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Frequently asked questions
The questions people actually ask before their first game, answered plainly.
- How many people can play Donut Deck?
- Two to 10 in the browser. The physical edition seats two per box and every extra box adds two more seats, so on a table there is no upper limit at all.
- How long does a game take?
- About 15 minutes for a full game, and about 2 minutes to teach somebody who has never seen it.
- Is Donut Deck free to play online?
- Yes. The whole game is free in your browser — every mode, every variant, the AI opponents and online rooms. There is no account, no download and no paid tier.
- Do I need an account or an app?
- No. Open the page and play. Online rooms are joined with a four-letter code rather than a login, and nothing is installed.
- Can I play against the computer?
- Yes. Any seat can be a bot at Easy, Medium, Hard difficulty, and you can mix bots and people at the same table.
- Is there a solo mode?
- There is no puzzle-style solitaire variant, but you can play alone against one or more bots, which is a complete game in the same fifteen minutes.
- What kind of game is it?
- An abstract strategy card game built on edge matching and area enclosure. You place square cards in any of four rotations, match donuts across touching edges, and score by sealing regions of one flavour off completely.
- Is it a tile-laying game?
- It plays like one, but the components are square cards that you deal and draw, not tiles pulled from a bag. That difference matters: you have a hand, so you have decisions before you even choose where to place.
- How does the Cinnamon Roll work?
- It is wild for placement, then locks permanently to whichever donut it lands beside. Any delivered box containing one scores double.
- What comes in the physical box?
- 60 square cards split into two 30-card decks in different colours, five donut flavours across 240 quadrants, an accordion rulebook with the scoring table on the back, and delivery markers.
- Can I buy it yet?
- Not yet — the physical edition is in production. The browser version is the same game, free, in the meantime.
- Is Donut Deck good for families?
- Yes. Two minutes to teach, fifteen to play, no reading during the game and no player elimination. The depth is in where you place, which is optional to think about on a first game.
Not answered here? The full rules, the variants, or ask directly.