To leave a public reply:
- The Scirra Multiplayer plugin can be used to create this kind of behaviour. Just have 2 apps (or layouts) the difference in a normal multiplayer is that the player don't recive information about the game elements, just the status (is playing-not playing)
- The air console plugin is powerfull if you want to sell your game in air console, there is a template somewhere that helps you to create the joystick.
- The server (signalling server) is the hosting for the multiplayer ip directions pointer. Something like
Player: "where in hell is the other player?"
Signalling: "right there ->"
So if you want to make a local multiplayer you are going to need internet to make it work. But if you want it fully local without internet, you need to create a signalling server (to do it with scirra's plugin, you must buy it in the scyrra store) and turn it on in a Node.JS compatible OS in the same network and point the players to the IP of that computer.