4 Player Games Online: The Best Games to Play With Friends

Many classic board games were made for four. A Ludo board has four corners and four colours, one for each player, and carrom has a side of the board for each of four players in a game of doubles. With four players a game gets busier and louder, and the lead changes hands far more often than it does with two.

These are the best 4 player games to play online, and how to set each one up so nobody spends the game waiting for their turn.

What makes a good 4 player game

With four people, every player waits for three others before they move again. That changes what works.

• Quick turns. A roll and a move, not a long think. A slow turn feels three times as slow when three people are waiting for it.
• Something to watch on other turns. A capture, a snake or a lucky ladder keeps everyone looking at the board instead of their messages.
• Rules everyone already knows. Nobody wants a rules lesson before the first move.
• A way to play from different places. A private room means the group does not have to be in the same room.

The games below meet all four.

Ludo: the classic game for four

Ludo was made for four players. Each player takes a colour and a corner, and with every corner in play the track is crowded from the first few turns. Captures happen more often, the safe squares fill up, and a lead can disappear in a single roll.

That is also where the tactics come in. With three opponents instead of one, you have to watch who is close behind each of your tokens, not just how far you are from home. Two of your tokens on one square make a block, and a block matters more when the board is full.

Ludo Jim supports online games for two to four players, with private rooms so only your group can join. You can also play pass-and-play on one device, or practise against the computer on three difficulty levels. A faster quick-play mode is there for when you only have a few minutes.

Snakes and ladders: four players, no skill gap

Snakes and ladders is pure luck, and with four players that is its strength. Nobody can be out-thought, so someone who has never played has the same chance as someone who plays every day. The lead changes all the time, and one snake near the top can turn the whole game.

Snakes and Ladders Jim plays with two to four players, online or on one shared device. Create a private room for your group, or play against the computer when nobody else is free. A game takes only a few minutes, so it works well as a warm-up between longer games of Ludo.

Carrom: doubles on a board, a knockout online

On a real carrom board, four players play doubles. Partners sit opposite each other and share a colour, and turns go round the board, so you never play straight after your partner.

Carrom Jim is one against one, online or against the computer. With four people, turn it into a knockout: two semi-finals, then a final between the winners. If you have more time, play a round robin where everyone plays everyone once. That is six matches, and carrom frames are short enough to fit them all in.

Score battles: any game, four players

Any single player game becomes a 4 player game if you compare scores. Everyone plays one round of the same game, and the best score wins. Play three rounds and add up the totals for a fairer result.

• Wood Block Jim for the most lines cleared before the board fills up.
• 2048 Cube Jim for the highest score in one run.
• Bubble Pop Jim for the fewest shots to clear the same level.

There is nothing to set up. Everyone plays on their own phone at the same time, so a round is over in minutes.

When four is not enough

If your group wants something louder, Snake Game Jim puts each of you in a live arena with around twenty players. It works as another score battle: whoever grows the longest snake, or survives the longest, wins the round.

How to set up a 4 player game online

There are three situations, and each needs a different setup.

• Everyone is somewhere else. One player creates a private room in Ludo Jim or Snakes and Ladders Jim and shares it with the other three. Each of you plays on your own phone or computer.
• Everyone is in the same room. Pass-and-play on one device is quicker. Put the phone or tablet flat in the middle of the table so everyone can see the board.
• Someone drops out. Ludo Jim and Snakes and Ladders Jim both play with two or three players too, so the game can go on.

Nobody needs to install anything. The games run in a browser, so the other three just open the game and join.

Tips for a better 4 player game

• Agree the house rules before the first roll. In Ludo, groups disagree about extra rolls after a capture and how a token gets out of its yard.
• Rotate who goes first. Going first is a small advantage, and over a few games it should even out.
• Keep a running score across several games. One game of snakes and ladders proves nothing; five games make a proper contest.
• Get on a voice call if you are apart. Half the fun of a 4 player game is the noise when someone gets captured.

Play without downloading

Every game here runs in a browser tab on a phone, tablet or computer, with no download and no sign-up. That matters more with four players, because one person who cannot install an app can hold up the whole group.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best 4 player games to play online?

Ludo for tactics, snakes and ladders for pure luck, and score battles in puzzle games when the group wants something different. Ludo and snakes and ladders both have private rooms for four players.

Can 4 people play Ludo online together?

Yes. Ludo Jim supports two to four players online. One player creates a private room and shares it, and the other three join from their own devices.

Can 4 players play on one phone?

Yes. Ludo Jim and Snakes and Ladders Jim both have pass-and-play, so four people can share one device and take turns.

Can 4 people play carrom online?

Carrom Jim is one against one, so four players can run a knockout: two semi-finals and a final. On a real board, four players play doubles, with partners sitting opposite each other.

Are these 4 player games free?

Yes. All of them are free to play in your browser, with no download.