Multiplayer Yahtzee Beta

by Matthew Crumley

The most commonly requested feature for Yahtzee is multiplayer support (seriously, like... three people have asked for it). Being the accommodating guy that I am, I've been slaving away at working on it once in awhile for the last week or so, and it's about ready to be released as a beta.

Before I get into what's new and what's coming, here's the link: http://multiplayer.silent-matt.appspot.com/multiplayer/create.

Remember this is still a beta, so you'll probably find bugs, and it may change often or completely disappear.

It should be pretty simple to get started. If it's confusing, please let me know so I can improve the process for other people. The link above, should take you directly to a page where you can choose a password, or just click "Create Game" to let the game pick one for you. If you're not logged in (you won't be the first time) you will need to sign in with your normal Google account or OpenID (you need a profile for multiplayer... see below).

Once you choose a password and click "Create Game", you'll see a page with a link to share with whoever you want to play with and a reminder of your password. For now, you'll need to send it via email, IM, carrier pigeon, etc. When your friend goes to the link (and signs in), they will see a page similar to yours, and they'll show up in the player list. Once enough people have joined the game, click "Start Game". Only the player who created the game can start it.

After you start the game, you'll see the normal Yahtzee page, plus a list of players and scores across the top. The player whose turn it is should be highlighted. You can hover your mouse over a player's name to see their score card at any time. That will also show a popup where you can go to their profile page or (after around 30 seconds with no activity) nudge them to get them going. Be nice though, because if they still don't do anything, they'll be kicked out of the game so you can continue without them.

What's New

  • Multiplayer! (duh)
  • Private games (require a password). If you don't pick one, it'll generate a random one for you.
  • Games are saved as you play. This is actually pretty nice even if you're playing by yourself, because you can leave a game and come back to it even if you close the window or go somewhere else. Just remember (or bookmark) the URL. I'm planning on adding support for saving single player games eventually.
  • Nudge slow players. They'll have about 30 seconds to do something before being kicked out of the game. This feature may be adjusted/tweaked, so any feedback is appreciated.
  • General improvements. I've made a few minor changes that also affect single player games, like less intrusive error handling. No more annoying "Error loading high scores" popup when you leave too quickly!

What's Coming

  • Messaging/chat. For now, you'll have to use your favorite IM client :)
  • Invite players. Automatically spam email the URL/password to your friends.
  • High Scores. At least while it's in beta, your scores won't be submitted, so you can't get on the high score list from the multiplayer game. This also means they won't affect your average score or other statistics (and, considering you may have different strategies when you're playing against an opponent, I might keep it that way).
  • Public games.
  • Anonymous play. Right now you need to be signed in to play in a multiplayer game. Eventually I'd like to remove that requirement, but it's a little tricky, and it's not a priority).
  • Game Archives. Your games should stay around (but don't count on it during the beta) but there's no easy way to find them.
  • Limited number of players. I haven't decided what the limit will be yet, so for now as many players can join a game as you can find. The interface only practically supports a few players though, so I can't really say how it will work for you.
  • Mobile support. For now, it's desktop only (of course, you can try using the desktop interface on your phone if you want).
  • Fixes and enhancements. I appreciate any feedback/suggestions/insults/questions you can think of. As always, there's a feedback link at the bottom of the game, or you could leave a comment on this page.