Turn Based Games

Turn Based is an asynchronous multiplayer format where two players trade moves over time. Each turn happens inside the Lens, then travels to the other player as a Snap—no servers to run, and no need for both players to be online at the same time.

How a match flows

1. A player opens your Lens, takes their turn, and sends the result as a Snap to a friend.
2. The friend opens the Snap, and the Lens restores the match exactly where it left off—scores, board state, and whose move it is.
3. They take their turn and send it back. The loop continues until the game ends.

Snapchat's Turn Based Dynamic Response system carries the game state inside each Snap automatically. Your Lens reads the incoming state, applies the new turn, and writes the outgoing state—the format handles delivery, ordering, and identity.

Why the format works on Snapchat

• Built on how friends already talk. Turns ride the same Snaps and Chats players exchange every day, so a match invitation feels like a normal message, not an install prompt.
• No live session required. Players respond on their own schedule, which keeps matches alive across time zones and busy days.
• Every turn is a re-engagement. Each move lands in the recipient's Chat, pulling both players back into the Lens.

The format fits classics like tic-tac-toe, pool, and darts, plus any back-and-forth idea where players respond to each other's moves.

Build a Turn Based game

• Turn Based Component—manages turns, players, and game state inside your Lens.
• Turn Based Player Info—displays player identities, including 3D Bitmoji avatars and usernames.
• Turn Based Replay—records a turn and replays it for the opponent before they move.
• Turn Based Game Example—a complete two-player sample project to learn from.