If joining a friend's How to Fish lobby shows a black screen, first make sure Steam has delivered the newest game update, then check the Steam relay indicator added in Patch 1.0.9. The developers described the earlier Patch 1.0.4 change as “Hopefully fixed”, so this page does not promise one universal fix.
Official checks
1. Restart Steam. The Patch 1.0.9 announcement explicitly says to restart Steam to receive the update. Do this before testing the lobby again.
2. Open the game and inspect the Steam connection debug. Patch 1.0.9 added a short Steam connection check in the main menu.
3. Look at the Steam relay text. If it becomes red, follow the developer's direction to the #common-bugs channel in the Community Discord for the current connection guide.
4. Create a fresh lobby and retry the invite. This is a bounded test, not a promised fix. It helps distinguish one existing session from a broader connection problem.
5. Record what failed. Note whether the relay indicator was red, whether the lobby was public or private, and whether every player had restarted Steam after the update. Use those details when reporting the issue.
What the patches actually say
Official Patch 1.0.4 says it “Hopefully fixed blackscreen when trying to join lobby.” That wording matters: it records a developer fix attempt without claiming every join path was permanently repaired.
Patch 1.0.9 later added the Steam connection debug and a red Steam-relay warning path. It directs affected players to the Community Discord common-bugs guidance. That is the current official troubleshooting handoff available in the reviewed patch notes.
What is not a confirmed fix
Public Steam discussions include players who still reported a black screen after verifying files, disabling the Steam overlay, updating drivers, or trying different operating systems. Those reports do not prove one root cause. This guide therefore does not tell every player to reinstall the game, change drivers, disable security software, delete saves, or edit system files.
One player reported that joining a recently created session worked in their case. Use a fresh lobby only as a low-risk test; do not treat it as a guaranteed repair.
Report the issue without risking your save
Do not delete or edit save data based on an unverified comment. When you ask for help, include the game version, host platform, session type, relay-indicator state and whether Steam was restarted. Never post passwords, authentication codes, private invite links or account credentials.
For the official change history, read the Updates page. For private-lobby behavior and the supported maximum lobby size, use the lobby guide.
Sources and evidence boundary
- Official Patch 1.0.4 records the uncertain black-screen fix wording.
- Official Patch 1.0.9 provides the Steam restart, connection debug and red-relay support path.
- Public report thread: black screen when joining friends shows the symptom can persist and that no universal fix was established there.
- Second public report thread records players still seeing the symptom after integrity verification or disabling the Steam overlay; this page does not present either action as a confirmed fix.
Quick questions
Did Patch 1.0.4 guarantee the black screen was fixed?
No. The patch note says “Hopefully fixed,” so persistent reports must not be dismissed.
Should I delete my save?
No source reviewed for this page supports deleting a save as the standard join-screen fix.
Where should I go if the Steam relay text is red?
Follow the in-game Patch 1.0.9 direction to the Community Discord #common-bugs guidance.