2 player games you can play in the browser with a friend over a link

Three ways two browsers can share a game

Every two-player browser game has to solve the same problem: two machines, one match. There are three honest ways to do it, and TabSpawn has one game for each. A peer room connects the two browsers directly over WebRTC, which gives the lowest lag and works well for exactly two people; Dusk Duel does this. An authoritative server runs the match and both browsers send inputs and receive snapshots, which scales past two and makes cheating pointless; Jetbrawl does this. A streamed console runs a real emulator on a server and sends video to both players, which is the only way to share a PlayStation 2 in a tab; RetroDeck Live does this.

None of them needs a download or an account. All of them need both players online at the same time and a connection that is not too busy. The sections below say what each one asks of you.

Dusk Duel: one-on-one fighting over a link

Dusk Duel is a side-view fighter with three characters, Raven, Onyx and Ember, and a round structure you can learn in a minute: punch, kick, guard, dash, sweep, throw and a special that spends the energy meter. Enter a fighter name, warm up against the AI to learn the timing, then press Create a private room and copy the link. The match starts the moment the second player opens it.

Keyboard is the default, touch buttons appear on phones, and a USB or Bluetooth gamepad is picked up automatically. The Controls panel shows and changes the key layout, which matters when two people have different habits.

Jetbrawl: a private room for two, or for eight

Jetbrawl is a jetpack deathmatch for up to eight. For two friends the private room is the move: one of you presses Private room, the other pastes the five-letter code or opens the link. Bots fill the room to five so a duo is never a lonely duel, and they step out as more humans join. If you would rather fight only each other, the bots are still fair game for practice while you wait.

The server runs the match, so a laptop and a phone can share a room without one of them hosting. Five weapons, six maps, medkits, shields and boosts, twenty kills or five minutes. Both players get a Top 10 entry under their chosen names.

RetroDeck Live: one PS1 or PS2, two controllers

RetroDeck Live runs a real PlayStation 1 on a server; the PS2 edition does the same with PCSX2. The host generates a hosting key with their email, uploads a disc image and BIOS they own, starts the console and copies the invitation link for Player 2. The second browser gets the other controller and the same video; spectators can watch from the room link, and the PS1 edition has room voice for commentary.

A wired connection on both ends keeps input lag low. Invitation links on the PS1 edition expire after fifteen minutes, so send one when your friend is ready. The PS2 edition runs one room at a time, and a passphrase-protected library keeps your uploads for next time.

Making it feel fair

• Pick the player with the steadier connection to host a Dusk Duel room or a RetroDeck console.
• Pause downloads and video calls on both ends; a busy uplink shows up as stutter, not as slowness.
• Use a gamepad for the console games. Keyboard sticks are digital and the other player will notice.
• Agree the controls before the first round. Both games have a controls panel on the page.
• If one of you is on a phone, Jetbrawl and Dusk Duel both show touch controls automatically.

Questions