The host begins at every table size and may send a bot away

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5.1 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_0141G6xqLeNRYEtviLWSB5Up

template/src/lib/components/Lobby.svelte

@@ -31,14 +31,15 @@
 	{:else}
 		<p class="eyebrow">room {v.roomId}</p>
 		<h2>The table is laid</h2>
-		<p>Send this link, or the code. Whoever opens it takes a seat. Anyone who arrives once the game has begun watches from the Peanut Gallery.</p>
+		<p>Send this link, or the code. Whoever opens it takes a seat, and the game begins when you say. Anyone who arrives once it has begun watches from the Peanut Gallery.</p>
 		<p class="link-row"><code>{link}</code><button type="button" class="quiet" onclick={copyLink}>{copied ? 'Copied' : 'Copy link'}</button></p>
 	{/if}
 	<ul class="roster">
 		{#each v.seats as s (s.id)}
 			<li>
 				<span class="seat-name">{s.name}</span>
-				<span class="muted">{s.id === v.host ? 'opened the table' : s.bot ? 'the bot' : 'seated'}{s.id === v.me ? ', you' : ''}</span>
+				<span class="muted">{s.id === v.host ? 'opened the table' : s.bot ? 'the bot' : 'seated'}{s.id === v.me ? ', you' : ''}{#if s.bot && room.isHost}
+						<button type="button" class="unseat" title="Send this bot away" aria-label="Send {s.name} away" onclick={() => room.unseat(s.id)}>×</button>{/if}</span>
 			</li>
 		{/each}
 		<li class="empty muted">{v.size - v.seats.length} of {v.size} seats empty{#if v.audience > 0}; {v.audience} in the gallery{/if}</li>
@@ -101,6 +102,20 @@
 		font-weight: 500;
 	}
 
+	.unseat {
+		background: none;
+		border: 0;
+		color: var(--bone-faint);
+		font-size: 1.1rem;
+		padding: 0 0.3rem;
+		margin-left: 0.3rem;
+		line-height: 1;
+	}
+
+	.unseat:hover {
+		color: var(--blood);
+	}
+
 	.ways {
 		display: flex;
 		flex-wrap: wrap;

template/src/lib/net/client.ts

@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ export function makeApi<State, Input>() {
 		join: (roomId: string, name: string) => call<Seated>('POST', `/api/rooms/${roomId}/join`, { name }),
 		addBot: (roomId: string, token: string) => call<View>('POST', `/api/rooms/${roomId}/bot`, { token }),
 		begin: (roomId: string, token: string) => call<View>('POST', `/api/rooms/${roomId}/begin`, { token }),
+		unseat: (roomId: string, token: string, seat: SeatId) => call<View>('POST', `/api/rooms/${roomId}/unseat`, { token, seat }),
 		view: (roomId: string, token: string) => call<View>('GET', `/api/rooms/${roomId}?token=${encodeURIComponent(token)}`),
 		/** The gallery's view: no token, no seat, nothing any player could not see. */
 		watch: (roomId: string) => call<View>('GET', `/api/rooms/${roomId}`),

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

@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ export class Room {
 		return this.act(() => api.addBot(this.roomId, this.token), 'The bot could not be seated.');
 	}
 
+	/** Send a bot away before the game begins; only the host may. */
+	unseat(seat: SeatId): Promise<boolean> {
+		return this.act(() => api.unseat(this.roomId, this.token, seat), 'The bot could not be sent away.');
+	}
+
 	say(text: string): Promise<boolean> {
 		if (this.spectating) return Promise.resolve(false);
 		return this.act(() => api.say(this.roomId, this.token, text), 'The table did not hear you.');
@@ -125,11 +130,12 @@ export class Room {
 		return new Room(seated.view, seated.token);
 	}
 
-	/** A room with a bot already seated, so a solo game is a ledger like any other. */
+	/** A room with a bot seated and the game begun, so a solo game is a ledger like any other. */
 	static async createWithBot(name: string): Promise<Room> {
 		const seated = await api.create(name, 2);
 		rememberSeat(seated.view.roomId, { seat: seated.seat, token: seated.token });
-		return new Room(await api.addBot(seated.view.roomId, seated.token), seated.token);
+		await api.addBot(seated.view.roomId, seated.token);
+		return new Room(await api.begin(seated.view.roomId, seated.token), seated.token);
 	}
 
 	static async join(roomId: string, name: string): Promise<Room> {

template/src/routes/guide/+page.svelte

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 	<section id="table">
 		<h2>The table</h2>
-		<p>A table fills as players open the link. Whoever laid it is the host: they may seat a bot in any empty chair, and they begin the game when the company suits them. Once begun, the seats are closed.</p>
+		<p>A table fills as players open the link. Whoever laid it is the host: they may seat a bot in any empty chair or send one away, and they begin the game when the company suits them, however full the table. Once begun, the seats are closed.</p>
 	</section>
 
 	<section id="board">