Play board games online with a friend
Every game here is for two players and runs in your browser. Start a game and send the link to the person you want to play with. You don't need an account, an email or an app.
13 board games from 12 parts of the world
- Chess India, by way of Persia. It was the first game on this site.
- Draughts France, twelfth century. It's played on a chessboard.
- Reversi England, 1883. Two men claimed to have invented it.
- Nine men's morris The Roman Empire. Its boards are scratched into Roman buildings that still stand.
- Four in a row United States, 1974. It's the newest game on this site.
- Dots and boxes France, 1889. A mathematician published it as a puzzle.
- Oware Ghana, the Akan. It's the most widely played mancala game in West Africa.
- Makruk Thailand. It's chess without the long-range queen and bishop.
- Hnefatafl Norse Scandinavia. The Vikings played it before chess reached them.
- Adugo Brazil, the Bororo. It's also called jogo da onça, the jaguar game.
- Dara Nigeria, the Dakarkari. It's played across much of the Sahel under other names.
- Fanorona Madagascar. Its full name is fanoron-tsivy, and it's played on nine by five points.
- Bagh-chal Nepal. The name bagh-chal means tiger moves.
Questions you might have
How do we play a board game online together?
One of you picks a game and starts it, and you get a link. Send it any way you like, by message or email, and whoever opens it plays against you. Neither of you has to fill anything in.
Do we need to download anything?
No. Every game runs in your browser, on a phone or a computer, so there's nothing to install.
Do we need accounts?
No. Neither of you signs up or gives a name, an email or a password. The link is all you need.
How many people can play?
Two. Every game here is for two players, and you take turns.
Is it free?
Yes. You don't pay anything, and there are no ads.
Which board games can we play?
Chess, draughts, reversi, nine men's morris, four in a row and dots and boxes, plus oware, makruk, hnefatafl, adugo, dara, fanorona and bagh-chal. That's thirteen games from twelve parts of the world, and the last seven are hard to find online anywhere else.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. We designed the boards for phones first, so it works fine if one of you is on a phone and the other on a laptop.
Do we have to finish in one sitting?
Mostly, yes. A game here only lasts while you both have it open, and we can't tell someone it's their turn once they've closed the tab. If you want to play over several days, use the chat site below.
Talk anonymously with strangers
You'll find the same thirteen games in the chat, next to your conversation. There, a game can run for days, because you move when you like. Play with people you know, or find someone who wants to play the same game.
You have to be 18 or over to chat. You don't need an account to play the games on this page.
