For friends who keep meaning to catch up
Keep your friends close. One move at a time.
Simple Games With Friends turns "we should catch up" into something you actually do. Tiny turn-based games give you a reason to say hello every day: make a move, send a message, and the conversation keeps going.
Android now. iPhone coming soon.
Sam
Four in a Row · your turn
Sam played column 4
Blocked you 😏 Also, did you ever finish that book?
Friendships rarely end. They drift.
Nobody decides to lose touch. Life gets busy, the group chat goes quiet, and after a few months a simple "hey, how are you?" starts to feel like a big deal.
Friendships don't need a big catch-up to survive. They need small, easy reasons to say hello, often. A game is a good reason.
How it works
Make a move, send a message.
Each turn is a natural moment to check in. No planning, no "are you free this week?"
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1
Invite a friend
Show them a QR code when you're together, or send a link when you're not. No usernames to search for and no strangers. Only people you actually know.
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2
Make a move
A turn takes seconds. Play when you have a minute, and your friend plays when they do. You never have to be online at the same time.
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3
Send a message
Add a note to your move with one tap. "Nice try." "How did the interview go?" The game gives you the excuse. The conversation is what matters.
"The games are the excuse to talk. The conversation is the point."
The idea everything here is built around.
Built for friendship
A small, quiet place for the people you care about.
Friends only
No public profiles, no matchmaking with strangers, no feed to scroll. Only the people you invite can find you.
At your own pace
Turn-based play fits around real life. A game can take one evening or a whole week, and that's fine.
Works without signal
Make your move on the train or on a plane. It's sent as soon as you're back online.
Private by default
Your games and messages are seen only by the people playing. Nothing is posted anywhere else.
Fair, every move
Every move is checked twice, once on your phone and once on our server, so a win is a real win.
Small on purpose
We aren't trying to keep you in the app. A minute of play and a message to a friend is a good day.
The games
Quick to learn, quick to play, easy to talk over.
19 games, ready now. Play one-on-one with any friend, or start a Circle for your group. Every game has a short how-to-play, so nobody has to look up the rules.
Four in a Row
Drop a piece, line up four, and watch out for the trap your friend set three moves ago. A game you can explain in one sentence and still be thinking about at lunch.
Quick games
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Tic-Tac-Toe
The one everyone knows, plus Ultimate: nine boards in one.
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Dots and Boxes
Close a box and go again. Just don't hand over the long chain.
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Gomoku
Five in a row on a big grid. Easy to learn, surprisingly deep.
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War
Flip a card, high card wins. All luck, no stress.
Old favorites
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Checkers
Jump and crown your way across the board. Jumps are compulsory, as in the US rules.
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Reversi
Trap your friend's pieces to flip them. The lead can change on the last move.
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Mancala
Sow stones around the board and capture your friend's. Kalah or Oware rules.
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Nine Men's Morris
Make lines of three to take pieces. People have played it for 2,000 years.
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Hex
Join your two sides of the board. There's always a winner.
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Lines of Action
Pull all your pieces into one group. The more pieces on a line, the farther they move.
Race and chase
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Chinese Checkers
Hop your marbles across the star. Up to six players in a Circle.
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Halma
Jump your pieces into the far corner before your friend does.
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Fox and Geese
One fox against a flock of geese. Each side plays a different game.
Skill shots
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Pool
Eight-ball with real spin: follow, draw, english and massé. Your friend watches every shot play out.
Chess from around the world
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Chess
The classic, with castling, en passant, and every draw rule.
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Hnefatafl
Viking chess. Help the king escape, or trap him.
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Xiangqi
Chinese chess, with cannons, a river, and a palace.
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Shogi
Japanese chess, where captured pieces switch sides.
Coming next
Cards and dice
Yacht, Farkle, Crazy Eights, and Gin Rummy, then Hearts and Liar's Dice for your Circle.
A daily puzzle
One small puzzle a day that everyone in your Circle shares, with results posted to your chat.
Conversation games
Guess where your friend is from a quick photo, or where they'd rank "a first date" between awkward and perfect. These games get you asking "wait, why?"
Circle seasons
Monthly leagues inside your own Circle, with standings, a champion, and bragging rights.
Questions
- Do we have to play at the same time?
- No. Games are turn-based. Make your move whenever you like, and your friend gets their turn when they open the app.
- Can strangers find me or challenge me?
- No. You connect only with people who scan your QR code or open your invite link. There's no search, no public profile, and no matchmaking.
- Which phones does it work on?
- Android right now. iPhone is on the way.
- What if I don't have signal?
- Keep playing. Your moves and messages are saved on your phone and sent the next time you're online.
I'm interested
Leave your email and we'll let you know when the app opens up, and when new games arrive. No spam, and we never share it.
Who have you been meaning to text?
Send them a game. It's easier than a catch-up call, and it might just lead to one.
We're testing with friends on Android right now
Got an invite link from a friend? Open it on your phone and it'll walk you through getting set up. iPhone is on the way.