2-player hockey games: what makes a great one-on-one
Hockey against the computer is fine. Hockey against your brother, your roommate or the friend who won't stop talking about his slap shot is better. This guide is about 2-player hockey games: the ways two people can play, what makes an online game feel fair, and how to get a game going for free without either of you buying a console or the yearly licensed hockey release.
We make Brudvig Hockey, a free browser hockey game with online play by link, and we'll use it as an example where it helps.
The three ways two people play hockey games
Same screen, same device
The classic. Two controllers, one TV, both of you on the couch. It's how most people first played hockey games, and there's nothing like being able to elbow the person who just scored on you. It needs a console or a computer with two controllers, and both players in the same room.
Online with accounts
Most big games handle online play through accounts and friend lists. Both players own the game, both sign in, one invites the other. It works well once it's set up, but it's a lot of steps, and it assumes you both own the same game on compatible hardware.
Online by link
The simplest way. One player starts a game and gets a link. They send it by text or chat, the other player opens it, and they're in. No accounts, no friend codes, and the two of you can be on completely different devices. Browser games are the natural home for this, because a link is how the web already works.
That's how playing a friend in Brudvig Hockey works.
In Brudvig Hockey that's one tap on Challenge a friend and a link you send. The step-by-step setup and help is on play Brudvig Hockey with a friend.
Choosing a 2-player hockey game
Not every hockey game is built for one-on-one. Before you settle on one with a friend, check:
- Can you both get it? If one of you has to buy something or own a console, it's not really a two-player option for you.
- Does each player control something that matters? In small-sided games you control a skater who's always in the play. In full 5-on-5 games, you might spend a lot of time switching between players.
- Is skill rewarded over luck? The better player should usually win, but not every time.
- Is it quick to rematch? Two-player games live on rematches.
- Does it work on the devices you both have?
What makes 2-player hockey fun
Short games
Two-player sessions are usually "one more game" sessions. Short periods make rematches easy. Brudvig Hockey games are three two-minute periods, about seven minutes in all, which is short enough to play three in a row.
Room to make plays
With fewer skaters on the ice, each player matters more and there's space to try things: a deke, a drop pass, a long stretch pass. That's one reason 3-on-3 works so well for two-player hockey. You control the skater that matters most, and the computer fills in the rest.
Ways to come back
Games where the leader always runs away with it are no fun for the other player. Good arcade hockey gives the trailing player a way back: big hits that knock the puck loose, quick goals off the rush, sudden-death overtime. In Brudvig Hockey, the team that scores also puts out the other side's "on fire" player, which keeps streaks from lasting forever.
Hits that both players feel
Half the fun of playing a friend is the hit you'll talk about later. Big, readable checks, a player flying into the glass, the glass breaking, a slow-motion replay of the moment: that's the kind of thing that turns one game into five.
Lag, and what a good online game does about it
Online games send what each player does across the internet, and that takes time. A few tens of milliseconds is invisible. A few hundred is noticeable. Good online hockey games hide what they can and recover from what they can't.
- Use a steady connection. Wi-Fi close to the router or a strong mobile signal both work. A moving train, a crowded café or a weak signal at the edge of the house is where trouble starts.
- Close heavy downloads. A big update downloading in the background can make an online game stutter.
- Expect drops to be handled. A good game shouldn't end because one phone lost signal for three seconds. In Brudvig Hockey the computer takes over, then hands control back when you return.
Mixing phones and computers
One of the best things about browser hockey is that two people don't need the same kind of device. One of you can be on a laptop with a keyboard and the other on a phone with the touch pad. Is that fair? Mostly yes. Keyboards are precise for direction changes, and touch controls are designed to make the same moves comfortable with two thumbs. If one of you has a game controller, plug it in: Brudvig Hockey maps a gamepad the same way as the phone buttons. See how to play Brudvig Hockey for every control.
House rules for better games
Two-player games are better with a few agreements. Some that work well:
- Best of three. One game can be a fluke. Three settles it.
- Swap colors. The person who made the link is Red. Let the other person host the rematch.
- Loser picks the next challenge. Only one-timers count. No slap shots. Score with a hit-and-shoot.
- Play the computer together first. If one of you is new, a game against the computer while the other watches teaches the buttons faster than any guide.
Free 2-player hockey vs the yearly console game
The yearly licensed console hockey game is built for two players too, on the couch or online, and it does it well. The cost is that both of you need the hardware and, for online, a copy each. A free browser game trades depth for access: the friend with only a phone can play, and nobody spends anything to find out if it's fun. For many friend groups, that's the deciding factor. Our alternative hockey games guide covers the trade-offs.
Tips for beating your friend
- Pass across before you shoot. A one-timer off a cross-ice pass is the hardest shot for a goalie to stop.
- Hit at the right time. Wind up a check as the puck carrier comes toward you, and let it go when he's close.
- Don't give away the puck in your own end. A long slap shot from deep is easy to block and starts a rush the other way.
- Mind the clock. With two-minute periods, a late one-goal lead is worth protecting.
There's more in Brudvig Hockey tips and tactics and in hockey game controls explained.
Common questions about 2-player hockey games
Do both players need the game?
For a browser game played by link, no installation is needed: your friend just opens the link. For apps and console games, each player usually needs their own copy.
Can we play on the same phone?
Brudvig Hockey's two-player mode is online, with each player on their own device. Two people sharing one small screen is cramped for a 3D hockey game anyway; two phones side by side on the couch works well.
Can I play someone in another country?
Yes, as long as you both have an internet connection. The farther apart you are, the more delay there is, so very long distances can feel a little less sharp than playing someone nearby.
What if my friend has never played a hockey game?
Arcade hockey is the friendliest place to start, because the controls are few and there are no rules to learn. Send them how to play Brudvig Hockey first, or let them play the computer for a period while you wait.
Is it fair if one of us is much better?
Not always, and that's part of hockey. A few house rules help: let the newer player host, ban slap shots for the stronger player, or count only one-timers. Short games also mean the weaker player always has a rematch around the corner.
Can more than two people play?
Brudvig Hockey is built for two players, one per team. Friends can take turns and run a small tournament: winner stays on, or a round-robin where everybody plays everybody.
One-on-one strategy
Learn your opponent
Against the computer, patterns stay the same. Against a person, they change. Notice what your friend does: always shooting from the same spot, always passing the same way, always winding up a hit. Then take it away.
Vary your attack
If you score with the same move twice, expect your friend to be waiting for it the third time. Mix wrist shots with one-timers, carry the puck one rush and pass the next.
Don't chase every hit
Big hits are fun, but a missed one takes you out of the play. Against a good player, positioning wins more pucks than hits do.
Play the score and the clock
Two-minute periods mean the game changes fast. Ahead late? Protect the puck. Behind? Take chances, because there's no time to wait.
Playing with a bigger group? Hockey game night online has formats for tournaments, ladders and round robins.
Ready?
Open Brudvig Hockey, tap Challenge a friend, and send the link. The first goal is the only one anyone remembers, until the next one.
Want more to read? Try the complete guide to free hockey games online or hockey games on your phone with no app.