Game modes

7 ways to play Pen Fight

Play alone, pass one screen around a group, or open a live desk with friends.

1 September 2026 · 10 min read

1. Play the solo class championship

Solo is the place to begin if you want to learn the flick without waiting for anybody. You face computer-controlled classmates in best-of-five matches. Each opponent brings a different pen and a different habit to the desk, so the run teaches more than one safe shot.

The championship also uses pen stakes. A win can put the rival's pen in your box. A loss can cost the pen you carried into the match. That makes the choice before a fight matter, especially once you have collected something you do not want to risk.

Finish the championship and the school corridor opens. The solo game continues through rooms with their own rules instead of repeating the same ladder forever.

2. Play a 2-player local duel

Local mode puts both pens on one screen. Choose 2 players, enter both names and give each person a pen. The active player flicks, then the screen shows whose turn comes next.

This works well on a tablet or laptop placed between 2 people. It also works on a phone if both players are comfortable passing it back and forth. You do not need an account, a room link or a second device.

A 2-player local game is first to 3 round wins. If one pen falls, the other player gets the point. The opening player and starting positions rotate between rounds so one side does not keep the same edge.

3. Put 3 local players on one desk

With 3 players, the round becomes last pen standing. Turns move around the desk in order. Once a pen falls, that player watches until the round ends. The last pen left earns the point.

Three-player local is still first to 3. It has more room for temporary alliances and inconvenient angles, although the game never adds a team rule. Every pen is trying to be the final one on the wood.

4. Use local multiplayer for 4, 5 or 6 players

This is the party version. One device carries a wider desk, up to 6 named players and a separate pen for everybody. A tablet, laptop or large phone in landscape is the easiest setup. Full-screen mode keeps browser controls away from the playing area when the device supports it.

Rounds still use last pen standing. A knocked-out player waits while the remaining turns skip past empty seats. With more pens on the desk, matches are first to 2 round wins rather than first to 3. That keeps a 6-player game moving.

Local party keeps a running series as well as the current game. After a result, the group can play again, check the series standings or save and exit. Returning on the same device brings the saved group back to the player screen.

5. Invite one friend with a live link

Friend mode is the online version of a head-to-head desk. One player opens the room and sends the full invitation. The second player opens it on another phone or computer, chooses a pen and presses ready.

Both players see the same accepted shot and final pen positions. The game waits for movement to settle before it passes the turn. Friend links belong to a live desk, so make a fresh invitation when you return for another session.

The complete setup is in the guide to playing Pen Fight online with friends.

6. Open a 3-player friend desk

Friend mode is built for 2 or 3 online players. On a 3-player desk, each person uses a separate device. The first pen out waits and the last pen left takes the round. The match is first to 3.

The person opening the room shares one class link with the other 2 players. Everybody chooses a name and pen before readying up. If the 3-player option is not shown in the mode picker on your build, use a 2-player friend desk instead.

7. Find an instant online match

Instant mode looks for somebody who is available now. Choose the desk size, enter the queue and keep the page open while it searches. Once enough players are seated, the game opens the shared match.

The instant door only appears while public matchmaking is open. That makes Friend the better choice for a planned game. Instant is useful when you do not have a particular person to invite.

What opens after the championship?

The corridor turns solo play into a set of stranger desks:

• Class 9B: your single pen faces a pair of rival pens.
• Class 9C: pens stay outside and the fights use pencils.
• Chemistry lab: 3 rivals play around a desk with an outer lip and a sink.
• Physics lab: the same worn desk behaves in 3 different states.
• Staff room: a timed dare waits beyond the labs.

These rooms are part of the solo journey. They do not replace Local, Friend or Instant mode, and they do not require somebody else to be online.

Which mode should you choose?

Start Solo if you are learning the controls or want to collect pens. Choose Local when everybody is in the same room and one shared screen is part of the fun. Use Friend when you know exactly who should sit down. Pick Instant when its door is open and you want the next available player.

For a larger in-person group, go straight to 4 to 6-player Local and use a wide screen. For 3 people in different places, choose the 3-player friend desk when it is listed. The mode picker tells you which online doors are open on the current build.