The host has a hand on the other seats: once the game begins, Seats makes a transfer phrase for another person's seat, which gives it a new token when claimed, and gives the seat of a player who cannot go on to a bot, which plays the move the seat owes at once and speaks nothing in their name; the person's token opens nothing while it stands in, their page goes to the gallery with the reason and a claim box, and a rematch holds their seat without the stand-in; the server pings every socket and closes one a dead browser left open

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_0141G6xqLeNRYEtviLWSB5Up

template/src/lib/components/Hall.svelte

@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@
 		const g = games[held.roomId];
 		if (g === undefined) return 'looking';
 		if (g === null) return 'unreachable';
-		const others = g.seats.filter((s) => s.id !== held.seat).map((s) => (s.bot ? `${s.name} (the bot)` : s.name));
+		const others = g.seats.filter((s) => s.id !== held.seat).map((s) => (s.standIn ? `${s.name} (a bot stands in)` : s.bot ? `${s.name} (the bot)` : s.name));
 		if (!g.state) return `waiting to start${g.seats.length ? ` · ${g.seats.map((s) => s.name).join(', ')}` : ''}`;
 		if (g.over) {
 			if (g.over.winner === held.seat) return 'you won';

template/src/lib/components/SeatsSlip.svelte

@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+	// The host's hand on the other seats during a game: a transfer phrase for a
+	// player whose browser lost their seat, and a bot to play the seat of one
+	// who cannot go on, until a phrase gives it back.
+	import type { SeatId } from '$lib/game/spec';
+	import type { Room } from '$lib/net/room.svelte';
+
+	let { room, open = $bindable(false) }: { room: Room; open?: boolean } = $props();
+
+	const people = $derived(room.view.seats.filter((s) => s.id !== room.me && (!s.bot || s.standIn)));
+	let asked = $state<SeatId | null>(null);
+	let phrase = $state<{ name: string; phrase: string; expiresAt: number } | null>(null);
+	let error = $state('');
+
+	function close() {
+		open = false;
+		asked = null;
+		error = '';
+	}
+
+	async function makePhrase(seat: SeatId, name: string) {
+		error = '';
+		try {
+			const made = await room.hostPhrase(seat);
+			phrase = { name, ...made };
+			setTimeout(() => {
+				if (phrase?.phrase === made.phrase) phrase = null;
+			}, Math.max(0, made.expiresAt - Date.now()));
+		} catch (e) {
+			error = e instanceof Error ? e.message : 'The phrase could not be made.';
+		}
+	}
+
+	async function standIn(seat: SeatId) {
+		asked = null;
+		if (!(await room.standIn(seat))) error = room.error;
+	}
+
+	function phraseTitle(name: string, standIn: boolean): string {
+		const why = standIn ? `Brings ${name} back from the bot.` : `For when ${name}'s browser lost the seat, or they need to play from another device.`;
+		return `${why} You get four words to pass to them. Within ten minutes, they enter them in the hall, or in the claim box while watching this table, and sit back down as ${name}. The phrase works once, and the browser they used before stops opening the seat.`;
+	}
+</script>
+
+<svelte:window onkeydown={(e) => open && e.key === 'Escape' && close()} />
+
+{#if open}
+	<div class="scrim" role="presentation" onclick={(ev) => ev.target === ev.currentTarget && close()}>
+		<div class="slip" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="seats-heading">
+			<h2 id="seats-heading">The other seats</h2>
+			<p class="muted small">As the host, you can bring a player back to a seat their browser lost, or give the seat of one who cannot go on to a bot, which plays it at once.</p>
+			{#if people.length === 0}
+				<p class="muted">Nobody else at this table is a person.</p>
+			{/if}
+			<ul>
+				{#each people as s (s.id)}
+					<li>
+						<span class="name">{s.name}{#if s.standIn}<span class="muted note">a bot plays for them</span>{/if}</span>
+						<span class="ways">
+							<button type="button" class="quiet" title={phraseTitle(s.name, !!s.standIn)} onclick={() => makePhrase(s.id, s.name)}>{s.standIn ? 'Transfer phrase to take it back' : 'Make a transfer phrase'}</button>
+							{#if !s.standIn && !room.view.over}
+								{#if asked === s.id}
+									<button type="button" class="commit small" onclick={() => standIn(s.id)}>Yes, a bot plays for {s.name}</button>
+									<button type="button" class="link" onclick={() => (asked = null)}>no</button>
+								{:else}
+									<button type="button" class="quiet" title="A bot plays {s.name}'s seat from their next move, and their browser stops opening it. A transfer phrase gives it back." onclick={() => (asked = s.id)}>Give to a bot</button>
+								{/if}
+							{/if}
+						</span>
+					</li>
+				{/each}
+			</ul>
+			{#if phrase}
+				<p class="made">Give {phrase.name} this phrase to claim within ten minutes, in the hall or while watching this table: <b class="phrase">{phrase.phrase}</b>. It works once, and their old link stops opening the seat.</p>
+			{/if}
+			{#if error}<p class="warning">{error}</p>{/if}
+			<div class="actions"><button type="button" class="link" onclick={close}>close</button></div>
+		</div>
+	</div>
+{/if}
+
+<style>
+	.scrim {
+		position: fixed;
+		inset: 0;
+		z-index: 20;
+		background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.55);
+		display: grid;
+		grid-template-rows: minmax(0, 1fr);
+		place-items: center;
+		padding: 16px;
+	}
+
+	.slip {
+		width: min(100%, 34rem);
+		max-height: 100%;
+		overflow-y: auto;
+		background: var(--slate);
+		border: 1px solid var(--rule-strong);
+		border-radius: 6px;
+		padding: 1rem 1.2rem 1.2rem;
+	}
+
+	h2 {
+		font-size: 1.3rem;
+		margin-bottom: 0.4rem;
+	}
+
+	ul {
+		list-style: none;
+		padding: 0;
+		margin: 0.8rem 0 0;
+	}
+
+	li {
+		display: flex;
+		flex-wrap: wrap;
+		align-items: center;
+		justify-content: space-between;
+		gap: 0.4rem 1rem;
+		padding: 0.5rem 0;
+		border-bottom: 1px solid var(--rule);
+	}
+
+	.note {
+		margin-left: 0.5em;
+		font-style: italic;
+		font-size: 0.9em;
+	}
+
+	.ways {
+		display: flex;
+		flex-wrap: wrap;
+		align-items: center;
+		gap: 0.5rem;
+	}
+
+	.made {
+		margin-top: 0.8rem;
+	}
+
+	.phrase {
+		letter-spacing: 0.06em;
+		user-select: all;
+	}
+
+	.warning {
+		margin-top: 0.5rem;
+	}
+
+	.actions {
+		margin-top: 0.9rem;
+	}
+</style>

template/src/lib/net/client.ts

@@ -148,6 +148,9 @@ export function makeApi<State, Input>() {
 		rematch: (roomId: string, token: string) =>
 			call<{ roomId: string; seat: SeatId | null; token: string | null; created: boolean }>('POST', `/api/rooms/${roomId}/rematch`, { token }),
 		transfer: (roomId: string, token: string) => call<{ phrase: string; expiresAt: number }>('POST', `/api/rooms/${roomId}/transfer`, { token }),
+		/** The host's phrase for another person's seat; claimed, it re-seats them. */
+		hostPhrase: (roomId: string, token: string, seat: SeatId) => call<{ phrase: string; expiresAt: number }>('POST', `/api/rooms/${roomId}/phrase`, { token, seat }),
+		standIn: (roomId: string, token: string, seat: SeatId) => call<View>('POST', `/api/rooms/${roomId}/standin`, { token, seat }),
 		claim: (phrase: string) => call<{ roomId: string; seat: SeatId; token: string }>('POST', '/api/transfer', { phrase }),
 		report: (roomId: string, token: string, happened: string, expected: string) =>
 			call<{ id: string }>('POST', `/api/rooms/${roomId}/report`, { token, happened, expected }),

template/src/lib/net/room.svelte.ts

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import { game } from '$lib/game';
 import { SPECTATOR, type SeatId, type TableOptions } from '$lib/game/spec';
 import type { Input, State } from '$lib/game';
-import { makeApi, rememberSeat, watchRoom, type HeldSeat } from './client';
+import { makeApi, rememberSeat, ServerError, watchRoom, type HeldSeat } from './client';
 import { markTalkSeen } from './talk';
 import type { RoomView } from './view';
 
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ export class Room {
 	error = $state('');
 	/** A move is on its way to the server. */
 	sending = $state(false);
+	/** The server stopped taking this seat's token while the page was open, and why; the page goes to the gallery. */
+	lost = $state('');
 
 	constructor(view: RoomView<State>, token: string) {
 		this.view = view;
@@ -83,7 +85,10 @@ export class Room {
 		const refresh = () => {
 			fetchView()
 				.then((v) => this.apply(v))
-				.catch((e: Error) => (this.error = e.message));
+				.catch((e: Error) => {
+					if (e instanceof ServerError && e.status === 403 && !this.spectating) this.lost = e.message;
+					else this.error = e.message;
+				});
 		};
 		return watchRoom(this.roomId, this.token, refresh, (open) => (this.connected = open));
 	}
@@ -156,6 +161,16 @@ export class Room {
 		return api.transfer(this.roomId, this.token);
 	}
 
+	/** Host only: a phrase for another person's seat, which gives it a new token when claimed. */
+	hostPhrase(seat: SeatId): Promise<{ phrase: string; expiresAt: number }> {
+		return api.hostPhrase(this.roomId, this.token, seat);
+	}
+
+	/** Host only: a bot plays this person's seat for the rest of the game, until a phrase gives it back. */
+	standIn(seat: SeatId): Promise<boolean> {
+		return this.act(() => api.standIn(this.roomId, this.token, seat), 'The seat could not be given to a bot.');
+	}
+
 	async submit(input: Input): Promise<boolean> {
 		this.sending = true;
 		try {

template/src/lib/net/view.ts

@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ export interface RoomView<State> {
 	me: SeatId;
 	/** The player who opened the table and may begin the game. */
 	host: SeatId;
-	seats: { id: SeatId; name: string; bot: boolean }[];
+	/** Who sits where; `standIn` marks a person's seat the host gave to a bot, which plays it until they take it back. */
+	seats: { id: SeatId; name: string; bot: boolean; standIn?: true }[];
 	/** Seats that still have to move before the round resolves. */
 	waitingOn: SeatId[];
 	/** Rounds played so far; a move is sent with the count it was made against. */