Dial M for multiplayer

On desktop PCs, most multiplayer gaming takes place over the Internet. But Windows Mobile gamers have other options.

Some multiplayer games allow you to bypass the Internet and connect directly to your opponents’ Windows Mobile handset—the perfect solution for playing a roommate or family member sitting across the room. Why? For starters, it’s cheaper. Mobile providers charge for Internet service. A direct phone-to-phone connection, on the other hand, is free.

Here's how it typically works: Once everyone in the room has the game installed, one player’s smartphone or Pocket PC is designated the “host." To play, all your opponent has to do is connect his device to your device.

Many games sniff for the wireless signals of eligible players and connect them automatically. Some older titles, however, might require players to manually punch in the host device’s network address (the game’s instructions should explain how).

Occasionally, you might even run across a multiplayer title that supports both Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi for direct phone-to-phone gaming. Which is better? Bluetooth typically has a maximum range of a few dozen feet. Wi‑Fi works over longer distances, but puts a heavier strain on your battery. So you can engage the enemy longer on a Bluetooth connection, but farther with a Wi‑Fi link.

Not all multiplayer titles support direct mobile-to-mobile gaming. Some examples of popular games that do include Super Miners and Explode Arena, two arcade-style games from Infinite Dreams. Raging Thunder is a car racing title that supports up to four players from Polarbit. If air combat is your thing, check out Mini-Dogfight and Mini-Jetfight, two Bluetooth multiplayer titles from OmniG Software Inc.

Of course, sometimes your roommate or little brother isn't around when you're feeling bored. That’s when the Internet comes in handy.

The Internet is the ideal matchmaking medium for multiplayer gaming. It can connect you to willing opponents across town—or the planet—whenever you’re up for a match. If you're new to online gaming, it typically works like this: A game publisher sets up an Internet-connected computer—a “server” in computerese—to act as a virtual playground. Once you’ve established a Wi‑Fi connection to the Internet, the game you installed then connects you to the server, where you can find and take on other opponents.

Examples of Windows Mobile multiplayer titles designed for Internet play are Shadow of Legend, a Dungeons-and-Dragons-style adventure game. Aspyr makes a multiplayer Pocket PC version of the popular first-person shooter, Call of Duty 2.

If you like to play card or board games, check out the titles from Real Dice's Multiplayer Championship series, including Hearts, Backgammon, Chess, and Spades. DreamQuest Software also makes a number of popular card and board games designed for Internet play.