The host's guide
From download to first round in two minutes.
Everything you need to run game night: setup, controls, tournaments, playing with friends far away, and what to do when a phone won't connect.
Before you start
A Windows laptop
Windows 10 or 11 with WebView2 (built into Windows 11).
One Wi-Fi network
The laptop and every phone on the same network.
A phone each
iPhone or Android with a recent browser. No app.
Set up the party
- 01
Install and open HotTake
Run HotTake_0.1.0_x64-setup.exe. HotTake opens fullscreen on the lobby. Plug the laptop into a TV for the full effect.
- 02
Allow network access
The first time, Windows asks whether HotTake may use the network. Click Allow — otherwise phones can't reach the laptop.
- 03
Everyone joins the same Wi-Fi
Phones scan the QR code on screen, or open the address shown and type the four-letter room code.
- 04
The first phone in is the leader
The leader picks a game with their phone (it works as a remote) or the laptop's arrow keys, then presses Play.
- 05
Play
Each phone turns into that game's controller. When the round ends, everyone lands back in the lobby with the results.
Controls
Phones, gamepads and keyboards can all play in the same round.
Every game sets up the phone pad it needs: a d-pad or joystick and up to four buttons. Buttons you hold (Grab, Fire…) show a ring.
| Move | D-pad or joystick (left thumb) |
|---|---|
| Actions | Up to 4 buttons, labelled per game (Jump, Dash, Fire…) |
| Twin stick | Night Siege: move left, aim right |
| Pause | Hold ⏸ on any phone |
| Leader | The first phone in also drives the lobby like a remote |
During a game
- Pause: press Esc on the laptop or hold ⏸ on a phone. The card offers Resume, Restart, Quit to lobby and Options. Only the leader or the laptop can restart or quit.
- Options (O): Sound, Display, Players and Network.
- Remove a player: hold × on their chip in the player strip for 800 ms. This also changes the QR and room code, so the removed phone can't rejoin.
- Dropped out? Reopen the page on your phone within 60 seconds and you get your seat back.
- Connection stats: F3 shows each player's path (WebRTC or WebSocket), ping and input age.
Tournament mode
With two or more players connected, press Tournament next to Play. Choose 3 to 12 games (6 by default); HotTake draws them at random with no repeats. Each round scores 3, 2 and 1 points for 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and the standings sort by average, so late joiners aren't punished. The final shows a podium and confetti in the winner's colour.
Online play
Friends somewhere else can join through hottake.pranshubasak.site while they watch your screen on a video call. Turn on Online play in Options › Network and send them the invite link or the room code. Phones connect directly when they can and fall back to a relay when a mobile carrier blocks it.
Troubleshooting
Phones say the address is unreachable
Your router probably keeps Wi-Fi devices apart (AP or client isolation — common on guest, office and ISP Wi-Fi). Turn it off in the router, or switch on Windows Mobile Hotspot on the laptop and have phones join that. HotTake spots the hotspot within seconds; pick it under Options › Network. Online play also works around it.
Nobody can connect at all
Check that you clicked Allow on the Windows firewall prompt. If you missed it, allow HotTake under Windows Security › Firewall › Allow an app.
Windows protected your PC
The installer isn't code-signed yet. Click More info, then Run anyway. Only download HotTake from this site.
Controls feel laggy
Press F3: a player on WebSocket instead of WebRTC is on the slower fallback. Move closer to the router, or use the laptop hotspot.
Make your own game
A HotTake game is a folder with a manifest.json and an index.html, run in a sandboxed frame. Any engine works. Turn on Developer mode under Options › Developer, download the starter template, load your folder, and share the result as a zip that others drop onto their HotTake window.
FAQ
Still stuck? Get in touch.