Okey is played by four players seated around a table.

Each player draws and discards in turn, moving in a set direction around the table, and everyone competes individually to finish first. If you do not have three other people, smart bots can fill the empty seats so you can start immediately. The four-player structure is part of what makes the game social and strategic, since you must track three opponents' pickups and discards at once. Turn order and seating stay fixed for the whole hand.