Fast path: skip the camera
If the QR scanner fails, type the code. On the phone open the Player home and enter the code shown on the TV. A five-character screen code pairs the phone as the TV remote. A six-character room code joins that game. Wrong codes and too many guesses get the same “not found” reply.
Read the code aloud carefully — letters and numbers can look similar on a busy TV. Zoom the Main screen UI if your host display supports it.
Camera and HTTPS checklist
Live camera scanning expects a secure context. Use https://castplaytv.com on both TV and phone. If someone typed http or a weird captive-portal redirect, fix the URL first.
When the browser blocks camera access, allow the permission for castplaytv.com and reload. iOS and Android both bury camera toggles in site settings.
If live scan still fails, use the take-photo-of-QR fallback when the UI offers it. A still image is often enough for the decoder.
- Confirm the address bar shows HTTPS
- Allow camera permission for the site
- Clean smudged lenses and reduce TV glare
- Stand closer — living-room distance plus glare defeats many cameras
- Fall back to manual room code without shame
Wi‑Fi isolation and “I see the site but cannot join”
Phones on a guest network may load castplaytv.com yet fail to stay connected to the same realtime room path the host uses, depending on how isolation is configured. Move everyone onto the primary SSID for same-room play.
Corporate or hotel Wi‑Fi sometimes blocks WebSockets. Try phone hotspot sharing from the host as a last resort for a small group, or switch to a network you control.
VPN apps on phones can break join. Disable VPN temporarily for the game night.
Stale rooms and refreshed TVs
A TV screen code lasts the whole night. Ending one game does not kick the phones or force a new scan. They return to the screen menu with their names. Reload the TV in the same browser and the same code comes back. The code closes only when someone ends the night.
Two people opening a TV screen by accident splits the party. Agree which display is the TV before scanning starts. A normal computer without the TV view still opens one game room at a time, the way it always has.
DoodleDash
Draw on a phone, guess out loud. Two to eight players, English or Swedish words, 75 seconds a turn.
2–8 players
WordGrid
A 15×15 tile crossword for 2–4. The grid is shared. Each rack stays on that player’s phone.
2–4 players
Chess
Two players and a shared board. Standard chess rules, colors shuffled when the game starts.
2 players
Freehold
An independent property-trading game for 2–8 players. The board stays on the TV. Deeds and bids stay on the phones.
2–8 players
Remote friends joining over the internet
Remote players do not need your living-room Wi‑Fi. They need the room code and a game that supports their mode. For own-screen titles, they should choose Player with own screen so the board appears on their device.
Send the code in chat as text, not only as a photo of the TV — photos blur. Our online play guide explains which games support own-screen mode.
FAQ
The QR code scans but nothing happens
Confirm you landed on castplaytv.com join flow and that the room still exists on the Main screen. Recreate the room if the TV tab reloaded.
Do I need the same Wi‑Fi for online play?
No. Same Wi‑Fi helps same-room QR join; remote players use the internet and the room code.
Can observers watch without joining as a player?
Yes. Use observer / watch flows where offered, or simply watch the Main screen in the living room.
More guides
Browse the guides library, or jump to hosting a TV game night, QR join troubleshooting, or Player with own screen.