🔄 Guide

Pass-and-Play Games for iPhone: Play Together on One Device

Pass-and-play is the oldest form of mobile multiplayer and still the most reliable: one phone, two people, no server in between.

How it works

Turn-based games let one player move, then hand the phone to the other. Nothing needs to connect, both players can see the whole board, and the game can be paused for as long as you like. It suits board games, word games and anything else where turns are discrete.

Good candidates

• PlayCascade – two-player mode is pass-and-play on one iPhone, fully offline, with games short enough that nobody waits long. Rules in Rules.
• Chess and Go apps – almost all include a local board.
• Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne and other digital board games – pass-and-play on one device is standard in the good ports.
• Word games such as Words With Friends – pass-and-play mode works on any screen size.
• The Battle of Polytopia – a small 4X with hot-seat multiplayer for longer evenings.

What to check

1. Hidden information. Games where players hold secret cards need a "hand over" screen so the next player does not see the previous hand. Open-information games like Chain Reaction, chess or Othello avoid the problem entirely.
2. Orientation. Can both players read the board, or does one of them see it upside down? Turn-based games should simply be handed over.
3. Offline. Some local modes still want a login. Try airplane mode once.
4. Interruptions. An ad every time the phone changes hands is the fastest way to stop a game night. See Games Without Ads.
5. Turn length. Thirty-second turns keep the waiting player engaged; five-minute turns do not.

Who it is for

Couples on a sofa (Games for Couples), parents and kids at a restaurant (Kids & Families), and anyone who would rather play across a table than across a network. For a ranked list, see Two-Player Games on One iPhone.