If you are searching for exactly how to play with friends Airport Security Sucks, the short answer is to launch the game, select "Host Game" from the main menu, set your lobby type to "Friends Only," and use the Steam Overlay (Shift+Tab) to invite your squad directly.
However, because the hit indie title from developers JakeHub and Metater just launched its full 1.0 version on June 5, 2026, the servers are currently chaotic. Players are running into invite bugs, Error Code 51, and proximity chat failures. The jump from the wildly popular demo to the full $7.99 Steam release brought a massive influx of players, breaking the peer-to-peer matchmaking for many. This guide breaks down the exact network workarounds, optimal lobby settings, and voice control configurations you need to get your party onto the tarmac and bypass the server headaches.
How to Play With Friends Airport Security Sucks: The Quick Setup
The game relies on a peer-to-peer (P2P) networking model, meaning one player's PC acts as the server for the entire lobby. The developers at Jatater Worldwide have stated that you can create lobbies "as large as your PC can handle," which is a double-edged sword. If the host has a weak CPU or poor upload speed, the physics engine—which tracks hundreds of NPC air travelers and explosive distractions—will buckle.
To ensure a stable connection, follow this exact sequence to get your lobby running:
- Appoint the Strongest Host: Choose the friend with the best CPU and hardwired ethernet connection to act as the lobby host.
- Navigate to Host Game: From the main menu, select Host Game rather than using the server browser.
- Select the Map: Choose your starting map. Terminal A and Baggage Claim are the most stable for large groups, while the new Hijacked airplane map is better for smaller, intimate social deduction sessions.
- Set Lobby Privacy: Toggle the lobby setting from "Public" to "Friends Only." This prevents random players from filling your slots while you wait for your party.
- Send Steam Invites: Do not rely on the in-game invite button, which is currently bugged in the Unity 6 build. Instead, press Shift+Tab to open the Steam Overlay, right-click your friends' names, and select Invite to Game.
Infographic: Step-by-step guide on how to play with friends Airport Security Sucks, showing the lobby setup process.
Once everyone is in the pre-game lobby, the host can adjust the maximum player count. If you are playing with a massive Discord group, you can push the slider past 16 players, but be prepared for physics desyncs when the souped-up segways start colliding with the baggage carousels.
Troubleshooting How to Play With Friends Airport Security Sucks
If you followed the steps above and your friends still cannot connect, you are likely running into one of the three major launch-week bugs. The transition from the viral demo phase to the 1.0 release left a lot of digital debris in players' Steam libraries.
The "Error Code 51" and Demo Conflict
The most common reason players cannot join a private lobby is a version mismatch. The developers took the demo down on June 3rd at noon EST to prepare for the June 5th full release. If your friend still has the old demo installed, or if they tried to launch the game via a desktop shortcut pointing to the old executable, Steam will throw Error Code 51.
The Fix: Every player must completely uninstall the demo from their Steam library. Navigate to your library, right-click the demo, select Manage, and click Uninstall. Then, ensure everyone has purchased and installed the full $7.99 version. Finally, verify the integrity of the game files by right-clicking the full game, going to Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files.
The "0 Servers on Public List" Bug
Many players report that the public server browser is completely empty, leading them to believe the multiplayer is broken. This is a master server timeout issue caused by the sheer volume of players trying to ping the Jatater Worldwide backend simultaneously.
The Fix: Ignore the server browser entirely. As long as you are hosting a "Friends Only" lobby and using the Steam Overlay (Shift+Tab) to send direct P2P connection requests, you bypass the master server directory entirely.
Comic Grid: Troubleshooting connection errors and audio bugs.
Best Settings for How to Play With Friends Airport Security Sucks
Once you have successfully connected, the next challenge is balancing the asymmetric gameplay. Airport Security Sucks! is fundamentally a game of cat-and-mouse between power-tripping TSA Agents and desperate Smugglers.
Because the TSA toolkit is hilariously overpowered, the game falls apart if you split the teams 50/50. The optimal lobby balance is 1 TSA Agent for every 4 Smugglers. This forces the TSA player to rely on crowd control and voice commands, rather than just brute-forcing arrests.
The Asymmetric Loadouts
Understanding the loadouts is critical for setting up your lobby rules.
| Role | Primary Objective | Key Tools & Gadgets | Win Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSA Agent | Apprehend smugglers | Butt-searching parrot, K9 unit, Souped-up segways, FGM-148 Javelin | Arrest all player smugglers before takeoff |
| Smuggler | Board the plane | Contraband, Explosive distractions, Boofing mechanics | Successfully board the plane undetected |
Playing as the TSA: The TSA Agent toolkit is a comedic escalation of force. You aren't just patting people down; you are commanding a butt-searching parrot that can autonomously flag suspicious NPCs. You ride souped-up segways to close the distance across the terminal. And when a smuggler inevitably makes a run for the departure gates, you have access to an FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile. Firing a Javelin inside a crowded baggage claim is exactly the kind of dark humor that earned this game its "Very Positive" Steam rating.
Playing as a Smuggler: Smugglers play a tense game of stealth. You must collect contraband, pack it creatively, or resort to the game's infamous "boofing" mechanic to bypass the scanners. Because you look identical to the NPC air travelers, your best defense is acting like a mindless AI. When that fails, collaborating with other smugglers to detonate explosive distractions on the opposite side of the checkpoint is your only ticket onto the plane.
Annotated Diagram: TSA Agent vs Smuggler tools and weapons.
Fixing Proximity Chat and Voice Control Commands
Airport Security Sucks! is a social deduction party game at its core. If your microphone isn't working, you are missing half the experience. Furthermore, the game features authoritative voice commands that allow TSA agents to control the crowd and direct the problematic K9 unit using their actual voice (with support for 13 different languages).
If your proximity chat or voice commands are failing, the issue almost always stems from how the Unity 6 engine interacts with Windows.
- Set Windows Default Device: Unity 6 games often ignore Steam's microphone settings and pull directly from Windows. Press the Windows key, type "Sound Settings," scroll down to "More sound settings," and click the Recording tab. Right-click your actual headset microphone and select Set as Default Communication Device.
- Adjust the In-Game Threshold: If the K9 dog is ignoring your voice commands, your mic threshold is likely too high. Go to the game's audio settings and lower the voice activation threshold. Conversely, if background noise is triggering false arrests, switch your setting from Open Mic to Push-to-Talk.
- Language Support: If you are playing in a non-English lobby, ensure you have selected your spoken language in the gameplay settings. The voice recognition engine needs to know whether to listen for "Attack!" or "¡Ataca!"
Analysis Report Poster: Optimal player ratios and win rates for TSA vs Smugglers.
The "Hijacked" Mode: Social Deduction at 30,000 Feet
If your friend group gets tired of the chaotic physics sandbox of the main terminal maps, you need to load up the new Hijacked mode. Added specifically for the June 5th 1.0 release, this mode shifts the gameplay entirely.
Instead of a sprawling airport, Hijacked takes place inside the claustrophobic cabin of a commercial airliner mid-flight. The smugglers have already made it onto the plane, and their goal is to discreetly take over the flight. The TSA agents (now acting as Air Marshals) must use proximity chat, interrogations, and social deduction to figure out who the player-controlled smugglers are before the plane is compromised.
This mode requires a minimum of 5 players to function properly and relies entirely on proximity chat. If you want to ruin friendships in the same vein as Among Us or Lethal Company, Hijacked is the definitive way to play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Airport Security Sucks cross-platform? Currently, the game is PC-only, available exclusively on Microsoft Windows via Steam. There is no console crossplay or Mac support at this time.
How many players can join a single lobby? The developers have unlocked the player cap, stating you can host as many players as your PC can handle. For a standard peer-to-peer connection on a modern gaming rig, you can comfortably host 16 to 24 players before network desync and physics lag become unplayable.
Can I still play the free demo with my friends? No. The developers permanently removed the demo from Steam on June 3rd, 2026, to prepare for the full launch. You and your friends must purchase the full game to play together.
Why is the K9 dog ignoring my voice commands? The voice recognition software requires clear audio. Ensure your microphone is set as the Default Communication Device in Windows, and check that you are speaking one of the 13 supported languages selected in your gameplay options menu.