Beat my score, with the same grids

How does a duel work?

You finish a game and the result screen is the score card. Tap Beat my score and the iOS share sheet opens with the card image and a message such as Beat 11.2 s in a 30-second focus game, plus the link. The other person sees They held 11.2 s, plays Search with three grids and a Hold round of up to 60 seconds, and gets a result of win, loss or tie. Their reply card carries a new code with their score and the same seed.

Because the seed is shared, both players see the same grids in the same order and at the same pace, so the comparison is fair. A rematch uses the same seed again, and a fresh game creates a new seed and a new code.

How do you start a duel, step by step?

You need one finished game and one person to send it to. The whole exchange takes about a minute of effort plus the round itself.

1. Play a focus game, or open an old result from your game history.
2. On the result screen, tap Beat my score and choose a card style: paper, oxblood or ink.
3. Send the card through the iOS share sheet, or copy the code and paste it into any chat.
4. Your friend opens the code in Ebb and plays Search with three grids and a Hold round of up to 60 seconds.
5. They send the reply card back. It shows both scores and a win, loss or tie.

What is in the code?

The code is 10 characters. It packs the random seed that decides the grids, the score in tenths of a second, which round set to use and a short check value. Nothing is looked up on a server, so the same code always replays the same duel. The check is a light guard against typing mistakes and casual tampering, not a security claim.

You can also type a code by hand under You, Enter a duel code. If the code is wrong, the app says that code does not work.

Who are duels for?

Duels suit two kinds of people. One is a pair or a small group who already compare small things, like a puzzle result in a group chat. The other is someone who wants a reason to play the game daily without turning it into a leaderboard. There is no ranking, no friend list and no feed, so a duel is always between the two people holding the code.

A realistic example: you hold 11.2 seconds on a Tuesday evening and send the card to a sibling. They get 9.8 on the first try, ask for a rematch and use the same seed. On the second pass they know the grids, so treat a rematch as practice and a fresh game as the fair comparison.

Which cards can I share?

There are four: a span card, a duel card, a receipt card and a streak card. The span card has three styles, paper, oxblood and ink. From the share screen you can save the image to Photos, which asks only for permission to add, copy the code or send it through the share sheet. Streak cards come at 7, 21, 50 and 100 days.

The receipt card comes from the Scroll Receipt and shows the labeled numbers.

What data leaves my phone?

Only what you choose to send through the share sheet: the image and the code. The code contains no name, no app usage and no personal data. The privacy policy says the duel page on ebb.app is a static page with no cookies and no tracking scripts, with only the host's standard anonymous request logs. See the privacy policy.

The card image is made on the phone. If you save it to Photos, iOS asks for add-only access, which lets Ebb write the image and not read your library. Nothing is uploaded unless you send it somewhere yourself.

What are the honest limits of a duel?

A duel measures a few seconds of a small game, so sleep, noise and a bad hand position all show up in the number. Codes carry only a check value, so a determined person can edit one, which is why the feature is meant for friends and not for prizes. And the other player needs the app.

Used as intended, a duel is a light nudge. It gives you one more reason to open Ebb on purpose instead of by reflex.

What if my friend does not have the app?

The code works in the app for anyone who has Ebb installed, so your friend needs the app to join a duel. If they do not have it yet, send the link again once they have installed the app. Your score card stays on your phone, so you can share it as many times as you like.