diff --git a/game.go b/game.go
index 9ab0f6a..2bccc8a 100644
--- a/game.go
+++ b/game.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ type action struct {
 
 // gameActor is an actor that updates a game's state and relays changes to all
 // observers.
-func gameActor(ctx context.Context, g *game.Game, dealer, chall person, join chan person) {
+func gameActor(ctx context.Context, g *game.Game, dealer, chall person, join <-chan person) {
 	// Games should generally be on the order of minutes. A four hour game is
 	// definitely expired.
 	ctx, stop := context.WithTimeoutCause(ctx, 4*time.Hour, errGameExpired)
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 6ce62a4..277da96 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -8,24 +8,19 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"nhooyr.io/websocket"
+	"nhooyr.io/websocket/wsjson"
 
+	"git.sunturtle.xyz/studio/shotgun/game"
 	"git.sunturtle.xyz/studio/shotgun/lobby"
 	"git.sunturtle.xyz/studio/shotgun/player"
 	"git.sunturtle.xyz/studio/shotgun/serve"
 )
 
 type Server struct {
-	l     *lobby.Lobby
-	mu    sync.Mutex
-	rooms map[lobby.GameID]*room
-}
+	l *lobby.Lobby
 
-type room struct {
 	mu sync.Mutex
-	pp []person
-	// NOTE(zeph): since only the players can ever see revealed shells, we
-	// could factor out the players into separate fields to save work on
-	// generating dtos for observers. hold that idea until it's needed.
+	pp map[player.ID]*websocket.Conn
 }
 
 type person struct {
@@ -33,27 +28,35 @@ type person struct {
 	id   player.ID
 }
 
-func (s *Server) room(id serve.GameID) *room {
+func (s *Server) person(p player.ID) person {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
-	return s.rooms[id]
+	return person{conn: s.pp[p], id: p}
 }
 
-func (s *Server) join(id serve.GameID, p person) {
-	s.mu.Lock()
-	defer s.mu.Unlock()
-	r := s.rooms[id]
-	if r == nil {
-		r = &room{}
-		s.rooms[id] = r
+func (s *Server) accept(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, p player.ID) (person, error) {
+	conn, err := websocket.Accept(w, r, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return person{}, err
 	}
-	r.pp = append(r.pp, p)
-}
-
-func (s *Server) close(id serve.GameID) {
 	s.mu.Lock()
 	defer s.mu.Unlock()
-	delete(s.rooms, id)
+	s.pp[p] = conn
+	return person{conn: conn, id: p}, nil
+}
+
+func (s *Server) left(p player.ID) {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	// NOTE(zeph): neither map index nor map delete can panic, so this critical
+	// section does not need a defer
+	c := s.pp[p]
+	delete(s.pp, p)
+	s.mu.Unlock()
+	if c != nil {
+		// We don't care about the error here since the connection is leaving.
+		// It's probably already closed anyway.
+		c.Close(websocket.StatusNormalClosure, "bye")
+	}
 }
 
 // Queue connects players to games. The connection immediately upgrades.
@@ -63,26 +66,40 @@ func (s *Server) Queue(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if p == (player.ID{}) {
 		panic("missing player ID")
 	}
-	conn, err := websocket.Accept(w, r, nil)
+	person, err := s.accept(w, r, p)
 	if err != nil {
 		http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusBadRequest)
 		return
 	}
-	person := person{conn: conn, id: p}
-	go s.joinAndServe(person)
+	s.joinAndServe(person)
 }
 
 func (s *Server) joinAndServe(p person) {
 	ctx, stop := context.WithTimeoutCause(context.Background(), 10*time.Minute, errQueueEmpty)
-	game := s.l.Queue(ctx, p.id)
+	id, chall, deal := s.l.Queue(ctx, p.id)
 	stop()
-	if game == (lobby.GameID{}) {
+	if id == (lobby.GameID{}) {
 		// Context canceled.
-		p.conn.Close(websocket.StatusNormalClosure, "sorry, queue is empty...")
+		p.conn.Close(websocket.StatusTryAgainLater, "sorry, queue is empty...")
+		return
+	}
+	if deal {
+		g := game.New(p.id, chall)
+		other := s.person(chall)
+		// TODO(zeph): save the game state s.t. we can provide a join channel
+		go gameActor(ctx, g, p, other, nil)
+	}
+	// Reply with the game ID so they can share.
+	r := struct {
+		Game lobby.GameID `json:"game"`
+	}{
+		Game: id,
+	}
+	if err := wsjson.Write(context.TODO(), p.conn, r); err != nil {
+		// TODO(zeph): log
+		s.left(p.id)
 		return
 	}
-	s.join(game, p)
-	// TODO(zeph): need to broadcast to observers, need to listen for updates in a single goroutine, ...
 }
 
 var errQueueEmpty = errors.New("sorry, queue is empty")