TableDuel

Ten games for two children — on a single iPhone, with no internet and no ads. TableDuel is built for the half hour before the food arrives. The phone lies on the table between the two of you, each side reads the right way up, and when the plates turn up the game simply ends. FACE-TO-FACE MODE The second player's side sits at the top of the screen, turned 180°. Nobody has to hand the device over, nobody reads over anyone's shoulder. Both see the same board — and, inevitably, each other. THE GAMES Cookie Grab — split screen, both of you waiting. The moment the cookie appears, the faster finger wins it. Under a minute. Tic Tac Toe — the classic, nothing to explain. For the more practised, a 4×4 board where four in a row is what counts. Dots and Boxes — take turns drawing a line. Close a box and it is yours, and you go again straight away. On 3×3, 5×5 or 7×7. Pair Hunt — turn cards over and remember where things are. Find a pair and you go again. Motifs from the kitchen, on 3×4, 4×4 or 4×6. Crack the Code — one of you lays a colour code in secret and hands the phone over, the other guesses. After every attempt the app says how many colours are right, and how many of those are also in the right place. Eight attempts. Pawn Duel — pawns and nothing else. One square forward, capture diagonally. First to reach the far side wins. The gentlest introduction to chess there is. Four in a Row — chips drop down the columns, four in a row wins. Five in a Row — the same idea on open ground: 9×9 or 13×13, five stones side by side win. Longer and craftier than tic tac toe. Sprouts — draw a line from dot to dot without crossing anything. Every line you draw creates a new dot. Run out of moves and you lose. It looks simple. It isn't. Nine Men's Morris — the official board with three rings and nine stones. Place, move, close a mill, take a stone. A small board is included for beginners, along with a rules introduction you can flip through. THREE WAYS TO PLAY Face to face — the board lies between you, each side the right way up. Most games work this way. At the same time — the screen belongs to both of you at once, and reaction is all that counts. Hand over — only in Crack the Code, because there one of you has something to hide. A MENU, NOT A LIST OF GAMES The games are sorted by cooking time: snacks under a minute, starters for the gap in between, mains for when the kitchen is in no hurry. Every game shows its length and difficulty. FOR PARENTS • No ads — none from third parties either • No in-game purchases, no coins, no subscriptions • No internet, no account, no tracking • No external links, no chat • No reward loops, no daily bonuses, no streaks • All data stays on the device Feedback comes through vibration rather than sound — the app is silent by default, because it gets used in restaurants. Sound can be switched on. THOUGHT THROUGH The players are called Teal and Pink and are told apart by the shape of their pieces as well as the colour, so colour blindness is not a problem. VoiceOver reads out every square. Series run as best of 3, 5 or 7. The starting player alternates each round. Available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese. For iPhone and iPad — on iPad the face-to-face mode is better still. Buy once, done. No running costs.