsoft Store (Xbox listing; publisher Atari, developer Sand Castles Studio) (official): The store listing says one player must anchor to the ground or both fall. Read Oct 18, 2026.
  2. 2. Microsoft Store (Xbox listing; publisher Atari, developer Sand Castles Studio) (official): The store listing describes a single-player mode that uses a rock named Jeff in place of the partner. Read Oct 18, 2026.
  3. 3. Sand Castles Studio (official): The developer page says the rope lets players propel each other and that both must hold tight to the ground. Read Oct 18, 2026.
  4. 4. Sand Castles Studio (official): The developer page lists four assist options: Pull rope, Checkpoints, Better grab, and Infinite jumps. Read Oct 18, 2026.
  5. 5. Sand Castles Studio (official): The developer page says each fall sets you back one step from the target. Read Oct 18, 2026.

Both ratings use one fixed scale for every game, higher is easier for a mixed pair; the levels are on our data page. Roles are split by experience, never by who the players are.

Screenshots

  • Bread & Fred screenshot 1 of 6 from the Microsoft Store listing
  • Bread & Fred screenshot 2 of 6 from the Microsoft Store listing
  • Bread & Fred screenshot 3 of 6 from the Microsoft Store listing
  • Bread & Fred screenshot 4 of 6 from the Microsoft Store listing
  • Bread & Fred screenshot 5 of 6 from the Microsoft Store listing
  • Bread & Fred screenshot 6 of 6 from the Microsoft Store listing
Image: Atari, Infogrames via Microsoft Store. Official page, images checked Oct 18, 2026.

Every store, field by field

Xbox Series X|S
Players on one console
2 players (co-op)
Online
2 players (co-op)
Shared/split screen label
Yes
Crossplay
No
ESRB rating
Everyone
Regular price
$14.99
Subscription
None found on check date
Release date
Feb 24, 2026
Show all fields (4 this store does not have)
  • Local wireless (several consoles): not a store field
  • Remote Play Together: not a store field
  • Steam Deck: not a store field
  • Play modes: not a store field

Official page (Microsoft Store (Xbox))Checked Oct 18, 2026

Switch
Players on one console
1-2 players
Local wireless (several consoles)
Not listed
Online
1-2 players, needs Nintendo Switch Online
ESRB rating
Everyone
Regular price
$14.99
Subscription
None found on check date
Release date
May 23, 2024
Play modes
TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode
Show all fields (4 this store does not have)
  • Shared/split screen label: not a store field
  • Crossplay: not a store field
  • Remote Play Together: not a store field
  • Steam Deck: not a store field

Official page (Nintendo.com store)Checked Oct 18, 2026

PC (Steam)
Players on one console
Local co-op listed (no player count on Steam)
Online
Online play listed
Shared/split screen label
Yes
Crossplay
No
Remote Play Together
Yes
Steam Deck
Playable
ESRB rating
Not listed
Regular price
$14.99
Subscription
None found on check date
Release date
May 23, 2023
Show all fields (2 this store does not have)
  • Local wireless (several consoles): not a store field
  • Play modes: not a store field

Official page (Steam)Checked Oct 18, 2026

"Not a store field" means that store has no such label at all; "Not listed" means the store has the field and left it empty. Genres: Platformer, Family, Adventure, Action.

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If you liked this co-op, try

All of these: Remote Play Together

Picked by shared database fields only (player count, screen type, genre, drop-in, console), not by popularity.