The Playroom is a free online gaming platform, especially made to be accessible to visually impaired people.
Anyone can connect ! 22 869 players around the world are already waiting to play with you, in 6 languages, and at anytime of the day and night. Join us now ! At the moment, there are 565 connected players and 286 open tables.
Here is the beta of the new Playroom client version 3.0.
As all software in beta, this version isn't yet fully finalized. It still contains bugs, and isn't yet meant to replace the current version 2.2.8.
If you are comfortable enough with computers, you are kindly invited to test it and give feedback about what works and what doesn't. However, if you aren't very comfortable with computers, you are advised to wait for the final 3.0 version. No support will be given to install or get started with beta versions.
Note that all beta versions will be quickly blocked as soon as we don't need them any longer and/or got enough significant feedback to continue our work, in order for tests and feedback to be better targeted, and to make sure that you always have the very latest version. Note also that beta versions are said portable. There's no installer, you must extract yourself the downloaded archive in order to run the executable application of the playroom.
Your comments, remarks, bug reports concerning all 3.0 beta have to be made in this topic. Please centralize all feedback here on this topic rather than create a new topic for each new problem found, in order to be efficient and to avoid generating useless additional work.
For this first test version, we expect quite general feedbackk. Next we will be asking for more targeted feedbacks, depending on problems found.
Changelog 2.99.34:
Left/right arrow keys now work to go to next/previous card suit
IN rami, the sound indicating that a card has been taken from the table is back
The problem introduced in last beta concerning reversi AI is solved, and the AI has been optimized
Chat text field is again announced correctly by Jaws, but Ctrl+Backspace no longer work
Menu list scroll has been improved
Restore default settings is now working
Changelog 2.99.33
Fixed Ctrl+Backspace to delete a word in MP and forum multiline input box
Improved reversi AI
Fixed bug in history report sendings
Fixed issue with streams when leaving or saving a table
Visual fixes
Changelog 2.99.32
History saving works again
Fixed a focus problem with the chat zone when the menu list is updated
Windows 10 dark mode is now taken into account
Other visual fixes
Officially abandonned support of windows XP and vista
Changelog 2.99.30:
Keys F10 and Shift+F10 sometimes were activating the system menu
Numpad enter key works again (it opened the language menu)
Keys F1-F12 and Ctrl+letter work again in chat and history zones
Keeping keys such as previous/next/play/pause/stop/volume/mail/browser/search pressed no longer trigger anti-flood protection
Activating the icon in the taskbar worked with Jaws, but not with NVDA
Activating the window from the taskbar or when it was minimized was sometimes done incompletely, i.e. focus cursor wasn't really in the window
Fade out of audio streams is back when leaving a table
Changing volume from menus no longer make bizarre and/or infinite sound
About dialog box is now also reachable from system menu and from taskbar menu
Changelog 2.99.29:
Restored secure SSL/TLS connection, using library OpenSSL instead of LibreTLS.
Volume settings: from now on, key F6, F7 and F8 are used to change volume. F6 to choose streams/notifications/sounds, F7 to make lower and F8 to make louder. F5 is no longer used.
The following shortcuts have changed: Shift+F6 open audio settings, Shift+F7 stop all sounds, Shift+F8 toggle auto reading of incoming messages
Auto connect on startup option, allowing to automatically connect to the playroom directly, skipping the connection dialog box
Reduce to taskbar option, allowing the playroom to be placed in notification bar instead of quitting it when pressing Alt+F4
Service status button in the connection dialog box. This button opens a web page indicating if the playroom correctly works, or if we currently encounter general server, infrastructure or network issue, as those we recently got with our host OVH. These informations will help you, in case you have difficulties connecting, whether the problem is on your or on our side, and will allow you to follow what's going on in case of big outage.
Added a split bar allowing to adjust, using the mouse, the size of the two zones history/menu list. Space sharing is automatically adjusted following the size of the window.
Improved graphics for the games where there are: chess, connect4, reversi, backgammon, battleship
Chat text field now allow to paste texte containing multiple lines
Update BASS audio library to 2.4.15, adding support and fixing bugs for several headphones and soundcards. Using WASAPI by default under windows 7, 8 and 10, possibility to switch back to DirectSound in case of problems with WASAPI.
Preparations for the next great revolution to come (code. armode/5a)
Following an important update independent of our will, secure connection to the playroom won't work anymore starting the 25th of January 2021 onwards. You will need to use the unsecure connection from now on, by choosing that option in the connection dialog box (once Shift+Tab starting from the username text field).
Despite that a little frightening term, the unsecure connection hasn't actually anything dangerous. Your data will pass through an unencrypted protocol. Nothing changes in using the playroom. You will still be able to play and discuss as usual, once this configuration modification has been done. However, we remind you to be extremely cauthious when you exchange personal information with other players. In particular, never ever give your password to anyone (including your boy/girl friend).
We are working at a new 3.0 beta version of the client, which will restore the secure connection with the new system. IN the meantime, sadly, you will need to satisfy yourself with the unsecure mode.
Be sure that we are incredibely sorry for this issue, but we have been obliged to act in a rush without any choice. Unfortunately, we haven't anticipated this brutal change. We will do our best to avoid the same kind of issue in the future.
Don't hesitate to forward the information to your friends who don't regularely go to the forum and who might have missed it.
We wish you nevertheless great pleasure on the playroom, as well as an happy new year 2021.
I have released this evening a new program to play card games online in an accessible way. I have called this program the playroom. Yes, that's a room where you can play games, hance this very simplistic name.
Ten years ago, smart was the one who could predict that the above innocuous lines would launch a small revolution in the world of accessible gaming. In any case, if you told me so at that time, I would have found you completely crazy. Think a little, just a tiny card game! I belief I would draw interest of no more than a couple casual players. I was far from imaginating that it would go to that huge extent, and even less that it would go so fast!
I think I shouldn't go red about the term revolution: beyond a simple game, the playroom has become a true city. A city with people coming in and going away. A city with those who live there, and those who only pass or stay for a while. A city with its good stories, its less good as well. But a city who live, day and night.
Today, the playroom is ten years old!
If this big city has been able to flourish, that's because of everyone. Wheter you have contributed to this great adventure in a way or another, be it as an administrator, helper, translator, quiz validator or writer, we would like to say you a great thank you for your support, or simply for your faithfulness presence. Without you, the playroom wouldn't be anything. WE also need to warmly thank all players, yes, you! You have carried on games one after the other. You have shared good times and fun laughs. You have created or participated to tournaments. You made us be known, to your near friends as well as everywhere around the world, without ever the need for us to praise or advertise. You have all built up this platform together and keep making it live. Really, you deserve a great thank you king size!
This message is perhaps an occasion to express yourself about what you liked, what you liked less, what you imagine for the future of this universe, or maybe to share a few small funny anecdotes.
We will of course have the occasion to share this soon around a virtual table. Given that our respective personal lives are much more full than in 2010, no date hasn't yet been fixed for a special event. Be sure that there will soon be one, though. We must celebrate it!
What's the future is going to be on our beloved platform? At short term, a small surprise. At the moment, I can only tell you that ducks are implied (No no, don't call ASPCA, I only talk about ducks for bath, obviously!) At middle term, a 3.0 client entirely made from scratch, and the concretisation, I hope, of what I started five years ago. No, I haven't forgotten, I only took bad directions and I lose my way. It can happen to anyone! And at long term, I don't know. Maybe one day there will be a client for Mac, for iOS, a nicer interface for sighted people, or maybe none of all these. Nobody knows. Maybe we will need to wear a mask to come in the playroom, who knows? Smart is the one who know where we are going to be in 2030, especially with the general uncertainty and the deep questionnings we are all living right now. What is sure, though, is that we will continue to do our maximum to preserve what have made the playroom a success until now. The best shouldn't change! Let's talk about it again in ten years?
Thank you very much everybody, and long live the playroom! Happy birthday!
Nowadays more than never in these troubled times, a place like the Playroom appears to us as being essential. We are always present to provide you entertainment and pleasure, and we will always be. That's why we aren't only very proud to have reached historical frequentation records, but additionally, we are extremely happy to present you a new game of our own creation: the duck's race!
As its name says, the principle is very simple: you are playing one of our so lovely birds and your objective is to be the first to reach the finish line. However, don't be misstaken: your way is full of traps and your concurrents won't mind making your life hard. Who's going to be the quickest? who's going to be smarter than his concurrents?
This new game has been entirely designed during this generalized confining. A great thank you to those who worked hard during the last two weeks.
Like any new game, there may be some malfunctionning, especially given that it has been designed in almost no time. Don't hesitate to report them in this topic. As well if you have suggestions, or just some impressions to share, this topic is open.
Today is a great day, since I'm celebrating my 30th anniversary. However, I, am going to give you a present; a present for the whole community.
I have the great pleasure to tell you that, not only one, but two, new games will be released during this month of October 2018 !
Get ready for the effective release day. Clues about the exact date and time of the event, as well as, of course, about the nature of the upcoming games are going to be discretely spread on the next days. There my even be exclusive previews to win for the most schrewd of you.
As I'm writing to you all, I would like to say thank you; thank you everybody.
Thank you to helpers, who are always there to help people, as well as watch the platform day after day so that it stays alive and comfortable.
Thank you to translators, who make essential work behind the sun, and which the playroom would be inconceivable without it for entire communities.
Thank you to quiz validators and correctors, who feed that game continuously beside those who send questions.
Thank you to those who made donations, either they were more or less frequent, or more or less generous. Thank to them, servers can keep running.
Thank you to my colleegues administrators, who are also there when things are getting hard or in case of technical outages, as well as for coordinating the other teams.
And finally, of course, thank you all, the community of the playroom in its entirety Since 8 years, thank to you, thank to all these moments of emotion, these moments of joy or cry all shared together around a table, that made the playroom what it became today and what keeps it becoming even stronger and stronger day after day. Without you all, there would have probably been already a long time that your well beloved unique developer would have lost all motivation.
However, yes, everything isn't perfect; some bugs are still resisting to our analysis; there are so many requests that we can't realise them all as we wish; and the vagaries of life make certain things to arrive so late. Despite everything, we still are all there; all together we are giving our best so that the better stays for ever.
So, once again, thank you all; thank you everybody.
Today, the web client is modernizing, as well as the whole website. This is the first part of a bigger and more ambitious update, which, we hope, will follow before 2018.
Main changes to the web client:
Equally as in windows client, a real history as well as channels and views are now also available on the web client
3 volume levels are now settable: music/streams, normal sounds and notification soudns; last ones will make sense later
Improved stability of speech with VoiceOver, on Safari iOS, Safari MacOS and Firefox iOS
Improvements for Firefox and Crhome PC (windows and linux)
For sighted people, a few disposition/display options are available
Definitely stopping support of Internet Explorer 6 to 10, which was anyway quite compromized
Removed reading mode with browser speech synthesis, which was anyway quite limitet, and now low interest since speech is better managed width VoiceOver
General changes on the website:
You can now choose your timezone, date and number format, under options>display options. This also affects dates displayed in windows client, most notably on forum and permanent messages
Improved input help and nickname autocompletion in web forms
Various CSS updates
Our team worked well for this update, but we don't have all possible configurations that you can have as users. There are certainly still bugs. WE invite you to post them here in case.
Thank you for your collaboration on bug reporting, and have fun on the playroom!
7 years ago, your favorite gaming platform was started for the firs time on a small and modest server. At the time, there was only a single game and one could count the number of players on the hands of the administrator team. It was the beginning of our great adventure; the one which, since that time, fill us with wonder as much as you.
There was quite a lot of adventure: thousends of bugs, capricious and even phantom connections, only half-working new games, and a version 1 quite limited.
Then the small and unruly baby grew and progressively became a child and a teenager: version 2 came up, solid teams of administrators, translators, helpers and quiz validator-corrector have been formed, connections statilized, many new games have appeared, we became an international and multilingual phenomenon; and then also came the forum, private messages and the tournaments.
It makes 7 years today that everything began. Is the playroom now an adult? One could easily think so: if the activity of the players never stopped and even still grows day after day, the central core of the nest seem on its side to have fallen quite asleep these last two years.
Asleep? Really? In fact, no, not at all!
If there are no breaking news today, it's not because we felt asleep on our laurels; really not! No, no, the central core of the nest doesn't sleep. Even if they stay quite discreet, a few precursory signs shouldn't fool you. In truth, since several weeks now, we are bubbling in excitement!
However, instead of proposing you something that isn't totally finished, full of bugs and that may leave you on your hunger, as we already could have done it more or less cluncily in the past, this time we have decided to wait. When the time come, when we are ready to present you true news, will then come the great event of all delights. At the moment though, it appears to us that it's far too early.
Seven years, age of reason? Wouldn't be that age at which we accept finally to wait for the right moment, instead of falling childishly under the day of all whimes?
