Browser-based rummy, read at the desk.

The desk rates browser platforms on three axes. The interface discipline (does the layout read at a glance?). The platform discipline (does the platform enforce responsible-play controls?). The information density (how much of the table does the interface show?).

Interface discipline

A reader who plays on a browser should be able to draw, sort and discard without thinking about the cursor. The disciplines are mechanical and should be invisible by the second session.

Platform discipline

A reader who plays on a browser needs the responsible-play controls to be at least as accessible as on mobile. Read the controls page before depositing.

Tab focus

Some browser tables lose focus when the reader switches tabs mid-hand. The hand may be settled as a timeout. Read the focus behaviour before playing.

Some platforms offer a desktop app alongside the browser. The desktop app is usually faster and more stable than the browser. The browser is the fallback for platforms that do not offer a desktop app.

When the browser is the right choice

Use the browser when the platform does not offer a desktop app or when you want the lowest install weight on your machine. Use the desktop app when the platform offers one.

When the desktop app is the right choice

Use the desktop app when you play regularly and the install weight is acceptable. The desktop app is usually faster.

The browser client runs on the latest two stable versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. Internet Explorer is not supported; the lobby will refuse to load on IE. A reader on an older browser should update the browser before opening the lobby.

The recommended browser is the latest Chrome on a desktop OS, or the latest Safari on macOS. The Chrome build has the best WebGL support for the table animation, the best audio handling for the table sounds, and the lowest CPU usage during a long session.

RAM and CPU

The browser client runs at a low CPU footprint on a modern device. A reader with a four-year-old laptop can expect the browser client to use between five and fifteen percent of one CPU core during a session, with RAM usage around 200 to 400 MB. A reader with an older device should close other tabs and other applications before opening the lobby.

Mobile browser

The mobile browser runs on the latest two stable versions of Chrome on Android and Safari on iOS. The mobile browser is slower than the mobile app; the table animation is constrained by the browser's GPU budget. The mobile browser is the right surface for a reader who does not want to install the app; the mobile app is the right surface for a reader who plays frequently.

Browser extension safety

Browser extensions that read page content can leak the reader's session into third-party scripts. The desk's recommendation is to use the browser in a private window, or to disable content-reading extensions, while the lobby is open. Ad blockers that do not read page content are safe.

The first signal is session frequency. A reader who plays once a week can stay on the browser; a reader who plays daily should install the app. The app's lobby loads faster, the app's notifications reach the reader in real time, and the app's responsible-play controls are easier to reach.

The second signal is table opener volume. A reader who waits for table openers should turn on push notifications, which only the app delivers reliably. The browser does not deliver push notifications when the tab is in the background.

The third signal is storage budget. A reader with a constrained device should stay on the browser; the app install is a larger footprint than the browser tab. The desk's recommendation is to install the app only when the reader's device has at least 1 GB of free storage.

When the browser is the right surface

The browser is the right surface for a one-off session, for a reader on a borrowed device, and for a reader who wants to test the lobby before installing the app. The browser's lack of an install step is the right trade-off for a casual reader.

A reader on a borrowed device (a work laptop, a friend's tablet, or a public computer) should use the browser client, not the mobile app. The browser client leaves a session cookie, but no installed files, no app icon, and no app data. The reader can log out at the end of the session and clear the session cookie; the borrowed device returns to its previous state.

Private browsing

The browser client runs correctly inside a private browsing window. The private window isolates the session cookie, the cache and the local storage from the browser's normal profile. The desk recommends private browsing on any borrowed device.

What to clear at the end of the session

At the end of the session, log out of the lobby, close the private browsing window, and re-open the browser's normal profile. The session cookie is destroyed with the private window; the reader's password is not stored on the borrowed device.

Two-factor on a borrowed device

A reader who has two-factor authentication enabled on the platform's account can still log in from a borrowed device. The two-factor prompt is delivered to the registered phone; the borrowed device does not need to receive SMS or push notifications. The desk recommends keeping two-factor enabled even for borrowed-device play.

The browser client's lobby carries a small settings panel that the reader should review before the first session. Three settings in particular change the experience: the table-animation setting, the sound setting, and the auto-discard warning setting.

The table-animation setting controls the card-flip and discard-slide animations. The animations are visually pleasing but consume CPU and GPU time. A reader on a slower device should turn the animations off; a reader on a modern device can leave them on.

The sound setting controls the table sounds (the card-flip sound, the discard sound, the show sound). The sounds are useful for a reader who plays with the lobby in the background, less useful for a reader who plays in a shared space. The desk recommends turning the sounds off in shared spaces.

The auto-discard warning setting controls whether the lobby warns the reader before an auto-discard. An auto-discard happens when the reader's turn timer expires without a discard. The warning is useful; the desk recommends leaving it on.

Saving the settings

The settings persist across sessions through a cookie. A reader who clears the cookies will lose the settings; a reader who plays on a borrowed device should note the settings before clearing the cookies.

The browser client carries a small set of keyboard shortcuts that the reader can use without the mouse. The shortcuts speed up the session for a reader who is comfortable with the keyboard; the desk's recommendation is to learn three shortcuts: the draw shortcut, the discard shortcut, and the sort-hand shortcut.

The draw shortcut picks a card from the closed pile or the open pile. The default key is the spacebar; the reader can re-bind it in the settings panel. The discard shortcut drops the selected card onto the discard pile. The default key is the Enter key; the reader can re-bind it. The sort-hand shortcut arranges the hand into sequences and sets; the default key is the S key.

When the shortcuts help

The shortcuts help when the reader is on a long session and the mouse fatigue is starting. The keyboard-driven session is faster than the mouse-driven session; the desk recommends the keyboard for any session longer than thirty minutes.

Re-binding the shortcuts

The reader can re-bind the shortcuts in the settings panel. The panel accepts any key combination; the desk recommends keeping the defaults because the defaults match the platform's tutorial videos and the platform's documentation.