Multiplayer Mobile Games With Friends: Rooms, Teams, Bots

If you would rather play alone between friends’ schedules, our plain guide to bullet heaven games covers a solo genre, and Gloomrush, our game in it, works without a connection.

Four kinds of “games with friends”

The search for games to play with friends covers very different things. Sorting them first saves a wasted evening.

The table is a general guide, not a rule: games differ, and many mix types. The rest of this post is about the last row, real-time team games played in online rooms, because that is where rooms, team sizes and bots matter most.

How private rooms work

A private room is a match that only the people you invite can join. The host creates it, picks a name and a password, and tells friends. Friends type the name and the password and are in. Public rooms work the other way round: anyone can join, which is better for meeting new players and worse for an evening with your group.

Three things to look for:

1. A way to set a password. Without one, a room is open to strangers who find its name.
2. A clear host. The host should be able to set the rules of the match, such as its length.
3. A way back in. If someone drops out, they should be able to rejoin the same room.

Team size and bots: why they matter for small groups

Team size sets how many friends can play together. A game that allows only two players per side shuts out a group of six. A game with larger teams lets everyone join, and then the opposite problem appears: a group of four on one side leaves slots open on the other.

Bots solve that. A bot is a computer-controlled player that fills an empty slot. Look for three details:

• Who can add bots. In some games only the host can.
• How strong they are. Choosing a difficulty means a mixed group of beginners and experts can both have a fair match.
• Whether they work without friends online. Some games let you practise against bots alone.

If you want more on playing without a connection, our guide to offline games on Android shows how to test for it.

Accounts, ages and chat: what to check first

Online games with other people raise three practical questions.

Do I need an account? An online match usually needs one, because the game has to know who is in the room. Check whether the sign-up asks for more than an e-mail address, and read the privacy policy before you register.

What age is it for? A game with chat between players often has a minimum age. Check the listing and the game’s own page, and decide whether it suits everyone in your group.

What can I do about a player who spoils the game? Look for a way to report and to block. Both should be easy to find in the room, not hidden in a menu.

For a related check, our post on mobile games with no ads explains how to read ads and purchases on a store page.

Setting up a match in Catchy

Catchy is a cartoon arena brawler. Two teams face each other across an impassable river, and the only way over is to throw your hook, snag a rival and drag them to your side. It is free to download and has no ads. From version 1.0.5, optional gems buy colour skins, and gems never change how a match plays.

Here is how to set up a match with friends.

1. Sign in. Online matches need a free account and a connection. Register with an e-mail address, a display name and a password, or from version 1.0.4 sign in with a Mobixify ID. You must be at least 13.
2. Pick a hero. Choose Blorb, Zorb, Moxie or Grub. All four heroes are free.
3. Make a private room. Create one and share its name and password with your friends. Or join a public room if you want company.
4. Set the match. The host picks the match length and the kill goal. A team wins by reaching the kill goal first, or by leading the score when the clock runs out.
5. Fill the slots. Each team holds up to 8 players, so a room goes up to 8v8. The host can add bots to open slots and choose their difficulty, from Easy to Hard.
6. Play. Move with the on-screen stick, drag the hook button to aim and let go to throw. Land the hook and your rival is pulled across the river to your side.

If your friends are not online, from version 1.0.4 you can also play against bots on your device without an account.

During a match you earn gold from fights and rescues, and you spend it at your team’s shop to upgrade your hook’s damage, speed, range and size. Gold lasts for one match only. Rescuing a teammate by pulling them out of an enemy hook is part of the game, and it is easier to coordinate with people you know.

Chat, reports and blocking

Lobby chat masks bad language in English and Turkish. Room chat is seen by the players in the room. To report a player, tap REPORT on their slot in the room and choose a reason, such as abusive chat, an offensive name, spam, cheating or other. To block a player, use BLOCK in the same window. Blocked players’ chat lines are hidden from you on your device, and the list is saved on your device. Blocking does not remove the player from the room or the match, so for a private room, share the password only with people you trust.

Devices and system versions

Catchy is made for iPhone and iPad (iOS 15 or later) and for Android (7.1 or later). The Store page makes no statement about matches between different kinds of phone, so test it with your friends before game night. If you are not sure your device qualifies, write to the support address on the Store page.

Questions

What are some fun mobile games to play with friends?

It depends on the evening. Party games suit one room, turn-based games suit friends in different places, co-op games suit a small team, and real-time team games suit a group that wants a match. Check group size, accounts, age and whether bots can fill slots.

How do I make a private room?

In a typical room-based game, one player creates a room, chooses a name and password and shares both, and everyone else joins with those details. In Catchy you create a private room and share its name and password, and the host picks the match length and the kill goal.

Can I play with bots if my friends are not online?

In Catchy, yes, in two ways. The host of a room can fill open slots with bots, from Easy to Hard. From version 1.0.4 you can also play against bots on your device without an account.

Do I need an account to play online?

For online matches in Catchy, yes: you need a free account and an internet connection to host or join one, and you must be 13 or older. From version 1.0.4 you can play against bots on your device without an account.

What age is it for?

Catchy is for players aged 13 and over. It has infrequent cartoon violence and online chat with other players, and accounts are for ages 13+. Lobby chat masks bad language in English and Turkish, and you can report or block any player.