Frequently asked questions
General
What is OFF PLAY?
OFF PLAY is a free website of multiplayer and solo browser games made for office breaks, remote teams and friends. You can create a private room, invite people with a link and play classic games like Ludo, chess and a UNO-style card game together in real time.
Is OFF PLAY free?
Yes. Every game is free to play. OFF PLAY is supported by a small number of non-intrusive ads that never appear during a live multiplayer match.
Do I need to download anything?
No. OFF PLAY runs in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone. Multiplayer rooms need a free Google sign-in so friends can see who they're playing with and your match history is saved.
How do I play with coworkers?
Pick a multiplayer game, press Create room and share the invite link or the six-character room code in your team chat. Everyone who opens the link joins the lobby, and the host starts the game.
Can we run an office tournament?
Yes. Create a tournament, choose a game and share the invite link. When registration closes, OFF PLAY builds a knockout bracket. Each match runs in its own room, and winners move on automatically.
What are teams?
Teams are persistent groups, such as your department or friend group. Members can see each other, start team rooms and tournaments, and compare results on the team leaderboard.
Which games can I play alone?
Solo time-killers include Sudoku, Maze Runner, Spot the Difference, 2048, Minesweeper, Snake, Word Guess and Reaction Time. Type Racer and Memory Flip can also be played solo.
Is my game history saved?
Yes. When you're signed in, every finished match and solo score is saved to your profile with the date, players, scores and placement.
Games
How many players can play Ludo on OFF PLAY?
Between 2 and 4 players. With 2 players you take opposite colours, as in the classic board game.
Do I need a six to start?
Yes. A token can only leave the yard on a roll of 6, and the six then gives you a bonus roll.
Is online Ludo free?
Yes. Every game on OFF PLAY is free to play in your browser, with no download.
Is this the official UNO game?
No. This is an original card game with UNO-style rules, built for playing with coworkers in a browser. UNO is a trademark of Mattel.
How is scoring calculated?
Number cards count their face value, action cards count 20 and wild cards count 50. The winner scores the total left in every other hand.
What happens with Reverse in a 2-player game?
With two players, Reverse works like Skip, so you play again.
Which time controls are available?
3, 5, 10 and 30 minutes per player, or untimed.
Are all chess rules supported?
Yes: castling, en passant, under-promotion, check, checkmate, stalemate, insufficient material, threefold repetition and the fifty-move rule.
How is WPM calculated?
Words per minute is the number of characters typed correctly divided by five, divided by the minutes elapsed.
Can I race alone?
Yes. Start a room on your own to practise and set personal bests.
How many rounds are there?
The host picks 1 to 5 rounds. In each round, every player draws once.
Do I need a touchscreen?
No. A mouse, trackpad, pen or finger all work on the canvas.
Can I play Memory Flip alone?
Yes. Solo games count your moves, so you can try to clear the board in as few flips as possible.
Who goes first?
The room host plays red and goes first. In a rematch, the other player starts.
What happens in a draw?
A drawn game scores nothing and the series continues until someone reaches the winning total or every game has been played.
Does every puzzle have a single solution?
Yes. Each puzzle is checked by a solver before you see it to make sure there's exactly one solution.
Is there always a way out?
Yes. Generated mazes are 'perfect': every cell can be reached and there's exactly one route between any two points.
Do the pictures repeat?
Scenes are generated from a large set of illustrated parts, so every round has a new layout and new differences.
Can I keep playing after 2048?
Yes. Keep going for 4096 and beyond. Your score counts every merge.
Is the first click always safe?
Yes. Mines are placed after your first click, away from it.
Does the snake speed up?
Yes. The snake moves a little faster with every few pieces of food.
Can I play more than once a day?
Yes. Play as many rounds as you like.
What's a good reaction time?
Most people average between 200 and 300 ms. Under 200 ms is excellent.