diff --git a/packages/web/src/App.svelte b/packages/web/src/App.svelte
index 5274765..1e94c84 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/App.svelte
+++ b/packages/web/src/App.svelte
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
   let joinCode = $state("");
   let claimPhrase = $state("");
   let showHelp = $state(false);
-  let hotseatNames = $state("");
+  let hotseatCount = $state(2);
+  let setupName = $state("");
   /** Tap-to-inspect: hide the enlarged card for the current selection. */
   let inspectorHidden = $state(false);
   $effect(() => {
@@ -497,7 +498,31 @@
     </div>
   {/if}
 
-  {#if local.handoffTo}
+  {#if local.setup}
+    <div class="scrim-handoff">
+      <div class="handoff-card">
+        <div class="handoff-eyebrow">wizard {local.setup.names.length + 1} of {local.setup.count}</div>
+        <div class="handoff-name setup-title">What is your name?</div>
+        <form class="setup-form" onsubmit={(e) => {
+          e.preventDefault();
+          const err = local.submitName(setupName);
+          if (err) net.error = err;
+          else setupName = "";
+        }}>
+          <!-- svelte-ignore a11y_autofocus -->
+          <input class="setup-input" bind:value={setupName} maxlength="20"
+            placeholder="e.g. Mordecai" autofocus />
+          <button class="stamp" type="submit" disabled={!setupName.trim()}>
+            {local.setup.names.length + 1 === local.setup.count ? "Flip the boards" : "Pass the device on"}
+          </button>
+        </form>
+        {#if local.setup.names.length > 0}
+          <div class="setup-roster">so far: {local.setup.names.join(", ")}</div>
+        {/if}
+        <button class="hint-cancel setup-cancel" onclick={() => local.cancelSetup()}>never mind</button>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  {:else if local.handoffTo}
     <div class="scrim-handoff" role="button" tabindex="0"
       onclick={() => local.takeSeat()} onkeydown={(e) => e.key === "Enter" && local.takeSeat()}>
       <div class="handoff-card">
@@ -529,14 +554,15 @@
         </div>
 
         <div class="hotseat-row">
-          <input class="claim-input wide" bind:value={hotseatNames}
-            placeholder="hotseat: names, comma-separated" aria-label="hotseat player names" />
-          <button class="stamp tiny" disabled={hotseatNames.split(",").filter((n) => n.trim()).length < 2}
-            onclick={() => {
-              const err = local.start(hotseatNames.split(","), withExpansion);
-              if (err) net.error = err;
-            }}>
-            Play here
+          <span class="hotseat-label">or play here, passing the device:</span>
+          <div class="count-picker" role="group" aria-label="number of wizards">
+            {#each [2, 3, 4, 5, 6] as n (n)}
+              <button class="count-btn" class:current={hotseatCount === n}
+                onclick={() => (hotseatCount = n)}>{n}</button>
+            {/each}
+          </div>
+          <button class="stamp tiny" onclick={() => { setupName = ""; local.beginSetup(hotseatCount, withExpansion); }}>
+            Gather {hotseatCount} wizards
           </button>
           {#if local.hasSave()}
             <button class="stamp tiny" onclick={() => local.resume()}>Resume hotseat</button>
@@ -865,7 +891,6 @@
   }
   .mast-leave:hover { color: #d8d2c0; }
   .mast-help-solo { margin-left: auto; }
-  .claim-input.wide { width: 17rem; }
   .hotseat-row { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 0.5rem; align-items: center; justify-content: center; margin-top: 1.3rem; }
   .hotseat-exp { margin-top: 0.4rem; margin-bottom: 0; font-size: 0.85rem; }
 
@@ -899,6 +924,34 @@
     line-height: 1.15;
   }
   .handoff-hint { font-size: 0.85rem; color: #6b5a41; margin-top: 0.4rem; }
+  .setup-title { font-size: 2.2rem; }
+  .setup-form { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 0.7rem; margin-top: 0.8rem; }
+  .setup-input {
+    background: #f4eede;
+    border: 1px solid #b3a687;
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    padding: 0.6rem 0.8rem;
+    font-family: "Archivo Narrow", sans-serif;
+    font-size: 1.1rem;
+    color: #43331f;
+    text-align: center;
+  }
+  .setup-roster { margin-top: 0.8rem; font-size: 0.85rem; color: #6b5a41; }
+  .setup-cancel { margin: 0.6rem auto 0; display: block; }
+  .hotseat-label { flex-basis: 100%; font-size: 0.85rem; color: #6b5a41; }
+  .count-picker { display: flex; gap: 0.3rem; }
+  .count-btn {
+    width: 2.1rem;
+    height: 2.1rem;
+    border-radius: 50%;
+    border: 1.5px solid #6b5a41;
+    background: none;
+    color: #43331f;
+    font-family: "Oswald", sans-serif;
+    font-size: 0.95rem;
+    cursor: pointer;
+  }
+  .count-btn.current { background: #43331f; color: #e9e1cb; }
 
   .toast {
     background: #6d2119;
@@ -1277,7 +1330,7 @@
     .boxlid { padding: 1rem 0; }
     .boxlid-inner { padding: 1.5rem 1.2rem 1.4rem; }
     .boxlid-title { font-size: 2.3rem; }
-    .claim-input.wide, .claim-input { width: 100%; flex: 1 1 100%; }
+    .claim-input { width: 100%; flex: 1 1 100%; }
     .hotseat-row .stamp, .claim-row .stamp { flex: 0 0 auto; }
     .mast-title { font-size: 1.05rem; white-space: nowrap; }
     .mast-sub { display: none; }
diff --git a/packages/web/src/local.svelte.ts b/packages/web/src/local.svelte.ts
index 3a1896b..8e33e9c 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/local.svelte.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/local.svelte.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ function actorId(state: GameState): PlayerId {
 
 class LocalGame {
   active = $state(false);
+  /** Hotseat setup round: players name themselves one by one. */
+  setup = $state<{ count: number; expansion: boolean; names: PlayerId[] } | null>(null);
   gameState = $state<GameState | null>(null);
   viewerId = $state<PlayerId | null>(null);
   /** Set while the device should be handed to the named player. */
@@ -51,6 +53,31 @@ class LocalGame {
     return localStorage.getItem(SAVE_KEY) !== null;
   }
 
+  beginSetup(count: number, expansion: boolean): void {
+    this.setup = { count, expansion, names: [] };
+  }
+
+  cancelSetup(): void {
+    this.setup = null;
+  }
+
+  /** One wizard names themselves; the last name starts the game. */
+  submitName(raw: string): string | null {
+    if (!this.setup) return "no setup in progress";
+    const name = raw.trim();
+    if (!name) return "every wizard needs a name";
+    if (this.setup.names.some((n) => n.toLowerCase() === name.toLowerCase())) {
+      return "that name is already taken at this table";
+    }
+    this.setup = { ...this.setup, names: [...this.setup.names, name] };
+    if (this.setup.names.length === this.setup.count) {
+      const { names, expansion } = this.setup;
+      this.setup = null;
+      return this.start(names, expansion);
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
   start(names: PlayerId[], expansion: boolean): string | null {
     const cleaned = [...new Set(names.map((n) => n.trim()).filter(Boolean))];
     if (cleaned.length < 2 || cleaned.length > 6) return "two to six wizards, each with a name";