QR table games: how exactly does it work?

Games via a QR code sound like something that comes with a project attached: equipment, installation, briefing the staff. In practice, it's a card on the table and nothing else. This explanation walks through the whole chain, so you know exactly what you're saying yes to.

Step by step

1. Each table gets its own QR code. It's unique per table, so the system knows which table someone is sitting at.
2. A guest scans it with their own phone's camera. Nothing needs to be installed; it opens in the browser.
3. They enter a nickname. No account, no email address, no password.
4. They choose how they want to play: alone, together with their own table, or against another table in the venue.
5. They choose a game and start. A round takes two to five minutes.

That's it. There's no moment at which your staff need to do anything.

What you need to sort out yourself

Once only: printing or having the QR codes printed and placing them on the tables. After that, you choose in the customer portal which games you want switched on. Switch a game off, and it disappears from all tables immediately.

There's no equipment, no installation and no training. The only physical action is placing a card on the table.

What if the wifi is poor?

This is the question asked most often, and rightly so: many venues have a basement, a terrace or a back room with patchy reception. Guests play on their own mobile connection, so your wifi isn't needed. The games are deliberately built to be light, precisely for places where reception isn't great.

So are guests on their phones all evening?

That depends entirely on the length and the format. A round of two to five minutes fills the gap between ordering and the food arriving, and then stops. And two of the three play formats are specifically built so people don't sit apart: together on one phone, or a whole table against another table. That produces noise and laughter, not silence.

What happens with data

Guests don't have an account and only enter a nickname. No names, email addresses or phone numbers of your guests are stored. What is stored, and why, is set out in the privacy statement.

The three play formats, and when you want which

Playing alone

One guest, one phone. Suited to the gap between ordering and the food arriving, and to the guest who's dining alone. Puzzles, memory games and reaction tests fall under this.

Together on one phone

The whole table joins in, taking turns on the same device. This is the format where the objection about phones applies least: there's one phone on the table and everyone watches together. Works well for families and groups.

Against another table

Two or more tables compete against each other, with a leaderboard that updates live. This is the format that creates buzz in the venue, and one venues choose when they want atmosphere on a quiet evening.

You decide yourself which games are switched on, so also which formats your guests get to see.

What you get to see

• How many games have been played, per day, week, month and year.
• Which games are played most and how long each game is played for.
• How many different guests took part.
• How many reviews and order requests resulted from it.

That way you can see within two weeks whether it's a hit with your guests, instead of having to guess.

The questions everyone asks before they start

Do my tables need to look different?

No. The QR code can go on a stand-up card, on a sticker, or be printed into a menu or coaster. You choose how it looks yourself; you set the size and layout in the customer portal.

What if a guest scans the QR code of another table?

Then they'll play from that table. This is rarely a problem, and with table-versus-table it's exactly the point. If you're worried about confusion, you can turn that game mode off.

Does it work on older phones?

Everything runs in the browser and nothing gets installed, so the only requirement is a phone with a modern browser. In practice that means almost any device from the last six years.

Can I see which table is playing what?

You can see the number of games, the games played and the play duration. You can't see who's playing: guests don't have an account and only enter a nickname.

What happens if the system goes down?

A guest will then see a short maintenance message saying they can try again in a few minutes. Nothing goes wrong with your table, your menu or your till, because those are independent of it.

What it costs

The price depends on the number of tables and can be cancelled monthly. The overview is on the pricing page; all games are listed on their own page.