Hotseat or hot seat, also known as pass-and-play, is a
multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
mode provided by some
turn-based
Timekeeping is relevant to many types of games, including video games, tabletop role-playing games, board games, and sports. The passage of time must be handled in a way that players find fair and easy to understand. In many games, this is don ...
video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
s, which allows two or more players to play on the same device by taking turns playing the game. The term was first used as a reference to playing a PC game and trading seats with the other player, but the mode dates back to
early 1980s arcade games.
A notable example of games that use this mode is the ''
Heroes of Might and Magic
''Heroes of Might and Magic'' (commonly abbreviated ''HoMM''), known as ''Might & Magic Heroes'' in 2011–2024, is a series of video games created and developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing.
As part of the ''Might and Magic ...
'' series, which allows up to 8 players to play locally on the same computer.
Hotseat multiplayer has also seen prominence on some
console
Console may refer to:
Computing and video games
* System console, a physical device to operate a computer
** Virtual console, a user interface for multiple computer consoles on one device
** Command-line interface, a method of interacting with ...
video games, especially certain multiplayer games that are intended to be family-friendly, within the
party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...
genre, or both. For example, the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
games ''
Wii Sports
''Wii Sports'' is a 2006 sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released in North America along with the Wii on 19 November 2006, and in Japan, Australia, and Europe the fo ...
'' and ''
Wii Sports Resort
''Wii Sports Resort'' is a 2009 sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sequel to '' Wii Sports'' (2006). It is the first first-party Wii game to support the Wii MotionPlus ac ...
'' have certain sports, such as golf, that require its competitors to take turns. Players share a
Wii Remote
The Wii Remote, colloquially known as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with an ...
, the system's
controller, which the current player has possession of during a turn.
Hotseat play allows players to play a multiplayer game with only one copy of the game on only one device. Since hotseat play is usually defined as turn-based by nature, the duration of a game may extend beyond that of a comparable real-time networked multiplayer game where each player can take action at the same time. Some games allow hotseat and networked players to compete with each other in the same game, while maintaining turn-based play. In those cases, hotseat enables players to play on fewer than physical computers.
See also
*
Play-by-mail game
A play-by-mail game (also known as a PBM game, PBEM game, turn-based game, turn based distance game, or an interactive strategy game.) is a game played through postal mail, email, or other digital media. Correspondence chess and Go (game), Go wer ...
*
Split-screen gaming
References
Esports terminology
Video game terminology
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