Game Controls Guide
Learn exactly how Avalanche Trivia handles answer selection, shields, avalanche prompts, and host dashboard actions.
Answering questions
Everything a player needs to interact with multiple-choice and true/false prompts in the live client.
- Tap or click an option to highlight it. The selection changes colour and the Submit button activates.
- Use the on-screen Submit button to lock in your choice. If a timer is active, the client auto-submits when the bar runs out.
- After submitting you will see a feedback card with the correct answer and a themed encouragement message.
- The progress bar and mountain marker update immediately using Firestore, so you can verify your move before the next question arrives.
- If you get tagged by an avalanche warning, the screen now rumbles for three seconds before the results modal appears so you have time to tap the shield decision without mis-clicks.
Tip: Need more room on mobile? Rotate your device to landscape or pinch-zoom in the browser—buttons stay responsive at larger scales, and vibration feedback pairs with the new avalanche rumble for accessibility.
Shields, avalanches, and event prompts
Control the protective shield, resolve Map & Compass questions, and handle fork or tunnel events without losing progress.
- When you earn a shield (three correct answers inside the configured window) a modal appears explaining how to use it.
- If a wrong answer triggers an avalanche while you still have a shield, the interface shakes to signal danger while the modal loads—choose `Use Shield` to absorb the hit or `Save it` to keep it for later.
- The prompt includes a three-second countdown; doing nothing lets the avalanche resolve normally when the timer ends, matching the rumble duration.
- Map & Compass, tunnel, and fork prompts capture focus until you pick an option or answer their dedicated question. Movement and streak tracking pause until you confirm.
- Fork side quests include additional mini-games: tap puzzle tiles to slide them, or use the on-screen multiple-choice buttons to satisfy the hermit or solo quizzes before the countdown expires.
- When labels are toggled on, danger zone dots and ranger stations switch from neutral white rocks to colour-coded markers so you can confirm which avalanche range each weather pattern activates.
- Press the `Escape` key at any time to dismiss informational pop-ups such as the shield unlock announcement.
Tip: Leave each modal open until you finish—closing a tunnel or fork prompt without a selection defaults to staying on the main path, and you can toggle labels mid-modal to double-check the coloured danger zones before committing.
Running the host dashboard
Primary controls available to hosts while monitoring the mountain board and lobby.
- Use the Start button in the lobby card to move players from the waiting room into the live board. The button becomes available once at least one player is present and the game is still in `waiting` status.
- Open the Options panel to configure ranger stations (checkpoints) and adjust weather. Apply stores your choices directly in the `games` document so every listener updates immediately.
- When you are in fullscreen, the Options overlay now includes the same ranger station slider—pick 4–8 stations and apply without leaving presentation mode.
- Toggle Auto Weather when you want the app to rotate between Sunny, Snowy, and Blizzard. Disable it to manually pick a forecast for consistent danger zone sizes.
- Share the six-character code or copy the join URL straight from the lobby header if someone needs to reconnect mid-session.
Tip: If you change checkpoints or weather, leave the options panel open for a moment—the new values propagate to players in real time once Firestore confirms the update, and coloured danger dots help confirm the change instantly.
Keyboard support
Close the current prompt without clicking the on-screen button.
Cycle through answer buttons, Submit, or host controls using standard browser focus order.
Submit an answer or press a dashboard button after focusing it with Tab or the mouse.
Platform notes
- Use the latest Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari so WebSockets and Firestore listeners stay stable.
- Enable hardware acceleration in browser settings for smoother mountain animations.
- If you prefer keyboard navigation, press Tab to walk through buttons and Enter to activate the highlighted control.
- Keep only one game tab open per player to avoid duplicate Firestore listeners and lobby entries.
- Join on Wi-Fi when possible and disable battery savers that throttle network access mid-round.
- Turn on Do Not Disturb to prevent call notifications from covering answer buttons.
- Use the system zoom or accessibility shortcuts if you need larger tap targets—the responsive layout keeps buttons legible.
- After reconnecting, wait for the progress bar to update before answering so you do not submit while the old state is still syncing.
- Landscape orientation gives you the most room for the mountain view and answer cards side by side.
- Pair with an external keyboard if you want to use Tab/Enter navigation while the device is docked.
- Hosts can keep the options modal pinned on a second screen while the main display shows the board.