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Some hosts choose to make their games private — visible only to people they personally invite. Private games do not appear on the Browse feed or on any map view, regardless of your location or filter settings. To join a private game, you need either a 6-digit join code or a direct invite link from the host.

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What makes a game private

When a host creates or edits a game and enables the private setting, the game is excluded from the public Browse feed entirely — it never appears in search results, regardless of your location or filters. A Private — invite only badge appears on the game’s detail page for anyone viewing it.

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Two ways to join a private game

6-digit join code

The host shares a numeric code. Enter it on the Browse page to navigate directly to the game.

Invite link

The host shares a URL of the form /invite/:token. Opening the link takes you straight to the game detail page.

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Joining with a join code

1

Open the Browse page

Navigate to the Browse view (/?view=browse). The Join with code button appears in the sticky toolbar next to the Search button.
2

Click 'Join with code'

A dialog opens with the title “Join a private game” and the prompt: “Enter the 6-digit code the host shared with you.”
3

Enter the code

Type the 6-digit numeric code. The input field only accepts digits and is formatted in a large monospace display so the code is easy to read. You can also press Enter to submit.
4

Find the game

Click Find game. The platform looks up the game by its join code. If a match is found, you are navigated directly to that game’s detail page with a success toast: “Found ‘[game title]’ — request to join below.” If no match is found, you see an error: “No game found for that code.”
5

Request to join

On the game detail page, follow the standard join flow — click Request to join, optionally leave a message, agree to the Code of Conduct, and confirm. See Requesting to join a game for the full flow.
The join code is generated by the platform and visible to the host on the game detail page under a Join code panel. The host can copy it from there to share with invitees.
Hosts and approved members can share a direct invite link. The link follows the pattern:
Opening this URL navigates you to the game’s detail page. From there, you follow the same join request flow as any other game.
If you receive an invite link, you don’t need to know the join code — the link takes you directly to the game page. Both methods lead to the same join request flow.
Whether you arrive via join code or invite link, the experience is identical to any other game detail page:
  • You’ll see the game’s title, sport, skill level, date, location (city-level until approved), and current roster.
  • The Private — invite only badge confirms this is an invite-only session.
  • You request to join, the host approves, and your status moves from pending to approved — at which point the full address and the game discussion thread become available to you.
Phone verification is still required to join a private game. If your phone isn’t verified yet, you’ll be prompted to complete verification in your profile settings before you can submit a request.