Free games to play with friends online, no download needed

Play games with friends online, no download or account

Sometimes the person you want to play with is across town, or across the world. PlayTrova lets you play a friend online straight from your web browser: no app to download, no account to create and no friend list to manage. You send a link, they open it, and the game starts on both screens.

It works on phones, tablets and computers, so a grandparent on a laptop can play a grandchild on a tablet. Twelve of our games can be played online, all of them turn-based: classic board games, a card-matching game and dice games.

How online play works: send an invite link

1. Open a game, for example Four in a Row, and choose vs Friend.
2. If the game has different boards or versions, pick one first. The person who sends the invite chooses, and the board stays the same for the whole online session.
3. Tap Invite with a link. You'll see a six-character room code, a QR code and the invite link.
4. Tap Copy or Share link and send it however you like: a text message, an email or the chat in your video call app. If your friend is in the same room, they can simply scan the QR code.
5. Keep the page open. When your friend opens the link, the game starts on both screens.

Each invite opens a fresh room, so next time just send a new link. When a game ends, tap Play again for a rematch, and the other player goes first.

Safe online games for kids: no chat, no accounts

Online play is built for families, so it's kept deliberately simple:

• Browser to browser: your two devices connect directly to each other (peer-to-peer). A free public connection service only helps them find each other using the room code.
• No accounts and no names: nobody signs up and no nickname is shared. Your friend just sees your avatar.
• No chat: apart from game moves, the only things you can send are six emoji reactions (👋 👏 😂 😮 😅 🔥). There's no way to type a message.
• No strangers: there's no public matchmaking. You only play with someone you've sent your link or room code to.
• Fair dice: in Lucky Lanterns and Race Home, both players always see exactly the same rolls, because they come from a shared random seed.

You'll need a modern browser such as Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox.

Which games can you play online with friends?

These twelve games work with an invite link. Online games are always one against one, even in games that allow more players on a single device.

• Four in a Row: drop discs and line up four. Quick to learn and easy to follow on a video call.
• Checkers: the classic jumping game, on the standard 8×8 board or the 6×6 Quick board.
• Sea Battle: hunt the hidden fleet. Each of you keeps your own ships on your own screen.
• Tic-Tac-Toe Plus: 3×3, 4×4 or the nine-board Ultimate version.
• Race Home: the Ludo-style dice race. Roll a 6 to get out, capture tokens and race them home.
• Lucky Lanterns: a push-your-luck dice race to 100, full of "one more roll!" moments.
• Mancala: sow seeds, chain free turns and fill your store.
• Memory Match: flip cards to find pairs. Watch your friend's flips too!
• Reversi: flip discs and fight for the corners.
• Dots & Boxes: draw lines, close boxes and steal the chain.
• Five in a Row: line up five stones on an 11×11 or 15×15 board.
• Tilt Four: four in a row, but each player can tilt the whole board once.

You'll find them all in online games with friends. Brush up first with our guides to Checkers, Sea Battle strategy and Four in a Row strategy.

Tips for a great online game night over a video call

Playing while you can see and hear each other is the next best thing to sitting at the same table. A few simple habits make it go smoothly:

• Use two screens if you can. Run the video call on one device and the game on another, for example the call on a laptop and the game on a tablet, so the game page stays open.
• Start with something quick. A round of Tic-Tac-Toe Plus or Four in a Row warms everyone up before a longer game of Checkers or Race Home.
• Explain the rules while you wait. Every game page has a short "how to play" section you can read out while your friend opens the link.
• Swap who sends the invite. The person who invites picks the game and the board, so take turns choosing.
• Use the reactions. A 👏 for a clever move or a 😅 after a near miss adds to the fun, even when you can hear each other.
• Got more than two players? Online games are one against one, so run a mini tournament: winner stays on, or play several pairs at once on different devices.

Playing together on one device instead

Sitting side by side? You don't need a link at all. Every PlayTrova game has a vs Friend mode for one phone, tablet or computer. In the turn-based games, choose On this device and take turns.

Four of our games are fast, real-time games, so they're played on one device only:

• Puck Duel: air hockey for two, with half the screen each. A tablet lying flat on a table works best.
• Snap Duel: a reflex game for 2 to 4 players. A new rule every round, and the fastest correct tap wins.
• Math Race: the same sum for everyone, and the first right answer scores. Also for 2 to 4 players.
• Turbo Trails: a two-player race, split side by side on a laptop or facing each other on a tablet.

On a laptop, two players can share the keyboard in all four (in Puck Duel, one of you uses the mouse). Same-device play is also how more people join in: Dots & Boxes, Memory Match and Race Home take up to 4 players, and Lucky Lanterns up to 6. See all the arcade games and 2 player games.

No friend online right now? Play the computer

If your friend isn't free, every game has a vs Computer mode with four characters: Rookie Robo (easy), Clever Cat, Sly Fox and Grandmaster Owl (expert). Beat each one to earn its star, then show your friend what you've learned next time.

Browse all games vs the computer, or see our pick of the best 2 player games for kids.

Frequently asked questions