The board fits in a phone
There are three ways to play a board or card game on Android and they suit completely different evenings. Pass and play puts everyone around one phone, which is the closest thing to the real table. Live online needs everyone free at the same time. Asynchronous play lets a game run for a week with one move each day, and it is the format that actually survives adult schedules. Knowing which a game supports matters more than how good the game is.
Three ways to play, and who they suit
| Mode | What it needs | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Pass and play on one phone | Everyone in the same room | A table with no board on it |
| Live online | Everyone free at once | A scheduled games night |
| Asynchronous, a move at a time | Nothing but notifications | Friends in other time zones |
| Against the computer | Nothing | Learning the rules without embarrassment |
| Local network or Bluetooth | Two devices nearby | A journey with no data |
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The games
The largest chess community online, with puzzles, lessons and games that can run at a move a day. The default choice unless you object to accounts.
The free and open alternative, with no paid tier at all and a correspondence mode that works well over weeks.
Offline chess against the phone, with adjustable difficulty. For learning or for a flight.
Checkers online and offline, with the regional rule variants that people argue about actually implemented.
A solid backgammon with a competent computer opponent, from a developer with a long line of clean board game adaptations.
The one that gets played in millions of households, with online rooms and local pass and play on the same phone.
Carrom Pool. A digital carrom board with online matches, and the physics are convincing enough to be worth the install.
The official card game, with online play and house rules you can switch on. Free with the usual energy and advertising mechanics.
A proper adaptation of the board game rather than a free to play spin off, including pass and play and online. Paid, and worth knowing which version you are buying.
A fast card game that works well online with friends, and a round takes a few minutes rather than an evening.
Catan online with the full rule set and expansions sold separately. The place to play if your group already knows the game.
The older, simpler build of the same game, with local play against the computer.
Dominoes with online and offline modes, and the variants that different countries play.
The official word game, with online matches that wait for you between turns.
The asynchronous word game that most people actually play, because a move takes twenty seconds and the game waits.
The one player classic, included because every collection needs a game for when nobody else is available.
Dice game with online play against friends. Simple enough that anyone can join and the rules do not need explaining.
A digital card game rather than an adaptation of a physical one. Deep, free to start, and the collection side is where it asks for money.
The faster modern take on the same genre, with matches of a few minutes and a clearer free path.
A free collection of classic board games in one app, useful when you want draughts, ludo and chess without three installs.
Running a games night when nobody is in the same room
- Pick asynchronous first, live second A game that allows a move a day survives illness, bedtimes and time zones. A scheduled live game survives none of them.
- Get everyone into the same app before the evening Account creation and a download is what actually kills a remote games night, not the game.
- Keep a voice call running separately The talking is the point. Use whatever everybody already has rather than the in game chat, which is usually worse.
- Agree the rule variants at the start Digital adaptations often default to rules your group does not use, and discovering that in move twelve causes arguments.
- Have a five minute game as a fallback When one person drops out, a short card game rescues the evening that a three hour strategy game does not.
- Rules enforcement and scoring
- Playing across distance
- Setup and pack away
- Learning a new game alone
- Reading the table and the people
- Negotiating and trading
- Everyone seeing the whole board at once
- An evening with no screens in it
Choose asynchronous play, get everyone installed before the night, keep a voice call running, and agree the house rules in move one.
Frequently asked questions
Can we play if only one of us owns the game?
It depends on the title. Some allow a guest to join a host's game, many require each person to own it, and a few are free for everyone. Check before everyone assumes.
Do these work on a tablet as well as a phone?
Board games are one of the categories where a tablet is a genuine upgrade, because the whole board is readable at once. Pass and play in particular is much better on a larger screen.
What about card games that involve real money?
Deliberately not on this list. The apps here are games rather than gambling, and the distinction matters both legally and financially depending on where you live.
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