How to play One Piece TCG online with friends: private 1v1 games

If your usual opponent lives far away or you can never make it to the shop on the same night, you can still play the One Piece Card Game together from home. This guide covers the five ways to play online with a friend as of 7 November 2026: private rooms on ARENA and OPTCGSim, Untap.in, Tabletop Simulator and webcam play with physical cards. We also walk you through creating a private room on ARENA, give you ideas to get the most out of it and explain how to agree on deck rules.

A heads-up before we start: ARENA is our simulator. Neither ARENA nor any of the other simulators in this guide is official: they are fan projects with no connection to Bandai.

Five ways to play 1v1 online with a friend

ARENA: private room with a code

On ARENA, one of you creates a private room and sends the code to the other. It runs in the browser, so it does not matter if one of you is on a computer and the other on a phone, an iPad or a Mac. There is nothing to install and no need to be on the same version.

• Rules: automated, with the official rules and every card.
• Price: free. You sign in with a code sent to your email, no password.
• Decks: meta decklists load in one tap, or you build your own with any Leader.
• Language: ARENA's interface is in Spanish, English, French, Italian and German.

OPTCGSim: private match

The longest-running simulator. In multiplayer mode you can create a private match and share the room code with your friend. The rules and card effects are automated.

• Platform: download for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS from its website.
• Bear in mind: you both need to be on the same version. When a new one comes out you have to download it again; if one of you falls behind, you cannot play each other.
• Decks: imported by pasting a text list.

Untap.in: virtual tabletop in the browser

Untap.in is a free virtual tabletop that supports One Piece. Nothing is automated here: you draw, move your DON!! and resolve effects yourself, just like at a real table. You need to create an account and build your deck before playing. There are few open games, so it is usually used with someone you have already arranged to play. It is good for practising the physical side of the game: counting DON!! and resolving Counters as you would at a local tournament.

Tabletop Simulator: 3D table

A Steam game that simulates a table. For One Piece you need a community mod from the Steam Workshop. One of you hosts the game and invites the other.

• Price: paid, around €19.50 as of November 2026 (it changes with sales). You both have to buy it.
• Platform: Windows, Mac and Linux. There is no mobile version.
• Rules: manual. Some mods add buttons for drawing or untapping, but you apply the rules yourselves. Note that some One Piece mods have been removed from the Workshop.

Webcam with physical cards

The simplest option if you both own cards. You start a video call, for example on Discord, and each point a camera at your play area. Some community online tournaments are played this way. You need a camera pointing down at the table, good lighting and patience: you will have to read out what you play and what each card does, because the other person will not always see it clearly. In return, you practise with the same physical deck you will take to the tournament.

Comparison table

Information as of 7 November 2026.

If you want to see more options, such as DuelVoyager or OneSimulator, we compare them in the best One Piece TCG simulators.

How to create a private room on ARENA, step by step

1. Sign in with your email. Open ARENA, the free simulator, in your browser, enter your email and type in the code you receive. There is no password. If you do not have an account, one is created automatically.
2. Choose your player name. It is unique. Send it to your friend so they know it is you.
3. Set up your deck. Load a meta decklist in one tap or build your own with any Leader.
4. Create a private 1v1 room. ARENA gives you a code.
5. Send the code to your friend on WhatsApp, Discord or however you usually talk. They also need to sign in with their email.
6. Your friend joins with the code and you start. The rules are applied automatically: no arguing over whether a Counter goes through or not.

Ideas for playing with friends

A weekly mini-league

If there are four to eight of you, set up a league. Each week, everyone plays everyone, best of three, in private rooms. Keep the standings in a shared spreadsheet: wins, losses and which Leader each person played. Two rules that help:

• A deadline for each round, for example Sunday night, so nobody falls behind.
• Locked decks for the whole league, or one change allowed halfway through. That way the league rewards knowing how to pilot your deck, not swapping it every week.

Testing matchups

Before a tournament, ask a friend to play the deck you struggle against most. For example, if you play Rocks OP17-039, Black Luffy OP17-079 is its toughest matchup according to our deck guide. Play ten games in a row, alternating who goes first, and note what decided each one. You will find the matchups for each deck in the best meta decks.

Teaching a new friend

If your friend has never played, do not start with a game against you. Get them to read how to play One Piece Card Game first and play a few games against the ARENA AI, which has four levels, starting with the easiest. That way they learn the turn structure and phases without pressure, on any device: ARENA runs in the browser. Once they win a game or two, move up to a private room. Give them a simple, straightforward deck, such as one built from a starter deck, and play the first few games with your hands face up, explaining every decision.

How to agree on deck rules

Before the first game, decide which cards are allowed. It saves arguments. The easiest approach is to use the same rules as official tournaments:

• Standard format. Until 31 March 2027 the format uses cards from blocks 2 to 5, that is, OP-05 onwards, plus Bandai's exceptions. We explain it in the One Piece TCG Standard format.
• Banlist. As of 4 November 2026 there are 6 banned cards and 3 banned pairs; the latest is Dracule Mihawk OP14-020, banned since 12 October 2026. The full list is in One Piece TCG banned cards.
• Deck building: 1 Leader, 50 cards in the Leader's colour, a maximum of 4 copies of each card number and 10 DON!!. If in doubt, see how to build a One Piece TCG deck.
• New cards. Agree whether freshly released cards are allowed, such as those from EB-05 and OP-18. If you are each playing on a different simulator, check that both have them.

Among friends you can also make up your own rules: commons only, starter decks only, or the Extra format, which allows every card. The important thing is to decide before you build your decks.

FAQ

Can I play One Piece TCG online with a friend for free?

Yes. ARENA, OPTCGSim and Untap.in are free. With a webcam you only need the cards. Tabletop Simulator is paid.

Can my friend and I play from different devices?

On ARENA, yes, because it runs in the browser on a phone, iPad, Mac or PC. On OPTCGSim too, as long as you are both on the same version. We go into detail in One Piece TCG on Mac, iPad and mobile.

What if we want to compete against other players?

Private rooms are for playing with people you choose. To test yourself against others, ARENA has a ranked league with 8 ranks and Swiss tournaments with top cut. We cover all the options in One Piece TCG online tournaments.

Do I need to own the cards to play online?

Not on simulators: you have every card. You only need them for webcam play. That means you can test a deck properly before buying a single card. For lists worth trying, see the best One Piece TCG decks.

Keep reading

• Best One Piece TCG simulators: the full comparison.
• One Piece TCG online tournaments: where to compete from home.
• OPTCGSim alternative: no-download options.
• How to play One Piece Card Game, step by step.

One Piece card images: © Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation. One Piece Card Game is a Bandai product; ONLYCHASES is not affiliated with Bandai.