Coindrel's online duels use Game Center. You can play a random opponent with Quick Match or challenge a friend with your own rules. Online play is free, and so is joining any match.
Before You Start
- Sign in to Game Center. If you are not signed in, choose Sign in to Game Center in the Play Online lobby.
- Make sure your Game Center account allows multiplayer games. Screen Time restrictions can block it.
- Both players need a compatible version of Coindrel. Update to the latest version if you cannot find or join each other.
Declining or canceling Game Center sign-in never affects Solo, Nearby, or Pass & Play.
Quick Match
- Choose Multiplayer > Play Online.
- Choose Quick Match. Coindrel shows Finding an opponent… while Game Center searches. Choose Cancel at any time.
- When an opponent is found, Coindrel shows the rules for this match, then the first turn begins.
Quick Match uses standard rules: 30-second turns, no holes, normal round 4 values, and the standard exit layout. Coindrel never fills a Quick Match with a hidden computer opponent. If nobody is available, try again later, challenge a friend, or play Solo.
Quick Match wishes
With Coindrel Unlimited, you can ask for Turbo, Holes, Halved final round, or Shuffled Exits using the toggles under Quick Match. These are wishes, not requirements: a variant applies only if your opponent wants it too. You are never kept out of a match because of them, and free players can always be matched with you on standard rules.
When some of your wishes were not applied, the rules screen says so, for example, "Standard rules: your opponent prefers them."
Quick Match Rating
Quick Match is rated. Everyone starts at 1200. Your rating goes up when you win and down when you lose, by more when you beat a higher-rated opponent. Your first 20 rated games are Provisional and move your rating faster.
- Your rating appears on the Quick Match card, on the rules screen before a match, and on the results afterward.
- It is published to the Quick Match Rating leaderboard in Game Center. Choose the rating row on the Record page to open it.
- Only Quick Match is rated. Friend challenges, Nearby, Solo, and Pass & Play never change your rating.
- A resignation, or leaving a duel in progress, counts as a loss. If Coindrel is closed or stops during a rated match, the match counts as a loss the next time you open the app.
- A match that ends with No Contest does not change your rating.
- Quick Match tries to pair you with someone of a similar rating first, then widens the search after a few seconds.
Ratings are calculated by each player's own device and are intended for casual play. They are not verified, and no prizes depend on them.
Challenge a Friend
- Choose Multiplayer > Play Online > Challenge a Friend.
- Choose the time per turn and any variants.
- Choose Send Invite and pick a friend in the Game Center invitation screen.
- When your friend joins, both of you review the full rules. Choose Accept & Play to begin, or Decline.
Accepting an invitation never requires a purchase, whatever rules your friend chose. Hosting with Turbo, Holes, Halved final round, or Shuffled Exits requires Coindrel Unlimited.
During an Online Duel
- Seats are assigned at random. Player 1 drops first.
- The clock keeps running when you open the menu or leave the app. Online duels cannot be paused.
- Your saved Solo or Pass & Play match stays saved. It is waiting on Home when you return.
Connection Problems
If the connection drops, Coindrel shows that it is reconnecting and stops accepting drops. The duel continues if both devices reconnect and agree on the board within 30 seconds in total for the match. If they cannot, the match ends as No Contest. A No Contest is not counted as a win or a loss in your record and does not change your rating.
Resigning and Leaving
Choose Resign & Leave from the match menu to end a duel in progress. Your opponent receives a casual win, and the match counts as a loss for you. Leaving an active duel any other way also resigns.
Rematches
After a match, choose Request Rematch. When both players ask, a new match begins with the same rules and seats, and the other player drops first. A request expires after 60 seconds.