Local multiplayer
Local multiplayer is a mode in which several people play the same game together on the same device or in the same room, instead of connecting over the internet.
It comes in a few forms. Split-screen gives each player a slice of one display. Shared-screen games put everyone in one view. Pass-and-play hands a single device from person to person on their turn, and phone-as-controller games keep one big screen while each person uses their own phone.
Its appeal is simplicity and presence. There are no accounts, no matchmaking, no strangers and no lag from a distant server. You play with the people you chose, and the laughter happens in the room. For families it also means no online chat with strangers.
The cost is hardware. Older local games needed one controller per player, which capped groups at around four. Using phones lifts the cap, since a room of eight can join the same game in under a minute.
Bossfeed party games - local multiplayer for up to 8 phones and one screen.