Try a Game Before Signing Up: Guest Bot Play in Seven Games

When you open an unfamiliar game, you probably want to know whether the controls make sense, whether the pace suits you, and whether it would be fun with friends. A registration form cannot answer those questions before you have seen the board or played a hand.

The October 7 update opens bot play to guests in Chinese Chess, Gomoku, Chinese Checkers, Guandan, Xiangyang Ka Wu Xing, Bull (Niuniu) and Blackjack. You can try a game against bots before deciding to register. Of this week's updates, this is one new players can put to use straight away.

Start your first game

1. Open the BluffKing game lobby and choose one of the seven games above.
2. When you are signed out, these game lobbies open in bot mode. Check the room settings; Chinese Chess, for example, lets you choose a bot difficulty.
3. Press the start button and play a game against bots. You do not need to fill out a registration form before entering this mode.

If you already have an account and are signed in, you can still select bot mode in the game lobby. Guest play requires an internet connection; opening the game in a browser does not make it an offline game.

Give your first game a small goal

Pick a game you want to learn and one thing to practise. That makes a first session more manageable than trying every mode at once.

• Gomoku: learn how to place stones and spot an opponent's developing lines. Start with the Gomoku guide.
• Chinese Chess: choose easy difficulty, get used to moving pieces and check indicators, then adjust the difficulty. See the Chinese Chess guide.
• Guandan: focus on wild cards, legal combinations and your partnership. Bots fill the other three seats in a guest bot game, so you can learn the flow of a round on your own. See the Guandan guide.
• Xiangyang Ka Wu Xing: learn this mahjong variant's local rules, especially exposed ready hands and winning conditions. Follow the interface for the actions available on your turn, and read the Ka Wu Xing guide.

Bot games are useful for learning controls and rules. Bots do not represent every human strategy, and a few wins do not mean you have mastered a game.

Register when you want to play with friends

A guest bot table contains you and bots; other players cannot take a seat. It gives you room to learn on your own. Creating a room for human players or playing at the same table as friends still requires registration, and the relevant entry points will guide you to sign up.

This update opens bot entry in the seven games listed above. It does not remove account requirements from every game or room. For example, Big & Small and Baccarat still require an account. Guest access is also not a promise of permanent record storage; if you plan to keep playing, register before continuing.

Get comfortable before inviting friends

Trying an unfamiliar game used to mean registering before you could explore the table. Now you can play a game on your own, learn where the buttons are and what happens each round, then invite friends. If you only want to see whether a game suits you, there is one less step before finding out.

Try a game in the lobby. If you have not picked one yet, the game selection guide compares options by player count and what you want to practise.