Okey with friends over voice and video

You don't have to be in the same room to share a table. On Boombala, okey, 101 okey and the Boombala card game come with voice and video chat built in: no Discord, no WhatsApp video call and no app to install. This guide shows how to host a table and bring your friends in within a couple of minutes.

1. Sign up for free and host a table

To host your own table you only need a free account. Sign up, then pick a game: okey, 101 okey or Boombala. Set the rules in the lobby (target score for okey, number of hands and solo or partners for 101) and press Open table. Tick Private table if you don't want it listed in the lobby.

2. Send the invite link

Once the table is open, the waiting room shows a 6-character room code and a Share invite link button. Send the link on WhatsApp, Instagram or wherever you like. When a friend opens it:

• If they have an account, they sit down with one tap.
• If not, they just type a nickname and sit down as a guest, with no sign-up form.

Friends with an account can also type the 6-character code into the "Quick Join with Room Code" box on the games page after logging in.

3. Turn on your microphone and camera

1. Press the voice chat button at the top of the table.
2. Your browser asks for microphone (and camera) permission; choose Allow.
3. Use the microphone and camera buttons to mute, unmute or turn on your camera at any time. Your video appears at your seat.

No sound? Check the microphone permission from the lock icon in the address bar. On phones make sure silent mode is off; some browsers only start audio after a tap, so if you see an Unmute audio button, tap it.

4. Let bots fill the empty seats

When everyone is in, or when you don't want to wait, press Start the game. Bots take any empty seats: if there are three of you, a bot is the fourth. If someone leaves mid-game a bot takes over, so the game is never left unfinished.

If a player doesn't move for 30 seconds, the others are asked whether a bot should play for them. If everyone agrees, a bot takes their turns; when the player returns, they press Back to the game to take their seat back.

Why Boombala instead of a separate video call?

• One screen: the game and the chat in the same place, no switching apps.
• See everything: who is talking, whose turn it is, who is thinking, right at the table.
• Phone friendly: on phones your tiles sit on a flat rack along the bottom of the screen; just drag and drop.
• Free: no chips, no subscription, no ads.

Common problems

My friend can't find the table from the link

If the host left the waiting room and closed the table, the link no longer works. Open a new table and send the link again.

Can someone join after the game has started?

No; nobody new can sit down once a game has started. When it ends, press Play again to start a new game at the same table.

The camera won't turn on

If another app (such as a video call) is using the camera, the browser can't access it. Close that app and reload the page.