If you’re looking for free online games to play with friends, you’ve come to the right place. You can play these games for two people online locally, using the same computer, or even from totally different cities.
These online multiplayer games ask for little more than a browser window. For good, clean fun, they really can’t be beat.
Online Games to Play With Friends on the Same Computer
These two-player browser games have you facing off against a friend while you’re both using the same computer.
1. 8 Ball Billiards Classic
It might be called 8 Ball Billiards Classic (8BBC), but the game is actually just virtual pool. You play in turns, and have to pocket stripes or solids depending on which type you first sink into a hole. Although it’s a mouse-based game, it’s surprisingly easy to play on a laptop touchpad.
First, you have to line up the shot using the guideline indicators. Then, move the mouse to the strength meter, pulling back the stick to the desired amount of power you want to hit with. It’s one of the best free pool games to play with friends online.
- No sign-up necessary
- A maximum of two players
- Players play in turns
- Play with friends online, but on the same PC
2. Gunball!
Gunball is like soccer, only with guns. In this pixel-art game, you and your friend control two on-screen characters. Each has a gun and a goal post to protect, and there’s a big red ball in the middle. Shoot the ball into the opponent’s goal to score a point. The first to score five points wins.
As far as 1v1 browser games are concerned, this browser game is a great example of simplicity in game design. You’ll need to move around the screen rapidly to shoot and defend at the same time, and it’s a lot of fun to play with a pal.
- No sign-up necessary
- A maximum of two players
- Players play simultaneously
- Play with friends online, but on the same PC
3. Firefall
Comet-like fireballs are falling from the sky. You play as the blue or red square smiley on the ground. Move left and right to avoid being burnt to a crisp. Sounds easy, right? You might be surprised. It’s a lot of fun, in any case.
What makes it difficult is the two-player competition. Your opponent can’t go beyond you, so you need to use your character to push or block your opponent as a fireball rains down upon them. It’s a deliciously evil game, one of our favorite two-player online games to play when you’ve got a score to settle.
- No sign-up necessary
- A maximum of two players
- Players play simultaneously
- Play with friends online, but on the same PC
4. GravShift
Most two-player online games focus on a 1v1 dynamic. Instead, GravShift is one of those 1v1 browser games that forces you to team up wo solve physics-based puzzles. Each player controls an on-screen character, one with the W, S, A, D keys and the other with the arrow keys.
In each level, you’ll need to move the characters so that all buttons are pressed, opening the portal to the next level. There are also gravity inverting tiles where you can change your character’s gravity. It’s all about coordination and puzzle-solving as a team.
- No sign-up necessary
- A maximum of two players
- Players play simultaneously
- Play with friends online, but on the same PC
5. Money Movers
Not all two-player games online are simple. In Money Movers, you play as two brothers who have to staging a jailbreak. Each level takes you further out of prison as you use the abilities of each brother to solve the puzzle and get to the exit.
The big burly brother can pick up and throw objects, but is less agile than the younger one. The little brother is fast and can jump high. Using a combination of their abilities, you’ll need to flip switches, avoid or incapacitate guards, and think of clever ways to get out of a variety of jams.
Some levels are quite tough, and you and your friend will have a great time trying to figure them out. As they say, two heads are better than one.
Plus, once you’re done with the game, there are two sequels to enjoy. Check out Money Movers 2 and Money Movers 3 if you can’t get enough.
- No sign-up necessary
- A maximum of two players
- Players play simultaneously
- Play with friends online, but on the same PC
6. Pong 2
Pong 2 is an online recreation of the classic game, Pong. Each player controls one paddle on opposite sides of the screen as the ball zips back and forth in between. Pong 2 is one of the best online Pong games because of how customizable its settings are.
You can change the ball speed and the paddle speed for both players; we recommend 15-20 for the ball speed, and 10 for the paddle speed. You can also change the background and the color of the paddles.
Simply set an objective of points to declare the winner, and begin playing. One player controls themselves with the up and down arrow keys, while the other uses W and S.
- Sign-up unnecessary
- A maximum of two players
- Players play simultaneously
- Play with friends online on the same PC
Online Games to Play With Friends on Different Computers
These games let you face off against your friends online while using different computers.
7. Battleship Online
There are plenty of ways to play online Battleship for free, but this one is our favorite. The rules stay the same as always. Invite your friend by sending a link, set up your 10×10 grids with different battleships, declare that you’re ready, and begin.
Click anywhere on your friend’s grid to try to sink their battleships; you can keep playing until one of you is out of ships. If you don’t have a friend online, you’re also able to play a random game with a stranger. There are always people online looking for a quick game.
- No sign-up necessary
- A maximum of two players
- Players play in turns
- Play with friends online on different computers
8. Lichess
If you want to engage in a battle of wits, there is nothing like 1v1 browser games based on chess. Lichess is perhaps the best browser chess game to choose if you want to quickly jump into a game with a real person without even signing up.
The graphics are pleasing to the eye, and you can try different time intervals. Plus, there’s a chatroom, game modes (like Chess960, Antichess, and King of the Hill), and even an analysis board. Our favorite feature is that you can request to take back a move, which is wonderful when playing a game between friends.
- No sign-up necessary
- A maximum of two players
- Players play in turns
- Play with friends online on different computers
9. Speed Sudoku
Sudoku is a fun brainteaser, and it’s one of our favorite games for two people online. That’s what Speed Sudoku is all about. Who would have thought that you can play Sudoku with friends online over the internet?
Sign up and create a new game or join an existing one. You can have a maximum of four players, but you can also play between just the two of you, even password-protecting your game to keep it private. While you’re solving, you will also see the other players’ progress in terms of percentage, which keeps your competitive engine running.
- Sign-up necessary
- A maximum of four players
- Players play simultaneously
- Play with friends online on different computers
10. Ludo King
The old board game Ludo has turned into an internet phenomenon, and Ludo King is the best app to play it on.
It features a number of ways to play with friends. You play locally, on the same computer, or play with friends on a different computer or mobile app. You can even be on a browser while your friends use the Ludo King app.
Ludo is a simple dice-based game; you’ll pick up the rules in no time. The objective is to get your four pins from the starting point to your “house.” Along the way, you’ll kill friends’ pins by landing on the same square they’re on, avoiding their attempts to get you.
On a browser, you can only play Ludo King through Facebook. You’ll need a Facebook account, which also lets you find friends on the social network who are also playing the game. You can also invite friends using the app who aren’t on Facebook, too.
- Facebook account necessary
- A maximum of four players
- Players play simultaneously
- Play with friends online on different computers, or play with friends locally
11. JigsawPuzzles.io
Many of these 1v1 browser games are awfully competitive. How about solving a giant jigsaw puzzle online with a friend?
JigsawPuzzles.io offers a variety of puzzles to choose from, and it’s easy to set up and use. To start your own private session, you’ll need to log in with your Google, Facebook, or Twitter account. Then, you get to choose the type of puzzle (nature, animal, street art, or anything else), the size (how many pieces it will have?), and who can help you solve it.
Once it’s set up, send the link to your friends and begin; there’s also a handy text chat within the game to talk live. Drag and drop pieces into the puzzle with your mouse—JigsawPuzzles.io assigns each player a different color to keep track of the moving hands. The game also automatically saves progress in case you have to stop midway and come back to it later.
We aren’t sure how many people can try to solve the online jigsaw puzzle simultaneously, but in our tests, up to three friends could play smoothly at the same time.
- Best with sign-up, but can play without sign-up too
- At least three players
- Players play simultaneously
- Play with friends online on different computers
The Best Free Browser Games to Kill Time
This is a solid list of brilliant multiplayer games you can play online with friends. Even if you’re hitting it solo, you’ll still be able to enjoy many of these selections either alone or with a stranger.
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