Games to play when bored

Games that end in 10 minutes. If nobody is around, the CPU plays; if someone is, send them a link. Open a browser and start.

How long a game runs: Ten minutes each: Gomoku, Reversi, Checkers, Hasami Shogi, Sevens, Crazy Eights, Mancala and Japanese Mancala.
On your own: Every game on this shelf has a CPU, so you start without waiting for anyone.
What you need: A browser. Nothing to install and no account.
On the move: A phone browser opens on the train too. To stop early, resign or leave the Party.

Each one in a sentence

Bozu Mekuri: Bozu Mekuri is a 10-minute card game for 2–6 players, played with Hyakunin Isshu poet cards. Keep nobles, lose your cards to monks, take the pile with ladies. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Bughouse Chess: Captured pieces go straight to your partner. Four players play on two boards at once, dropping pocket pieces to help their team. Play solo with three CPUs.
Checkers: Checkers is a board game for 2 players that takes about 10 minutes. Pieces step diagonally forward and capture by jumping; take all of your opponent's pieces to win. Free. In-browser. No account.
Chinchirorin: Chinchirorin is a 10-minute dice game for 2–8 players. One dealer faces the rest of the table, and hands rolled with three dice decide who takes points from whom. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Concentration: Concentration is a picture matching game for 1 to 6 players that takes about 10 minutes. Flip two face-down cards — match two cards with the same picture, to keep going. Free. In-browser. No account.
President: President (also called Daifugo) is a card game for 2 to 12 players that takes about 3 minutes per round. Empty your hand first to take the top rank. Free. In-browser. No account.
Dots and Boxes: Dots and Boxes is a 10-minute pencil-and-paper classic for 2. Join dots with lines and claim more squares than your opponent. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Cheat: Cheat (I Doubt It) is a bluffing card game for 2-8 players, about 10 minutes. Play cards face down calling out A, 2, 3... in order, then bluff or call it. Free, in-browser, no account.
Eight-ball: Play eight ball online for free in your browser: clear your group, then pocket the 8 in your called pocket.
Four in a Row: Four in a Row is a two-player board game that takes about 5 minutes. Drop discs into an upright grid; the first to line up four across, up or diagonally wins. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
3D Four in a Row: 3D Four in a Row is a two-player board game that takes about 10 minutes. Drop beads on 16 pegs in a 4×4 grid. The first to line up four up, across or diagonally, including through levels, wins.
Simultaneous Four in a Row: Three players secretly pick columns, then reveal together. Discs drop in a rotating order on a nine-by-nine board. Make four across, up or diagonally to win. Play solo against two computers.
Four in a Row for Three: Play Four in a Row for Three online free in your browser. Drop discs into a 9×9 grid and line up four to win. Play with friends or against two computers.
FreeCell: Play FreeCell Solitaire online for free in your browser. Race the same deal with four free cells, or aim for your best time. All cards are visible. 1–20 players, about 8 minutes; no account needed.
Pawn Race Shogi: Pawn race shogi is shogi for 2 players, about 8 minutes, where the first player to capture five enemy pawns wins — checkmate also wins. Pieces move as in shogi. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Go-Stop: Go-Stop is a hanafuda game for 2–3 players, about 3 minutes per round. Match cards by month and choose Go or Stop once you score enough. Free in your browser, no account needed.
Gomoku: Gomoku is a board game for 2 players that takes about 10 minutes. The first player to line up five stones wins. Free. In-browser. No account.
Hare and Hounds: Hare and Hounds is a 5-minute chase on a board for 2. Three hounds close in to corner the hare; the single hare looks for a gap to slip behind them. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Hasami Shogi: Hasami Shogi is a board game for 2 players that takes about 10 minutes. Every piece is a pawn; trap enemy pieces between two of yours, and the first to capture five wins. Free. In-browser. No account.
Hearts Dice: Hearts Dice is a letter-dice game for 1–6 players, about 10 minutes (a different game from the card game Hearts). Roll six dice and score for a streak from H. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Hex: Hex is a two-player connection game that takes about 10 minutes. Take turns placing hexagons on the board; the first to join their two opposite edges wins. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
High-Low: High-Low is a card game for 1 to 8 players, about 5 minutes. Guess higher or lower than the card on the table, and bank your streak. Free, in-browser, no account, no real money.
Hit & Blow: Hit & Blow is a colour-guessing deduction game for 2 players that takes about 5 minutes. Take turns guessing four hidden colours in order; first to crack it wins. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Indian Poker: Indian Poker: 2–8 players, about 1 minute per round. Your card faces everyone else. Read their reactions and bet with chips. Free in your browser, no account. No real money.
Juroku Musashi: As the Parent or sixteen Children, alternate one step along a line: the Parent captures by stepping between two Children; Children trap the Parent by blocking every exit.
Mäxchen (Mia): Two dice sit under a cup; only the roller sees them. Mix in bluffs, challenge false bids and protect your lives to be the last player remaining.
Mahjong Solitaire: A mahjong-tile solitaire race: everyone gets the same stacked layout, starts on 3-2-1 and races to clear it by taking matching tiles. 1–20 players, about 5 minutes. Free, no sign-up.
Mancala: Mancala (Kalah) is a board game for 2 to 4 players, about 10 minutes. Collect the most stones in your store and you win. Free. In-browser. No account.
Japanese Mancala: Japanese Mancala is a board game for 2 to 4 players, about 10 minutes. Empty your own side first and you win. Free. In-browser. No account.
Master Number: Master Number is a number-guessing deduction game for 2–5 players that takes about 10 minutes. Everyone races to crack the same secret number with hits and blows. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Minesweeper: Play Minesweeper free online in your browser, alone or in a 1–8 player race. Read the numbers and open every safe square on identical boards. About 5 minutes; no sign-up.
Minishogi: Minishogi is shogi on a 5×5 board for 2 players, about 10 minutes. Six pieces each move as in shogi, with drops. Checkmate the enemy king to win. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Sudoku: Play Sudoku online for free in your browser. Race to solve the same puzzle, starting together on 3–2–1 and following everyone’s progress. 1–20 players, about 6 minutes, no sign-up.
Two-Corner Mahjong: A mahjong-tile connect race: join matching tiles with a line of at most two bends. Everyone gets the same layout and starts on 3-2-1. 1–20 players, about 5 minutes. Free, no sign-up.
Nine-ball: Play Nine-ball online for free in your browser. Hit the lowest number first and pocket the 9 to win.
Nine Men's Morris: Nine Men's Morris is a 10-minute game for 2 from ancient Rome: line up three to take an opponent's stone. Place nine each, then move. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Double-Move Shogi: Double-move shogi is shogi for 2 players, about 10 minutes, where each turn is two moves and you win by actually capturing the king. Pieces move as in shogi. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Oicho-Kabu: Oicho-Kabu is a 10-minute hanafuda card game for 2–6 players. A dealer faces the rest of the table, and hands closest to 9 in the last digit win. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Old Maid: Old Maid is a card game for 2 to 8 players, about 5 minutes. Draw and pair up matching ranks; whoever holds the joker last loses. Free. In-browser. No account.
Check Shogi: Check shogi is shogi for 2 players, about 5 minutes, where the first player to give check wins — no checkmate needed. Pieces move as in shogi. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Crazy Eights: Crazy Eights (also called Page One) is a card game for 2 to 6 players that takes about 10 minutes. Match the colour or the number on the table and empty your hand first. Free. In-browser. No account.
Pig's Tail: Pig's Tail is a card game for 2 to 8 players that takes about 5 minutes. Flip cards one by one — match the suit or rank and race for the pile. Free. In-browser. No account.
Reversi: Reversi is a board game for 2 players that takes about 10 minutes. Sandwich your opponent's discs to flip them; the most discs at the end wins. Free. In-browser. No account.
Rotation: Hit the lowest ball first and score 61 points from pocketed numbers.
Seven Bridge: Seven Bridge is a rummy-style card game for 2-5 players, about 4 minutes per round. Meld runs and sets, interrupt with pon and chi, and empty your hand first. Free in your browser, with no account.
Sevens: Sevens is a card game for 3 to 6 players that takes about 10 minutes. Build out from the sevens and empty your hand first. Free. In-browser. No account.
Lion King Shogi: Lion king shogi is a handicap game for 2 players, about 10 minutes: one side has only a king and pawns, but its king moves like the chu shogi lion. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Shogi Kuzushi: Shogi Kuzushi is a 10-minute game for 2–4 players played with shogi pieces. Pull pieces off a pile one at a time; if another piece makes a sound, your turn ends. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Shut the Box: Shut the Box is a 10-minute dice game for 2 to 4 players. Close tiles that match your roll; shutting them all wins at once, otherwise the lowest total wins. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Snakes and Ladders: Roll and race to 100 with 2–6 players. Climb ladders and slide down snakes. About 10 minutes. Free in your browser, with no registration.
Solitaire: Play Solitaire online for free in your browser: move cards by the rules and race to fill the foundations. 1–20 players, about 8 minutes, no sign-up.
Speed: Speed is a two-player card game that takes about five minutes. There are no turns — play a card one rank from a centre pile as fast as you can, and the first to run out wins. Free. No account.
Spider Solitaire: Play Spider Solitaire online for free. Build eight same-suit runs from king to ace with 1 or 2 suits. Everyone gets the same deal; finish faster to rank higher. 1–20 players, about 10 minutes.
Sugoroku: Sugoroku is a 2-to-6-player, roughly 10-minute Japanese picture-sugoroku race: roll a die, move along a single path, and be first to reach the goal. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Tic-Tac-Toe: Play Tic-Tac-Toe online free in your browser, with no sign-up. This 2-player game takes about 2 minutes: place X and O on a 3×3 grid and line up three to win.
Must-Capture Shogi: Must-capture shogi is shogi for 2 players, about 10 minutes, where you must take an enemy piece whenever you can. Pieces move as in shogi. Free in your browser, no sign-up.
Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe: Win small boards, then claim three in a row on the big board. Each move sends your opponent to a matching small board. For 2 players. Free, no sign-up.

On your own, against the CPU

When there is nobody to play with, the CPU takes the seat. Gomoku and Reversi come down to where the next stone goes; Mancala and Japanese Mancala to how you sow them. Either way there is nothing to read before you start.

If the game is new to you, run the tutorial once and then play the CPU. Ten minutes is enough to get the shape of it, and the CPU does not mind if you stop in the middle.

If there are two of you

With someone else around, send a link and you are on the same board. They need no account and nothing to install. Sevens starts at 3 players and Crazy Eights runs from 2 to 6, so a seat can be added when more people turn up. If they have never played the game, the tutorial is quicker than explaining it would be.

Ten minutes of thinking, if you want it

The same ten minutes can be spent reading the board instead. In Gomoku that is the four-three; in Reversi the fight for the corners; in Checkers the order you jump in. None of it has to be memorized in advance — the shapes turn up while you play.

The CPU will let you try it as many times as you like. Once the pattern is clear, invite someone and play the same game against a person.

How to choose

Shortest route to a finished game: Gomoku or Reversi, 10 minutes.
To move rather than think: Mancala or Japanese Mancala — pick stones up, sow them.
For cards: Crazy Eights (2–6 players), or Sevens once three of you are around.
On your own: any of them against the CPU, with no wait for an opponent.

FAQ

Can two people play on the same device?

Use one device each. With two of you, both join the same party from your own screen.

Can I play with someone far away?

Yes. Send a link and they join by opening it in a browser.

Is it free?

It is free, and the games on this shelf start without an account.

Can I play alone?

Yes. Every game here has a CPU, so you can play a round without looking for an opponent.

Do I need to install anything?

No. It opens in a browser, and there is nothing to download.

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Last updated 2026-09-13 · Run by Qdan, Inc.