Best Two-Player Sudoku Apps: Same Room, Apart or Turn-Based

For two people on two iPhones, Sudoku Royale and Sudoku Face Off are the apps built for it. Sudoku Face Off is a live race: same board, first to finish wins, whether you are on the same couch or in different cities. Sudoku Royale has three ways for two players: Play Nearby over Bluetooth when you sit side by side (no internet needed), a live Duel online, and Clockwork, a turn-based game where the other player can take their turns in a web browser. Neither app's listing describes two people sharing one phone; for that, paper is still the answer.

Both apps are free with no ads. Below is how their two-player modes differ, which one fits which situation, and the honest limits of each. If you are setting up games for a whole group rather than a pair, see the best sudoku apps to play with friends.

The App Store facts

From each app's US App Store listing, checked October 26, 2026. Prices and paid items change, so check the listing before you buy.

Two-player modes compared

Sitting next to each other

The most common two-player sudoku moment is offline: a flight, a holiday rental with bad Wi-Fi, a waiting room. Sudoku Royale's Play Nearby finds the other phone over Bluetooth and starts a game with no internet connection at all. Nearby games are unrated, so it is a low-stakes way to see whether the other person enjoys it.

Sudoku Face Off describes its races as working "couch or remote", but its listing also says live races need a connection, so you need Wi-Fi or mobile data even when you are in the same room.

Apart, at the same time

When you are in different places but both free, either app works. Sudoku Face Off's race is the simpler format to explain: the same board appears for both of you, and whoever fills it first wins. Its listing leans on quick rematches, which suits a best-of-three over a video call.

A Sudoku Royale Duel against a friend uses the shared grid instead. That changes the tactics: grabbing the easy cells early matters, because once your opponent claims a cell you cannot score it. Some pairs love that; others find a straight race fairer when one player is much faster. Friend Duels are unrated either way.

Apart, at different times

Couples on different shifts and friends in different time zones need a game that waits. Clockwork is Sudoku Royale's turn-based mode for exactly that: you take your turn, the other player takes theirs when they can. The useful detail is that the invited player can play in a web browser, so the other person does not need an iPhone or the app.

If neither of those fits, the low-tech version works in many apps. Good Sudoku's listing says you can import a puzzle in Custom mode and share it with friends, so two people can each solve the same grid and compare. Sudoku Royale's Daily Challenge does the same thing with no setup: one puzzle a day, the same for everyone, with a leaderboard you can narrow to friends.

One phone, two players

Neither app here describes a pass-and-play mode on a single device, and none of the other sudoku listings we checked mentions one. If you only have one phone or tablet, print the same puzzle twice from our printable sudoku page and race with a timer, or take turns on one grid in a solo app and count who placed more numbers.

Where Sudoku Face Off is the better pick

• You want the cleanest race. First to finish wins, nothing else to learn.
• You want offline solo practice between races. Its listing says solo play works offline. In Sudoku Royale, Practice works offline only with puzzles already downloaded, and the Daily Challenge needs a connection.
• You only ever play each other. It is a small app built for that one thing. Apple lists no in-app purchases for it.

Where Sudoku Royale is the better pick

• No signal. Play Nearby is the only two-player mode here that runs over Bluetooth without internet.
• The other person has no iPhone. Clockwork works in a browser.
• You also play alone most days. Six levels from Easy to Extreme, an 88-level Journey and Dojo drills that make the faster player of the two harder to catch.

Its limits for two players: it is iPhone and iPad only, it has no undo, and it is new, launched in 2026 with 11 US ratings so far.

Our pick

If you want one app that covers the plane, the long-distance evening and the friend who refuses to install anything, download Sudoku Royale. If all you want is a quick race with your partner, Sudoku Face Off is a focused alternative; our Sudoku Royale vs Sudoku Face Off page compares the two in full. For playing strangers as well, see multiplayer sudoku apps, and every matchup is on the comparisons page.