[Epic] Game Setup UI Overhaul

Resolved 💬 2 comments Opened Jan 31, 2026 by apankov1 Closed Jan 31, 2026

Game Setup UI Overhaul

Problem

Current game setup UI has critical mobile UX issues:

  • Match panel table causes vertical scroll on mobile devices
  • Layout is cramped and not mobile-first
  • Board headers lack important game state info (score, steps)
  • No UI foundation for AI difficulty selection

Solution

Restructure the game setup flow with mobile-first design:

Phase 1: Remove Match Panel (Priority)

  • Remove .match-panel table that shows game slots (#2b78597c, etc.)
  • Fixes mobile scroll issues immediately

Phase 2: 3-Column Layout Restructure

Restructure .game-action-bar to 3 columns:

  • Column 1: Preset list (vertical) + gear icon placeholder
  • Column 2: Opponent selection (AI/hot seat/mix)
  • Column 3: Play button + user/match ID

Phase 3: Enhanced Board Headers

Board headers take on more responsibility:

  • Player name + player type (AI difficulty display)
  • Live score + step count
  • Foundation for AI selector dropdown

Phase 4: AI Difficulty Selector

  • Dropdown in board header or opponent column
  • Select from: Rookie, Strategist, Grandmaster
  • Lock at match creation (not mid-game)

Success Criteria

  • [x] No vertical scroll on mobile game setup
  • [x] Clean 3-column responsive layout
  • [x] Board headers show all game state
  • [x] Foundation ready for AI personality selection

Technical Notes

  • Mobile-first CSS Grid layout
  • Preserve existing preset selection UX
  • Board headers get score/steps from game state
  • AI selector UI only (backend integration separate)

Related: #1491 (difficulty analyzer foundation)

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