2 Player Games on One Keyboard: How It Works and What to Play
Updated
Two-player games on one keyboard give each player one side of it: one moves with W, A, S and D, the other with the arrow keys, and each gets an action key or two nearby. You sit side by side and play on the same screen at once. Below is how the split works, which genres suit it, and games to start with.
How two players share one keyboard
The usual layout puts movement on WASD for the left player and on the arrow keys for the right player, with action keys placed so that the two pairs of hands do not collide. Here is how a few games in the catalog lay it out.
| Game | Left player | Right player |
|---|---|---|
| Tank Mayhem | W A S D to move, V to fire | Arrow keys to move, M to fire |
| Micro Tanks | W A S D plus Q | Arrow keys plus M |
| Shadow Fights | W A S D to move, F to punch, G to kick | Arrow keys to move, K to punch, L to kick |
| 2D Car Racing | W A S D to drive, T for power-ups | Arrow keys to drive, P for power-ups |
| Dirt Bike Racing Duel | W and S for gas and brake, A and D to balance | Up and down for gas and brake, left and right to balance |
| Stickman Sports Badminton | W A S D to move and jump, Space to swing | Arrow keys to move and jump, M to swing |
The left player's action keys sit around F, G, Q and V, and the right player's around K, L, M and P. Which side counts as player one changes from game to game: in Drunken Boxing, player one uses the arrow keys. Check each game's instructions before the first round, and see keyboard controls for games for what keys such as Space and Shift usually do.
Tips for playing on one keyboard
- Put the keyboard in the middle and agree who takes which side before you start.
- Keep your hands on your own cluster so that you do not press each other's keys.
- Play a practice round first to learn which key fires and which one jumps.
- If a key sometimes does nothing while you both hold keys down, the keyboard may be the cause. Many keyboards can only detect a limited number of keys pressed at once, and pressing three or more can make some presses go missing. This is called limited key rollover. Try another game with different keys, or a keyboard with full rollover.
Which genres suit one keyboard
Short rounds and simple controls work well when two people share a few square inches of keys. These are the genres that do it well, with games to try.
Sports
- Neon Hockey 2 is air hockey in neon. Win two of three periods to take the match; a period goes to the first player to score 7 goals. You can also play alone against the computer on three difficulty levels.
- Stickman Sports Badminton has realistic physics, boosters such as a big racket and a fireball, and matches of 5, 7 or 9 sets.
- Minicars Soccer plays soccer with cars. Pick one of seven car models and a ball size, grab bonuses on the field, and the first to score five goals wins.
Racing
- 2D Car Racing puts both cars on one track with nitrous, maces and missiles as power-ups. Coins from races buy new cars.
- Dirt Bike Racing Duel is a balance race: get your bike to the finish without crashing, faster than your friend, on tracks across seven continents. More bike games built on balance are in games like Moto X3M.
Fighting
- Shadow Fights is a three-round duel between two silhouettes, with punches and kicks.
- Drunken Boxing gives each boxer an energy bar. Punch too much and you need time to recover, which leaves you open.
Tank battles
- Tank Mayhem adds bonuses to a classic tank duel, including a drone mini tank that attacks the other player.
- Micro Tanks spreads the fight over 15 arenas with moving walls and mazes. The total score across all 15 decides the winner.
More head-to-head games are in sports games, racing games and tank games.
Co-op puzzles
In co-op games you win or lose together, which makes talking to each other part of the game.
- Duo Bad Brothers splits the skills between two zombie brothers: only the big one breaks wooden walls, only the little one fits through small holes, and the door opens once you have all 3 stars.
- Fire Dragon Adventure pairs a hero on WASD with a dragon on the arrow keys, and some of its levels can only be solved together.
More games built around two characters with different abilities are in the guide to games like Fireboy and Watergirl.
Party games for two, three or four
A few games squeeze more players onto the same keys, and some pack several small games into one.
- Heads Mayhem has modes for one to four players. The third player moves with I, J, K and L, and the fourth uses the number pad. Push opponents off the ledges with your guns; everyone starts with 5 lives.
- 1 2 3 4 Player Tank Game 2D adds a third tank on U, H, J and K and a fourth on F, C, V and B. The tank that destroys the most others wins.
- Mind Games for 2 3 4 Player collects 27 small games, including mancala, ludo and tic-tac-toe. Each player gets a key cluster, or you take turns with the mouse.
- 5 MiniBattles has five short contests for two, such as catching chickens, scoring goals and serving food, plus a Random button.
Two player games FAQ
How do you play 2 player games on the same keyboard?
Open a game made for two players, pick its two-player mode if it has one, and give each person one side of the keyboard: usually WASD on the left and the arrow keys on the right. The game's own instructions list the action keys.
Can we play two-player games on a phone or tablet?
Some games split the touch screen instead of the keyboard. Neon Hockey 2 gives each player one half of the touch screen, and Drunken Boxing says you can use the left and right sides of a touch screen.
Do we need an account or an install?
No. The games run free in the browser with nothing to install, and favorites, recently played and the streak work without an account.
The 2 player games category has many more games for two.
