BowlingBowling in the palm of your hand. Roll for strikes and spares across 10 frames and beat your friend’s final score.
Play Bowling online with friends for free
Basic Rules
"Smokey, this is not ‘Nam. This is bowling. There are rules." - Walter
Basic Gameplay
A game of Bowling on Plato consists of either 5 or 10 rounds, also called as "frames".
In each frame, the player will have 2 chances to knock down as many bowling pins as possible.
Players throw the ball by tapping and holding on their ball, and then swiping upwards towards the pins.
Strikes
When all 10 pins are knocked down with the 1st ball, this is called a Strike.
A Strike is worth 10 points, plus a bonus of whatever is scored with the next 2 balls.
A Strike is marked as an “X” on the score sheet.
Spares
When all 10 pins are knocked down with the 2 balls of a frame, it is known as a Spare.
A Spare is worth 10 points, plus a bonus of whatever is scored with the 1st ball of the next frame.
A Spare is marked as a slash "/" on the score sheet.
Last Frame
If the player knocks down all 10 pins in the last frame, they're allowed to throw 3 balls for that frame.
Can I play online?
Yes. Install the Plato app on iOS, Android, or macOS to play the full catalog with friends or matchmade opponents. You can also play Ocho online in your web browser — no install needed.
Can I play with friends?
Yep. Tap Create Private Game, then share the invite link or invite from your contacts. When they tap Accept, they're seated at your table.
Is it free?
Yes — free to play and ad-free. If you buy something, it's for looks (themes, profile flair), not power.
Is it fair?
Shuffles, deals, dice, and timers run on Plato servers, not your device. Everyone plays by the same rules and no one can peek at hidden information.
Is it safe?
You can block and report from profiles or chat. Public spaces use filters and human review. Some rooms use Chat Pass to deter spam, and privacy controls let you limit who sees you online.
Live vs. turn-based: what’s the difference?
Both are turn-taking; the difference is the clock. Live uses short timers for quick back-and-forth. Turn-based gives you longer — often up to 24 hours per move in games like Chess — so you can play at your pace.
