Real-Time Synchronization
Your control screen and the display screen stay in step automatically. When you click something on one, the other updates within a moment. This article explains how that works and what to expect when it doesn’t.
How It Works
Section titled “How It Works”Both screens hold a live connection to your game data. When you take an action — reveal an answer, mark a word found, advance a question — the change is written to your game, and every screen watching that game receives it immediately.
There is no refresh button, no “send to display” step, and no polling delay you need to account for.
What Syncs
Section titled “What Syncs”Everything the display shows:
- Which question or item is current
- What’s been revealed
- Scores and progress counters
- Explanations you’ve released
- In Pollster, every incoming student vote
What Doesn’t Sync
Section titled “What Doesn’t Sync”Content edits made in the editor while a game is running. The editor and the control screen are separate. Changing questions mid-session produces unpredictable results on the display. Finish the session, then edit. See Editing Game Details.
Your browser’s zoom, fullscreen state, or window position. Those are per-device.
Normal Timing
Section titled “Normal Timing”Updates land in well under a second on a decent connection. If you click and the display changes visibly before you’ve looked up, that’s normal.
A consistent lag of several seconds means a connection problem, not normal behaviour.
Multiple Screens
Section titled “Multiple Screens”Any number of screens can watch the same game at once. A projector at the front, a monitor at the back, a laptop on your desk — all stay in step.
Adding a screen requires no setup. Open the display URL on it.
What Breaks Sync
Section titled “What Breaks Sync”Loss of internet on either device. The screen that lost connection stops updating. The other continues.
Sleep or screen lock. A display device that goes to sleep may stop receiving updates until it wakes. Disable sleep on your projector machine before class.
Browser tab throttling. Some browsers slow down background tabs aggressively. Keep the display tab in the foreground and fullscreen.
When It Stops Updating
Section titled “When It Stops Updating”The reliable fix is to refresh the display screen. It reconnects and picks up the game’s current state — you don’t lose progress or have to restart anything.
If refreshing doesn’t fix it, see Sync Issues for the full troubleshooting path.
Designing Around It
Section titled “Designing Around It”Because state lives with the game and not with a screen, you can close and reopen the display at any point without consequence. If something looks wrong on the projector mid-session, refreshing is safe and takes seconds.
The same is true of your control screen. Refreshing it doesn’t lose the game.
Next Steps
Section titled “Next Steps”- Sync Issues — troubleshooting when screens fall out of step
- Internet Connection — bandwidth and reliability requirements
- The Dual-Screen Experience — how the two screens relate