Introduction

What is SteamNetworkLib?

SteamNetworkLib is a powerful C# wrapper library built on top of Steamworks.NET that dramatically simplifies Steam networking functionality for Unity games and applications. It provides a clean, intuitive API for common networking tasks that would otherwise require extensive boilerplate code and deep knowledge of the Steamworks API.

Why SteamNetworkLib?

Working directly with Steamworks.NET can be challenging and error-prone. Especially for Schedule 1 mods, where you need to manage both Mono and IL2CPP branches of Steamworks.NET. SteamNetworkLib addresses these pain points by providing:

🚀 Simplified API

• One-line operations for complex networking tasks
• Async/await support for modern C# development
• Intuitive method names that clearly express intent
• Comprehensive error handling with meaningful exceptions

🎯 Focused Functionality

• Lobby Management — Create, join, and manage Steam lobbies effortlessly
• Data Synchronization — Simple key-value data sharing between players
• P2P Communication — Reliable peer-to-peer messaging system
• Member Management — Track players and their data automatically

🔧 Developer-Friendly

• Extensive documentation with practical examples
• Full XML documentation for IntelliSense support
• MelonLoader optimized for modding scenarios

Key Features (at a glance)

• Lobby: CreateLobbyAsync, JoinLobbyAsync, GetLobbyMembers()
• Data: SetLobbyData, SetMyData, GetPlayerData
• P2P: RegisterMessageHandler<T>, SendMessageToPlayerAsync, BroadcastMessageAsync

See the dedicated guides for details:

• Lobby Management
• Data Synchronization
• P2P Messaging
• Events and Error Handling
• Recipes

Architecture Overview

SteamNetworkLib is designed with modularity and ease of use in mind:

SteamNetworkClient (Main Entry Point)
├── SteamLobbyManager (Lobby operations)
├── SteamLobbyData (Lobby-wide data)
├── SteamMemberData (Player-specific data)
└── SteamP2PManager (Peer-to-peer communication)

• SteamNetworkClient — Your main interface to all functionality
• SteamLobbyManager — Handles lobby creation, joining, and member management
• SteamLobbyData — Manages lobby-wide key-value data storage
• SteamMemberData — Manages per-player key-value data storage
• SteamP2PManager — Handles reliable message passing between players

Getting Started

Ready to dive in? Head over to the Getting Started guide to learn how to integrate SteamNetworkLib into your project in just a few minutes!