# Game Modes

This document describes the planned game modes for lila. Each mode uses the same lobby system and vocabulary data but differs in how answers are submitted, scored, and how a winner is determined.

The first multiplayer mode to implement is TBD. The lobby infrastructure (create, join, WebSocket connection) is mode-agnostic — adding a new mode means adding new game logic, not changing the lobby.

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## TV Quiz Show

**Type:** Multiplayer
**Answer model:** Buzzer — first to press gets to answer
**Rounds:** Fixed (e.g. 10)

A question appears for all players. The first player to buzz in gets to answer. If correct, they score a point. If wrong, other players may get a chance to answer (TBD: whether the question passes to the next buzzer or the round ends). The host or a timer controls the pace.

Key difference from other modes: only one player answers per question. Speed of reaction matters as much as knowledge.

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## Race to the Top

**Type:** Multiplayer
**Answer model:** Simultaneous — all players answer independently
**Rounds:** None — play until target score reached

All players see the same question and answer independently. No fixed round count. The first player to reach a target number of correct answers wins (e.g. 20). Fast-paced and competitive.

Open questions: what happens if two players hit the target on the same question? Tiebreaker by speed? Shared win?

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## Chain Link

**Type:** Multiplayer
**Answer model:** Turn-based — one player at a time, in rotation
**Rounds:** None — play until a player fails

Players answer in a fixed rotation: Player 1, Player 2, Player 3, then back to Player 1. Each player gets one question per turn. The game continues until a player answers incorrectly — that player is out (or the game ends). Last correct answerer wins, or the game simply ends on the first wrong answer.

Key difference from other modes: turn-based, not simultaneous. Pressure builds as you wait for your turn.

Open questions: does the player who answers wrong lose, or does the game just end? If the game continues, does it become elimination?

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## Elimination Round

**Type:** Multiplayer
**Answer model:** Simultaneous — all players answer independently
**Rounds:** Continue until one player remains

All players see the same question and answer simultaneously. Players who answer incorrectly are eliminated. Rounds continue until only one player is left standing.

Open questions: what if everyone gets it wrong in the same round? Reset that round? Eliminate nobody? What if it comes down to two players and both get it wrong repeatedly?

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## Cooperative Challenge

**Type:** Multiplayer
**Answer model:** TBD
**Rounds:** TBD

Players work together rather than competing. Concept not yet defined. Possible ideas: shared team score with a target, each player contributes answers to a collective pool, or players take turns and the team survives as long as the chain doesn't break.

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## Single Player Extended

**Type:** Singleplayer
**Answer model:** TBD
**Rounds:** TBD

An expanded version of the current singleplayer quiz. Concept not yet defined. Possible ideas: longer sessions with increasing difficulty, mixed POS/language rounds, streak bonuses, progress tracking across sessions, or timed challenge mode.

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## Schema Impact

The `lobbies` table includes a `game_mode` column (varchar) with values like `tv_quiz`, `race_to_top`, `chain_link`, `elimination`. Mode-specific settings (e.g. target score for Race to the Top) can be stored in a `settings` jsonb column if needed.

The singleplayer modes (Single Player Extended) don't require a lobby — they extend the existing singleplayer flow.
