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Multiplayer Guide

Online Multiplayer & Room Hosting Guide

Everything you need to know to create rooms, share codes, and play remotely with friends.

Introduction to Online Rooms

Family Board Game features a custom real-time WebSocket backend that allows players across the world to connect and play together seamlessly. Whether you want to play a 2-player match with a friend or organize a 4-player family battle, our room system makes hosting easy.

How to Create & Host a Room

  1. Sign in to your account from the main screen.
  2. Click or tap Play with Friends.
  3. Select the total player count for your room (2 Players, 3 Players, or 4 Players).
  4. Click Next. Your browser will instantly connect to our server and generate a unique 5-character Room Code (for example: AB12C).
  5. You will enter the Room Lobby screen. Share the 5-character code with your friends via chat, text, or social media!

How Friends Join Your Room

  1. Your friends open Family Board Game in their web browser and sign in.
  2. On the main menu, they type the 5-character code into the Room code input box.
  3. They click Join.
  4. As each friend joins, their slot in the Room Lobby will light up and display their display name.
  5. Once all seats are filled, Player 1 (the Host) clicks Start to launch the match!

Lobby Management & Host Controls

  • Host Privileges: Player 1 (the room creator) controls when the match starts. The Start button becomes active once all required seats are connected.
  • Leaving the Lobby: If you need to cancel a room before starting, click Back to return to the main menu.
  • Reconnecting: If a player briefly loses mobile signal or refreshes their browser during an active match, our session recovery system automatically reconnects them to their assigned seat.

Troubleshooting & Connection Tips

  • Invalid Room Code: Double-check the 5-character code. Codes are case-insensitive. Ensure the room hasn't already started or expired.
  • Lag or Slow Sync: Ensure you have a stable Wi-Fi or mobile data connection. Avoid using aggressive VPNs that increase network latency.
  • Browser Compatibility: Family Board Game works on Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, and Samsung Internet. Make sure JavaScript is enabled.