The best two player mobile games for long distance are the ones that fit both of your schedules. If you can play at the same time, a live game (pool, a co-op puzzle over a call, a card game) feels closest to sitting at the same table. If your hours or time zones don't line up, pick a turn-based game or an asynchronous duel: each of you plays when you can, and the game keeps the match open. Below are six kinds of two player games, a well-known example of each, and a table to find the one that suits you.
The real question: live or taking turns?
Before picking a game, ask yourselves one thing: can you both be free at the same moment?
- Live (synchronous): you play together, at the same time, often on a call. It's the closest thing to a shared evening, but you need to book a slot.
- Asynchronous: you each play on your own time. The game saves the match and tells you when it's your turn. It's the go-to for friends with clashing shifts and long distance couples a few time zones apart.
Plenty of pairs end up mixing both: an asynchronous game to stay in touch all week, and a live one for the Sunday call.
1. Turn-based word games
The long distance classic. Scrabble-style rules, with a match that can stretch over days: you play your word, your opponent answers when they get a minute. Words With Friends, from Zynga, is the best-known example of the format.
Best for: pairs who like to take their time, and people on opposite schedules.
2. Chess and board games online
Chess works beautifully at a distance. Big platforms such as Chess.com and Lichess offer correspondence games, where each player has days per move, alongside live quick games. Several well-known board games also have app versions with online play, such as Ticket to Ride (Days of Wonder).
Best for: fans of pure strategy who want a regular opponent.
3. Puzzle duels on the same board
Here you don't share one board in turns: you each play the same board, then compare scores. That's how duels work in our own game, Zertyzzle, the crystal-merging puzzle, which we're building at Djoox Studio. Whoever plays first sets the score to beat; the other has three days to answer. Nobody can blame luck, because both players get exactly the same crystals.
It suits busy pairs, since a match only takes a few minutes. If you're after this kind of game more broadly, our guide to free puzzle games for mobile walks through the main families (merge, match 3, logic, words and more).
Best for: competitive types, five-minute breaks, and anyone who loves a rematch.
4. Trivia duels
General knowledge quizzes make a great friendly challenge: each of you answers your set of questions, then the game compares. Trivia Crack, from Etermax, is one of the best-known games in this format.
Best for: people who like learning while they play, and families spread across several cities.
5. Co-op puzzles on two devices
A newer family: each player installs the game on their own device and sees different clues. You have to talk, on a voice call, to make progress. Tick Tock: A Tale for Two (Other Tales Interactive) and The Past Within (Rusty Lake) are two well-known examples; in the second one, one player is in the past and the other in the future.
Best for: long distance couples looking for a proper evening together over the phone.
6. Live games: pool, cards and group nights
For head-to-head adrenaline, real-time games do the job: 8 Ball Pool (Miniclip) for pool, online card games, or Among Us (Innersloth) when the pair turns into a group of friends.
Best for: people who can meet at a set time and like short, intense matches.
Table: which long distance two player game should you pick?
| Type of game | Pace | Length of a match | Online at the same time? | Well-known example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turn-based words | Asynchronous | Several days | No | Words With Friends |
| Correspondence chess | Asynchronous or live | Minutes to days | No (correspondence mode) | Chess.com, Lichess |
| Puzzle duel, same board | Asynchronous | A few minutes, 3 days to answer | No | Zertyzzle (our game) |
| Trivia duel | Asynchronous | A few minutes | No | Trivia Crack |
| Co-op puzzle | Live | An evening | Yes, with a call | Tick Tock, The Past Within |
| Pool, cards, group games | Live | A few minutes | Yes | 8 Ball Pool, Among Us |
How to choose: 5 things to check
- Your schedules: shifted hours or different time zones point to an asynchronous game.
- Voice calls: co-op puzzles only make sense while you talk; asynchronous duels work fine without.
- Your free time: a duel or a quiz fits in a coffee break, a co-op puzzle needs an evening.
- Fairness: if one of you plays far more than the other, favour a game where skill in the moment matters more than accumulated progress, such as a duel on an identical board.
- Connection: every long distance game needs the internet to exchange moves or scores. Some, like Zertyzzle, send your score as soon as the network comes back if you lost it mid-duel.
Playing long distance with Zertyzzle
Here's exactly how a duel works in our game:
- Add each other as friends with your 6-character friend code, shared by message (up to 100 friends). When the friend you invited finishes level 10, you both get stardust and Hammers.
- Start a duel: the first player sets the score, the other has 3 days to beat it. The game shows a win, a loss or a draw, and offers a rematch. You can run up to 10 duels at once.
- Compare every week on the friends ranking of the Weekly Rift, the same challenge for everyone.
- Invent a level in the editor, then send its short code to your partner so they can try it.
- Gift each other cards: duplicate cards can be given to friends, up to 5 a day.
All of these modes are covered on our page about puzzle games to play with friends on your phone and in the Zertyzzle game modes guide. If your duo mostly enjoys a good think, see our picks of brain games for adults too.
Zertyzzle is free and coming soon to Android and iPhone. It is supported by ads: no ad ever interrupts a level, and the optional Zertyzzle Club subscription removes forced ads.
Frequently asked questions
What two player phone game works when we're never free at the same time?
An asynchronous one: a turn-based word game, correspondence chess, a trivia duel or a puzzle duel on the same board. Each of you plays when you like, and the match stays open for days.
What are good games for long distance couples on the phone?
For an evening together, a co-op puzzle on two devices played over a voice call. To stay in touch day to day, an asynchronous game you can pass back and forth several times a day.
Do both players need the same kind of phone?
Usually not. Check the store listing to make sure the game exists on both systems (Android and iPhone) and that players on each can play together.
Can you play two player games long distance without internet?
No: you need a connection to exchange moves or scores. Some games do let you play your turn offline and send the result later, like Zertyzzle duels.
In a Zertyzzle duel, do we play at the same time?
No. You each play exactly the same board on your own; the first player sets the score and the other has 3 days to beat it.