Start a table
- Open bigboard.games in the browser on each phone or tablet: Safari and Chrome both work.
- Tap Start a table on one of them.
- Let the others join: on the same Wi-Fi they find the table by themselves; elsewhere, scan its QR code or type its four-letter code.
- Lay the devices flat, edge to edge and screens up, and pick a game.
Why the phones touch
Each device shows its own part of one board. Where two screens meet, the game carries on across the seam: an air hockey puck, a potato, a marble or a chess piece leaves one screen and comes in on the next at the same place. That is why the devices lie flat, screens up and edges touching. A phone beside a tablet works too, and most 2 player games on different phones play this way.
Some games don't need the devices to touch at all. In Islands, the dots game, every device shows the whole sheet and scrolls it on its own, so they can lie anywhere.
Wi-Fi, mobile data and a friend far away
The devices talk to each other directly. On the same Wi-Fi they find the table by themselves. On mobile data, or on a network that keeps devices apart, a secure relay connects them, and a match uses a little of your data allowance.
A friend who isn't in the room can join too, with the table's link or code. Their device shows the whole board or field, turned to them, and they play from there: they take a seat at the table's edge like everyone else, and in Tilt Run they ride along and watch the marble.
Any phone, no app
Any mix plays together: iPhone with Android, a phone with a tablet, two tablets. Everything runs in the browser, so there is nothing to install, no account to make and nothing to pay. You can add the site to your home screen if you like an icon; nobody has to.
One device, or more people than devices
Not everyone needs a device. Most games also play on one phone or tablet: two people share the screen, a turn or a zone each, and in 4 player snake or Whack-a-Mole four can share one tablet. Bots can fill empty seats in every game except Spillover.
Questions
Do the phones have to touch?
Yes, for most games: lay them flat, edge to edge and screens up, so the board runs across the seam. Islands is the exception, since every device shows the whole sheet.
Do the phones need the same Wi-Fi?
No, but one Wi-Fi is smoothest. On mobile data or on different networks, a secure relay connects them.
Do iPhone and Android play together?
Yes, any mix of iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets plays at one table, in a recent browser.
Can a friend in another place join?
Yes, with the table's link or its four-letter code. They see the whole board or field on their screen and play from there.
Do we need an app?
No, open bigboard.games in the browser on each device. It's free, and nobody signs up.