Inline Games: Play Right in Chat

You are chatting with a friend and want a quick game, but you do not want to install anything.

Inline Games fixes that in a couple of seconds: type the bot's name in the message field of any conversation, choose a game, and the match appears right in the chat. Your opponent taps the buttons under the message, and play begins. 🎲

A match inside the conversation

The profile describes the bot modestly: it uses inline keyboards to provide some entertainment. There is no separate app, and the board is a set of buttons under a message. The only listed command is /start, which shows a welcome and usage hints.

So you can play in a private chat, a work chat or a group. The bot does not have to be a member of the chat, calling it through the input field is enough.

Which games are in the set

The bot's source code is public and lists the games. The list can change, but right now it looks like this:

• Tic-Tac-Toe and a bigger-board variant where you need a line of four.
• Connect Four. Pieces drop down, and whoever builds a line wins.
• Rock-Paper-Scissors and the lizard and Spock version.
• Checkers in two variants: in the regular one men cannot capture backwards, in the other there are flying kings that move any distance.
• Russian Roulette as a game of luck, with no real stakes.

Matches are short: Tic-Tac-Toe takes a minute, checkers a bit longer. ♟️

Start in three steps

1. Open any chat and start a message with the bot's name.
2. Pick a game from the list that appears.
3. Send the invitation. The second player taps the join button, and you can make moves.

If no list appears, check that you typed the bot's name correctly and add a space after it.

What is good, and what not to expect

The good part: no sign-up, no wallet and no in-game purchases, and the profile says nothing about any. A match is one on one with a real person and lives as a message in the chat.

Do not expect fancy graphics, rankings or tournaments. This is a simple button game for killing time with friends. An audience of about 12 thousand people a month suggests the format is in demand. 🙂

Small details that prevent confusion

A match is tied to the message where it started. In a noisy chat that message may scroll away, and you have to go back to it. Pin the game or play in a quiet conversation.

If the buttons do not respond, wait a few seconds and tap again. That is usually enough.

You can play in a group too, for example while waiting for everyone to arrive. Short matches suit a pause: a couple of rounds, then back to the conversation. 🕹️

To save time, agree with your friend on a game beforehand. Tic-Tac-Toe suits a first match: everybody knows the rules and the result is clear at once. For something to think over, pick checkers or Connect Four.