Party Line
The prompt book

Help

Can't find it here? Ask us.

Joining a friend's server

  1. Install Party Line and open it once.
  2. Click the invite link your friend sent. (Link does nothing? Copy the whole message, open Party Line, click Join with an invite and paste it.)
  3. You wait in the green room until someone on the server lets you in. You'll talk to them and read each other half of four silly words, so you both know it's really you.

Hosting your own server

The host's PC is the server: friends connect to it, so it needs to be on when you want to use Party Line. A PC on a wired connection works best.

  1. Open Party Line and click Host a server, then Start my server.
  2. Party Line asks your router to open its ports. Settings > Hosting shows whether friends can reach you.
  3. Send invites from the server menu or Settings > Invites. Each invite can be for one person or several, and can run out.
"Friends can't reach you"

Your router didn't open the ports by itself. In your router's settings, forward these to the hosting PC:

  • TCP port 47840
  • UDP port 47841

Some internet providers share one address between many homes, or give you a router you can't change. Then forwarding can't work and someone else on your crew should host for now. We're working on a relay so anyone can host.

A PC that's always the server

A spare PC can run only the server (Settings > Hosting > Host only), start with Windows, restart and update overnight, and back itself up every day.

Sound

Friends say I sound bad
  • Settings > Microphone > How do I sound? plays back what friends hear.
  • Bluetooth headsets switch to "phone quality" while their mic is on. A wired headset or a separate mic sounds much better.
  • Getting cut off? Lower the line in Settings > Microphone so your voice gets through.
Friends hear an echo of themselves

Your speakers are reaching your mic. Use headphones, or leave echo cancellation on Automatic (Settings > Microphone > More mic settings): it turns on when it hears an echo.

Setting each friend's volume

Open the mixer (top right). Every friend has their own slider and mute, just for you.

When something goes wrong

Voice says "Reconnecting…"

Party Line is mending the call by itself; give it a few seconds. If it keeps happening, Settings > About > Show the connection log shows what happened, and you can send it with your feedback.

The server is down

The host's PC is off, asleep or restarting. Party Line connects again by itself when it's back.

Phones

The host sets up phones once (Settings > Hosting > Phones). After that, invites include a link for phones.