Skill games are made to prioritize skill over chance, and while there are random variables within the games, they are predominantly determined by skill. You are always competing against another player, and the goal is to beat their score, timed run, or record.
Bots in Skill Game Apps: What Players Should Know
However, if you do run into a losing streak and seem to always get paired with players who make virtually no mistakes and have near-instantaneous reaction speed, it can start to feel like the system is rigged against you.
Especially since most skill games are conducted with asynchronous matches – meaning you are not playing against someone live. Some players may start to believe that they are playing against bots – we have seen this feedback in countless forums and discussion threads.
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Quick Answer (TL;DR)
Skill games are peer to peer games and you never play against a bot. When you play any skill game, your performance is measured with scores based on different skill elements. For example, on your speed, decision making, mistakes, accuracy, and various other factors. Then, this is compiled into a score, which is compared against your peer, and the winner takes the prize.
Suspicions can arise from who you are playing against, as sometimes it can feel like a bot. Legit skill games sites give you the assurances that you really are playing against humans, and they have dispute resolution, sometimes even with Game History or even replays offered. Also, skill games apps don’t benefit at all if they pit you against a bot.
There is no reason to rig the games against you in particular, as skill games apps will make their money regardless of whether you win or lose. Their cut comes in the form of a rake, or a commission, claiming a part of the rewards from every single head to head challenge or tournament pool. The concerns about bots are very alarming to anyone who has never tried skill games, and while the short answer to the question is “no, there are no bots”, it is important to understand how these games and platforms operate behind the scenes.
The 4 key takeaways
The way the matchmaking is handled plays an important role in the fairness and quality of the competition you face. As does the board or game layout, and the conditions in which you and your peer are competing. When you check out any trustworthy skill games app, these criteria are directly addressed in their FAQs or terms of service.
Asynchronous and Evenly Balanced Matching
The most likely reason why anyone may think the matches are against bots is that the match-making is not done live in the majority of skill games. Most skill games run asynchronous games, meaning that your score is going to be measured against another player who has either already played the game, or will play the game after you.
For every asynchronous game, there is a Host and a Challenger. The Host plays the game first, and then submits their score. This remains pending until an eligible Challenger plays the game, and then the scores are compared, and the winner is determined.
Matching Skill Levels
You are always matched against players with an equal skill rating to yours. Your skill level is determined by how many times you have played a game, your historical wins/losses, and your score aggregate.
This is not an exact science, so there may be mismatches, but the skill games apps try to minimize this. The scoring for the games is done based on numerous criteria, to help make the skill level more accurate and fair for all players.
Starting Game Conditions
In asynchronous games, your skill level is taken at the start of the game, not at the end. This means, if you log a really high score, you won’t be deliberately paired against a higher skill player, or a poor score pits you against a player with a lower perceived skill level.
While you are not necessarily playing the games at the same time, the starting conditions and board will be the same for both players. It uses the same RNG seed, so if you draw an Ace, 2, 7 and Jack in that order, the competing player should get the same sequence of cards. The playing conditions should be the same at the start, but depending on the actions you take, the next plays may differ (such as you clearing a level in Solitaire and changing the card order, whereas your peer fails to and is stuck).
Game History and Resolution
Skill games apps can provide records or logs where you can check historical matches. Some have features such as replays, where you can watch the game in hindsight. You can always leave feedback or reach out to the staff to check the game if you think there were any mistakes or technical issues that impeded the gameplay.
But your score will always be measured against a human being, and one that is of a comparable skill level to yours.
Asynchronous Gaming and Skill Matching
This section deserves more explanation, because it is the most misunderstood aspect of skills games. In a perfect world, you would open your skill games app and launch a game – and your doppelganger of the same skill level would launch the same game at the same time.
But the reality is not that convenient.
Why Skill Games Use Asynchronous Matching
It is merely for practical purposes. Instead of leaving you waiting in a game lobby until someone suitable comes along, you can play the game straight away. Because your score will be logged instantly.
If there are no Hosts, you become the Host. That means your score is submitted, and then that same RNG seed and starting game condition are locked. When a suitable Challenger comes along, they play that same game, with the same conditions. In the meantime, your submitted score is left on Pending, and when the Challenger finishes the game your scores are compared.
If there is a Host score, you take on the role of the Challenger, meaning you get the same game and then when you finish, your scores will be compared.
Now there are a few rare scenarios that can unfold here. A Host’s score can only be left on Pending for a limited frame of time. Usually, it will be matched soon after, but in rare cases, it may be left on the shelf for too long, and then the score is canceled and the Host gets a refund. Extremely annoying.
A Challenger has the better scenario here, as they have already been matched, but to make the game fair, they don’t know what the Host scored. Otherwise, it would be a lopsided game. No, the Challenger does their very best, and then when they are paired they will know whether they won or lost.
Asynchronous Matching Pros:
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How Skill Levels are Determined
Your skill level is determined by numerous factors to make things fair. For instance, it takes into account how many times you have played a game, your average and highest scores, your wins/losses, and how you fare against opponents in certain level brackets. You don’t get 1 general level for all games, your skill level varies by each game. So you can be an expert blackjack player but still a beginner in word puzzles. The goal of measuring all these is to score your skill level, so you don’t get matched against players of a higher or lower level than yours, but as equally matched as possible.
This is made much easier by the asynchronous game system, as there is a very small chance of two players having the same perceived skill level sitting down to play the same game at the same time. The host/challenger system is also made completely fair by recording the game conditions for the Host and giving these same conditions to the Challenger. What’s more, the Host’s skill level is recorded before they play. So if the Host has a very good round, they won’t be put into a higher skill bracket against tougher opponents.
Skill matching is not a faultproof science, however detailed and thorough the skill game sites are. It cannot accurately record every single detail about your performance and attribute a 100% rating to your skill level. But these platforms use complex algorithms to minimize the discrepancies as far as they possibly can. You won’t just reach a higher skill level because you played Bubble Shooter 100 times, or because you once hit a very high score. If you consistently demonstrate superior skills, you will be assigned to a higher bracket, where the competition is harder.
Skill Level Matching Pros:
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Why Players Worry About Bots in Skill Games
The asynchronous match making model, occasionally questionable skill-matching algorithms, and certain results can make players question skill games platforms. You are never playing against a bot at legitimate skill games platforms, but unusual patterns and seemingly inhuman scoring do throw that into doubt.
Repetitive losses or unusual score patterns
In head to head games, you should have an even chance of winning, that goes without saying. You are facing players with equal skill levels, and so it can feel rigged when you build a losing streak.
Seeing unusually low scores on your side, or seemingly impossible scores from your opponent can also build doubt.
Opaque matchmaking or limited transparency
You have to trust in the match-making algorithms when playing skill games, but sometimes it can feel off. Especially if you are continuously drawn against the same player – who seems like a bot because of their suspiciously high scores.
It also goes for tournament play, where you can submit seemingly impressive high scores, and players who have completed that game with the same starting conditions have hit a high score that looks virtually impossible for a human being to pull off.
Explanations for Bot Reasoning
But these can all be explained, and not with conspiracy theories but with tiny details that can easily go unnoticed.
You Are Not Playing vs a Bot
Facing the same player multiple times in a row doesn’t mean that you are playing against a bot. Just like you, that person has decided to play that game several times, and in smaller pools you can come up against them several times.
In more popular games this doesn’t happen often, it is something that occurs for more obscure or niche games which are not as likely to draw hordes of players.
Losing Streaks and Variance are Normal
Even if you have an equal chance of beating your opponent on paper form, it is not as simple as the odds on a coin flip. Think about your confidence and the focus you build when you win multiple games in a row – it does help sharpen your reflexes and make smarter decisions.
If you aren’t warmed up, lost a few games or are not as focused, that can impact your decisions and reaction time drastically. Losing streaks, just like winning streaks, are most often explained by simple confidence and focus.
High Scores are Conditional
You play with the same starting conditions as your opponent, but the decisions you make can drastically change what happens next. For example, you fail to complete a line in a game of Solitaire, or miss out on a high scoring word in a puzzle, and the remaining cards or letters are left on the block.
These limit your chances to score more points in the next few hands or puzzles, which your opponent may have taken full advantage of if they could solve the previous hands. It explains massive discrepancies in the scoring.
Your Low Score May Be Technically-Hindered
One of the easiest explanations for a low score or why your opponent has scored an impossibly high score can be explained by simple technical issues. Lags in your connection can cost valuable time and force you to make quicker decisions to leverage that lost reaction time.
Even details like playing on your mobile in landscape mode or portrait, which should be one and the same, may add tiny unforeseen advantages. You may find it easier to play a game in landscape mode, because the buttons are better spaced out, or on desktop because you set up hotkeys and can save precious milliseconds using more buttons.
What People Mean When They Say ‘Bots’
Bots here usually refer to computer opponents that can easily beat even the best players. Bots can also refer to:
You can rest assured that at legit skill games platforms, you are always playing against a real human. What’s more, if that opponent is trying to cheat by hacking, board manipulation, using unauthorized scripts, playing with a shadow bot or computer, or even using software that artificially lags the game, they will get spotted by the operators.
The punishment for cheating is account suspension for lighter offenses, and full bans for most breaches. It is in the Terms and Conditions that you sign, that you cannot use bots or virtual assistants/manipulation devices to play the games.
What Fair Operators Usually Do
The T&Cs clarify the participation rules, player eligibility, scoring systems for each game/tournament, and the match-making process. If you have any doubts or suspicions, you can always reach out to the customer support for more information.
Clear Contest Rules and Support Channels
Skill games sites will always display the terms and conditions, and rules for contest types. These are briefly summarized in the description of a game, but for the entire policy, you can head to the Terms of Service or the FAQs/Help Center.
It tells you everything you need to know, at least at a general level. For instance, it will state whether or not the games run on asynchronous matching, how the scoring works, and a breakdown of the points system.
For more detailed information, you can reach out to the support channels, inquiring about more detailed aspects.
History Logs, Replays and Starting Condition Clarification
Your results are logged in your account history, where you can view your independent game records and see how well you and your opponent fared in your matches. Some platforms also supply replays, where you can watch the games back, and see what went wrong or what decisions you made and how long it took for you to make them.
The customer support is there to answer any further questions. For instance, you can inquire about the starting conditions for the game, or you can raise disputes about the results. The latter should not be taken lightly, if you accuse another player, then you are essentially asking the operator whether or not they have cheated in the game.
How Operators Deal with Cheaters
Trustworthy operators do not use bots in their games, but the other party you are putting trust in is your fellow peers. They cannot mediate the games or control the outcomes, but players can still cheat at skill games.
How Players Cheat at Skill Games
Cheating is rare, but even the best platforms may run into players who try to hack the system, use scripts, or AI bots that optimize their plays.
It is difficult to pull off, but not completely impossible. Using any of these devices is considered cheating, and something that skill games apps punish severely.
How it is Detected
Every game is monitored, results are stored in the skill game site’s database, and they can quickly detect strange or weird patterns. For instance, players who suddenly change skill level without an explainable learning curve. Or gamers who seemingly make millisecond decisions that even the very best players cannot match.
Whatever the trigger, if a player flags up in the system, their next actions will be monitored with more scrutiny. Cheating cannot go unnoticed.
Cheating Consequences
Cheaters are banned from skill games apps, or in the most favorable scenario just given a suspension. They are not publicly revealed, for safety purposes, but they won’t be able to play the same way as before. Skill game apps can apply limits, restrict them from real money modes, and constrain their activity.
What Players Can Do If They Have Concerns
The best thing to do if you think you are playing against a bot – whether it is run by the operator or the case of another player cheating – is to reach out to the support channels immediately. You can ask for game logs and more clarity on what happened in the game.
Skill games platforms do not have regulators or the same kinds of game fairness auditors like online casinos. You don’t get games that are approved of by eCOGRA, or a skill games app that is licensed by an authority like the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Therefore, they have to be more transparent with their rules and flexible to handle customer disputes. Their whole product and business model is based on trust, and if anything happens to harm an operator’s reputation, it is the equivalent of a black listing for an online casino.
FAQs
Do skill games use bots?
No, skill games apps match players against other players in games that run on skill. Your performance is measured in scoring systems, and the player with the best score wins. There are no bots, the games do have RNG seeds to mix up the gameplay elements like card decks, but you play the same game as your opponent, with the same RNG seeds and starting layouts.
Are skill games player vs player?
Yes, you are always playing against another player in skill games. If no one else is playing a game that you have launched, then your submitted score will remain pending, and eventually deleted if no one plays the game. You will never be matched against a bot, and the skill games use machine learning detection software to ensure that no player you match against cheats.
Is there a house edge in skill games?
No, there is no house edge because you are not playing against the house in skill games. The games pit you against other players, and only players who are of the same skill level as yours. You pay an entry fee to play the games, and if you beat your opponent, you win their entry fee. The skill game apps take their cut through a rake from prize pools, or a commission on entry fees.
Are the game conditions the same in skill games?
Yes, skill games use RNG seeds to randomize in-game elements during each round, so you will not draw the same deck of cards in consecutive games of Solitaire, for example. However, to make the P2P games fair, your opponent will have the same or similar starting conditions, and their game will run with the same RNG seeds to ensure they are not getting a more favorable deck than the one you got.
What is asynchronous gameplay in skill games?
Asynchronous matching is how skill games can always give you a game, even when there are no eligible opponents online to match you with. Instead of playing against a live opponent, your score is submitted, and then paired with either an already existing player score (Host), or paired with a score of a player who plays the game after you (Challenger).
Can players cheat at skill games?
Yes, although it is very rare, and cheaters are punished at skill games. When you sign up to a skill games platform, you have to accept the T&Cs, part of which is agreeing to play the games fairly. If a player cheats by using unauthorized scripts, clock or lag-skewing devices, or shadow bots to play, they will be suspended or banned from the site.
Are skill games fair?
Yes, skill games are fair to play and every game you play is recorded in your account history. The games match players of equal skill levels against each other, so you always get fair competition and never compete against players of a higher or lower skill level to yours. There are no bots, and cheating by either party is not tolerated.
Author: Daniel Craymer
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