Starting a Session as Host
Pick a person, then deck, depth, language, and length; share the QR code, link, or code; cancel or end it.
Hosting begins by choosing a person, then a ritual.
Step 0 — Who Is This For?
Open the Start tab.
- Tap a friend's face to start a ritual with them. Bonded notifies them that you want to play.
- Tap Someone new for an ordinary open invite with a link and a code.
- Press and hold a face to hide it from these shortcuts. They remain your friend everywhere else, and Show hidden friends brings them back.
Steps 1-4 — Build the Ritual
- Pick the mood — the deck. Your recommended deck is marked; locked decks open Premium.
- Duo or Group — when Group Play is available on your account, the next step asks who is playing. See Hosting a Group.
- Set the depth — Light, Playful, Deep, or Spicy.
- Choose the language — English or Greek.
- How many questions? — 2 (quickest), 4, 6, or 10 (default). Free accounts can host up to 4; longer lengths are shown but locked.
Then tap Create invite.
Opening the wizard from a deck's detail page skips straight to the depth step.
Duo or Group
Right after you pick a deck, Bonded asks who is playing:
| Mode | Who | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Duo | The two of you | Every ritual before Group Play was a Duo, and it works exactly as before. |
| Group | 3 to 6 people | Hosting a Group is part of Premium. Joining one is free for everyone. |
Not every deck can be played both ways. Most decks were written for two people ("What makes you feel safe with me?"), so a deck made for two shows Group as unavailable, and a deck written for groups shows Duo as unavailable. If you started from a friend's face on the Start tab, the ritual is a Duo — it is an invite to one person — and this step is skipped.
Hosting a Group
When you create a Group, Bonded opens its lobby:
- The QR code and the 6-character code — everyone uses the same one.
- The seats: people appear as they join, and open seats are shown as empty circles, so you can see "3 of 6".
- Start with N — enabled once 3 people are seated. The group does not start by itself; you decide when everyone is there.
- Share invite and Cancel group.
Press and hold someone in the lobby to remove them. A removed person cannot come back with the same code — the way to deal with someone who should not be there, since codes travel.
Once you start, the group is closed to newcomers. Someone who left can still come back to their own seat.
Waiting Room
After creating the invite, Bonded shows:
- A QR code.
- The 6-character session code.
- Share invite.
- Cancel session.
- A live connection indicator.
If you invited a specific friend, the screen says who you are waiting for. The ritual starts the moment they join — and the code still works for anyone else you send it to.
Share Options
| Option | Best for |
|---|---|
| QR code | Partner is physically nearby and can scan your screen. |
| Invite link | Sending through messages, chat, or another app. |
| 6-character code | Partner is using the mobile app or manual web entry. |
Cancel or End
- Before anyone joins: tap Cancel session on the waiting screen. Bonded marks the ritual abandoned and returns you home.
- After it starts: either person can end it from inside the ritual, or from the Home card. Ending closes it for both of you and keeps anything already saved.
Host Troubleshooting
| Problem | Meaning | What to try |
|---|---|---|
WEEKLY_SESSION_LIMIT | Your free hosted ritual for the rolling week is used. | Wait for the reset window, or start Premium. Joining is still free. |
SESSION_ALREADY_OPEN | You already have a ritual open. | Bonded routes you into it. Finish or end it, then start another. |
DECK_REQUIRED | No deck was selected. | Go back and choose a deck. |
PACK_NOT_FOUND | The selected deck is unavailable or inactive. | Choose a visible deck. |
PACK_NOT_OWNED | You selected a locked Premium deck. | Choose Starter, or review Premium. |
| Longer lengths are locked | Free hosting is capped at 4 questions. | Start Premium, or host a shorter ritual. |
Group is locked (PREMIUM_REQUIRED) | Hosting a Group is part of Premium. | Start Premium, or play a Duo. Joining a Group is always free. |
| "This deck is made for two" | The deck is not available for Groups. | Pick another deck, or play it as a Duo. |
| "This deck is made for groups" | The deck is for Groups only. | Choose Group, or pick another deck. |
| "Need 2 more to start" | A Group needs at least 3 people, including you. | Share the code and wait for more people to join. |
| "Create invite" does nothing | A limit was hit and the paywall was dismissed. | Read the message shown, then retry or shorten the ritual. |
| Session failed | Network or server request failed. | Retry on a stable connection. |
| Partner cannot join | Wrong code, ritual ended, or the invite is no longer joinable. | Share the latest code/link and keep the waiting screen open. |
| Share button does nothing | No join link is available. | Cancel and create a new invite. |
Next steps
If this does not resolve the issue, check the related path below or use the support checklist with the exact error or screen name.
Was this article useful?
Your answer can help prioritize content updates and missing fixes.