Playing with friends: on one screen or with a code

Guide · Updated 22 October 2026

Many games on PP2 Hub are built to be played with others – on the sofa around one screen, or each person on their own device. Here we explain which games suit which situation, how joining with a code works and what makes a good game night.

Two ways to play together

There are basically two ways. In local multiplayer, everyone sits in front of the same screen and shares a keyboard or plugs in gamepads. That needs no connection between devices and no code – just room on the sofa. In online multiplayer, everyone plays on their own computer, tablet or phone, whether in the same room or in another city.

Sky Scramble split screen with four players – Red, Blue, Green and Yellow – each climbing their own tower side by side — Local multiplayer in Sky Scramble: each player climbs in their own strip of the same screen, with the floor reached at the top right and the current combo at the top left.

On one screen: Sky Scramble

Sky Scramble is our one-screen game. Up to four people climb their own towers side by side while the screen scrolls upward faster and faster. Each player has fixed keys on the same keyboard – Red uses A, D and W, Blue the arrow keys, Green J, L and I, Yellow F, H and T. Anyone with a gamepad just presses the A button to join.

Sky Scramble lobby with four human players – Red, Blue, Green and Yellow – each card showing that player's keys — In the lobby each card shows its player's keys – A D · W, the arrow keys, J L · I and F H · T – so four people can play on one keyboard.

Because every tower in a round is built exactly the same, the winner isn't whoever gets lucky, but whoever jumps better. That makes Sky Scramble fair for mixed groups too: kids and adults have the same chances, and a round is over quickly. If someone is missing, bots at three levels step in.

Each on their own device: games with a code

All other multiplayer games work the same way: one player creates a game and gets a five-character code. The others open the same game and type in the code – or simply open the invite link the host shares. Nobody needs an account.

Icebreaker start menu with the name Pingo and the code H4KT9 typed into the join field, penguins on the ice behind it — To join, type the host's five characters and press Join – no account needed, and “Play alone against bots” is right below.

Icebreaker – penguins push each other off melting ice floes, up to eight players. Short, chaotic rounds, perfect for warming up.
Scribble Circuit – races on hand-drawn tracks, up to eight cars. One person draws the track, everyone races it.
Broadside – a naval battle with sailing ships, up to eight captains, free-for-all or in two fleets.
Meridian – a 3D arena shooter for two to eight players, solo or in teams.
Lowlight – a top-down shooter in the half-dark, up to eight players.
Boxing – a one-on-one boxing match in which each player can give the other a picture as a face.
Idle Boxing Gym – here you pit your trained boxers against each other in a duel.

If players are missing, bots fill the empty slots in most of these games. So a round is worth it with just two people too.

Broadside lobby with one captain and five bots – Albatross, Kraken, Cormorant, Sea Devil and Storm Petrel – next to the round settings — In Broadside the host adds bots with one click and removes them with the ×: here one captain and five bots, with room for eight.

How it works technically

In the games with a code, the match doesn't run on a big game server but in the host's browser. The other browsers connect directly to it, using a technology called WebRTC that is also used for video calls in the browser. Our server only arranges the first contact: it briefly remembers which code belongs to which host.

That has two consequences. First: if the host leaves, the round is over – so the person with the most stable connection should open the game. Second: so that the controls still feel instant, every browser predicts its own character ahead of time. In the shooters, the host also checks hits by “rewinding”: it looks up where the opponent stood at the moment the shooter saw on their screen.

The party: staying together when you switch games

If you want to play several games in a row in one evening, use the party on the home page. One person opens a party and sends the party code around. After that, the home page shows everyone only games you can play together, and every game shows a small badge with the party code at the bottom left. When someone in the party opens a lobby, the others automatically follow into the game. That way nobody has to type a new code for every game.

Tips for a great game night

Start with something easy. Icebreaker or Scribble Circuit explain themselves in seconds. Shooters like Meridian or Lowlight fit better once everyone is warmed up.
Bots as a balance. If the group has very different experience levels, a team mode with bots makes rounds more even than free-for-all.
Keep the sound on. Especially in Icebreaker and Broadside, sounds reveal a lot about what's going on.
A host with a good connection. The host computes for everyone. A wired computer is better for that than a phone with a weak signal.
Prepare tracks. In Scribble Circuit someone can draw and save a track beforehand. Then you can start without waiting.

Frequently asked questions

Does it cost anything?

No. All games are free, with no sign-up and no in-game purchases.

Does it work with phones?

Yes. Most multiplayer games have touch controls. Phones and computers can play together in the same round.

How long is a code valid?

As long as the host has the game open. If they close the page, the code stops working too.

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