Games to play with a friend, online
Almost every “games with friends” product is really a games-with-strangers product that lets you invite people. The lobby is the main event and your friend is an option inside it.
Duelo is the other way round. You pick a person, and the games exist to give the two of you something to argue about. There's a Quick Battle button if you just want a game right now, but nothing to browse and nothing to queue for — the default is a friend, a game, and a score that has been running since the first time you played.
Pick by who you're playing
A friend …who is never online when you are
This is the hard one, and it's the reason most games with friends lapse. Use Anytime mode: you play, your score is stored, they beat it tomorrow. All five word games support it, and none of them need you both awake at once.
A friend …who is sitting right next to you
Go live, and pick something with a clock. The whole point of being in the same room is the noise people make when they lose.
A friend …who you'd rather not compete with at all
Some people don't want a rival, they want company. Co-op puts you both on one board with no turns and no loser.
A friend …who is much better than you at everything
Rating-based matchmaking can't help you here, because you picked this opponent on purpose. Pick a game where skill matters least, or one where you have the edge.
All ten, plainly
- Crossword Chaos — crossword race. Race a friend to crack cryptic clues.
- Word Chaser — word search race. Hunt themed words before a friend does.
- Cluster Clash — word grouping puzzle. Lock 4 hidden themes before your friend.
- Cipher Storm — five-letter word race. Crack five hidden words head-to-head.
- Path Pursuit — word trace grid. Trace words to claim the grid.
- Four in a Row — four-in-a-row board game. Line up four before your rival.
- Sudoku — co-op sudoku. Team up on one board, live.
- Bomb Pass — hot potato party game. Pass the bomb — don't hold it when it blows.
- Trapdoor Panic — hidden minefield game. Step careful — one tile drops you.
- Queens — co-op logic puzzle. Crown the board together.
The head-to-head record is the actual product
Every duel you finish against a specific person goes into a record against that person — per friend, per game, and it never resets. Not a global leaderboard you'll never place on. A number between you and one other human being.
That's the bit that makes people come back. A leaderboard says you're 40,000th. A head-to-head says you're 14–11 down to your brother, and that is intolerable.
Questions
What games can you play with a friend online for free?+
Duelo includes ten free 1v1 games: a crossword race, a word search, a word-grouping puzzle, a five-letter word race, a letter-trace grid, four in a row, co-op Sudoku, co-op Queens, and two live panic games. There is no subscription and nothing is locked.
What can I play with a friend in a different time zone?+
Anything in Anytime mode — the five word games. You complete a run, it's stored, and it's answered whenever the other person next opens the app. Neither of you needs to be online at the same moment for the result to count. Four in a Row, Bomb Pass and Trapdoor Panic need you both there, and Sudoku and Queens are co-op.
Do we both need to download the app?+
To keep a running head-to-head record, yes — the record has to belong to two accounts. Joining a live room someone has shared with you works from the link they send.
Is there a game two people can play together rather than against each other?+
Yes. Sudoku and Queens are co-operative: one shared board, no turns, both players filling it in live. They're the two games where you're on the same side.
What's a good game to play with a partner every day?+
Something short with a permanent record. A daily Anytime challenge takes a couple of minutes each and builds a head-to-head score that never resets, which is what turns it into a habit rather than a session.