Sports games are the easiest two-player games to explain. Everyone already knows the rules. The ball must not touch your floor. The puck must not cross your line. That is why they work so well with a friend who does not play games. You sit down, pick a side and start. Every game below runs in the browser with nothing to install. The first six are our own.
Volleyball with one button
Spike! is a volleyball duel between two springy slimes. Move left and right, and jump. That is the whole control set. If the ball touches the floor on your side, your rival scores. First to five wins. The ball takes on your momentum, so a standing bump pops it up gently and a running jump turns it into a spike. The top of the net is a real edge, and lucky net-rollers are part of the game.
One-on-one basketball
Basket Duel is a full game of basketball on one screen. Two hoops, one ball, no referee. Shots inside the arc are worth two points. Anything past the dashed line is worth three. A seven-second shot clock stops anyone from stalling. You can steal, block a shot in the air, or drive to the rim and dunk. First to eleven wins.
A penalty shootout you can bluff
Penalty Kicks is five kicks a side, then sudden death. The twist is that the kicker aims in plain sight. A glowing crosshair moves around the goal, and the keeper can watch it until the instant of the kick. So every kick is a bluff. Park your aim in one corner, wait for the keeper to lean, then flick across. A power bar trades speed for accuracy, and a full-power blast can miss the goal completely. Our Penalty Kicks guide covers the mind games.
Air hockey on a glowing table
Neon Hockey is an arcade air-hockey table. Two paddles, one slippery puck, first to seven goals. Your paddle passes its speed into every hit. A gentle touch sends a slow rebound. A full charge sends a screamer off the side wall. Each player owns one half of the rink, so nobody can camp in front of your goal.
Rowing with two keys
Scull is a rowing race. Your two keys are your two oars. Press them in turn at a steady beat and the boat flies. Break the beat and the blade slips, which costs almost half a second. A match is five short heats, first to three. One tank of strength has to last all of them, so the rower who sprints the first heat often loses the fourth.
Curling on a table
1–2PCasualButton
Closest stone to the button takes the end — and the last stone alternates.
▶ Play NowButton is curling, turn by turn. Drag back from your stone and let go. A dotted line shows exactly where it will stop. Each player throws three stones per end. Closest to the centre takes the end. The last stone swaps sides every end, which keeps it fair. It is the calmest game on this page.
Two more from the catalogue
Volley Bean is a lighter take on volleyball, with cute beans and short rallies. The publisher says boosts spawn at random, so a beginner can still steal points. It is a good warm-up before Spike!.
Head Soccer Arena is football, and the publisher says two players can play matches on the same device. The left player moves with W/A/S/D and shoots with F. The right player moves with the arrow keys and shoots with K.
Which one tonight?
If your partner never plays games, start with Button. It is turn-based, so slow hands cannot lose a round. Penalty Kicks is a good second game, because it rewards a good bluff more than fast fingers. If you both want to shout, play Spike! or Neon Hockey. If you want a real contest of skill, Basket Duel has the most to learn. And if you only have five minutes, a Scull regatta can be over in three heats.
Can we play on one phone?
Some of them. Neon Hockey and Spike! split the phone into two halves, with a stick under each thumb. Scull is a tap on your half of the screen. Button is turn-based, so you pass the phone. Penalty Kicks and Basket Duel need a keyboard for two players, because both of you press keys at the same moment. For two players, the two catalogue games give each player their own keys on one keyboard.
Every game of ours on this page has a computer opponent with three levels, so you can practise alone first. Want more? Browse the whole sports category, or read how two people share one keyboard. Rather use a mouse or a touchscreen? Our no-keyboard collection has two-player games for one mouse or one screen, including Soccer Duel.
