diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index 596b92f..fbd6e23 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ const gameState = { // pre-init values (render prior to any player input)
   komi: null, // komi depends on handicap stones + player rank
   handicap: null,
   boardSize: null,
+  players: new Set (),
   playerState: {
     bCaptures: null,
     wCaptures: null,
@@ -271,6 +272,28 @@ boardSizeEl.addEventListener('click', clickBoardSize);
 gameStartEl.addEventListener('click', clickSubmitStart);
 
 /*----- FUNCTIONS ----------------------------------*/
+/*----- webxdc functions -----*/
+function sendUpdate(update, descr) {
+    window.webxdc.sendUpdate(update, descr);
+}
+
+const userName = window.webxdc.selfName;
+
+window.webxdc.setUpdateListener((update) => {
+    let { payload, summary } = update;
+
+    switch (payload.event) {
+    case 'new_game':
+        initGame (payload);
+        break;
+    case 'join_room':
+        updateRoom (payload);
+        break;
+    default:
+        console.log ("couldn't recognize update event");
+    }
+});
+
 /*----- init functions -----*/
 init();
 
@@ -288,11 +311,27 @@ function init() {
   gameState.gameRecord = [];
   boardState = [];
   gameState.gameMeta.start = false;
+  joinRoom ();
   startMenu();
 };
 
+function joinRoom () {
+    const update = {
+        payload: {
+            event: "join_room",
+            player: userName
+        }
+    };
+    const descr = `${userName} joined room`;
+    sendUpdate (update, descr);
+}
+
+function updateRoom (payload) {
+    gameState.players.add (payload .player);
+}
+
 function getDate() {
-  let d = new Date;
+    let d = new Date;
     return `${d.getFullYear()}-${String(d.getMonth()+1).charAt(-1)||0}${String(d.getMonth()+1).charAt(-0)}-${String(d.getDate()).charAt(-1)||0}${String(d.getDate()+1).charAt(-0)}`;
 }
 
@@ -300,24 +339,36 @@ function startMenu() {
   modalEl.style.visibility = 'visible';
   renderMenu();
 }
+
 function clickSubmitStart(evt) {
-  if (gameState.gameMeta.start) return init();
-  evt.preventDefault();
-  evt.stopPropagation();
-  gameState.playerMeta.b.name = blackNameInputEl.value || 'black';
-  gameState.playerMeta.w.name = whiteNameInputEl.value || 'white';
-  modalEl.style.visibility = 'hidden';
-  return initGame();
+    let players = gameState.players.values ();
+    const update = {
+        payload: {
+            event: "new_game",
+            players: [players.next ().value, players.next ().value],
+        },
+        // document: "",
+        summary: "start game",
+    };
+    const descr = `${userName} started game`;
+    sendUpdate(update, descr);
+    if (gameState.gameMeta.start) return init();
+    evt.preventDefault();
+    evt.stopPropagation();
+    return null;
 }
 
-function initGame() {
-  gameState.winner = null;
-  gameState.pass = null;
-  gameState.turn = gameState.handicap ? -1 : 1;
-  gameState.gameMeta.start = true;
-  initBoard();
-  renderBoardInit();
-  renderGame();
+function initGame(payload) {
+    gameState.playerMeta.b.name = payload.players [0] || 'black';
+    gameState.playerMeta.w.name = payload.players [1]  || 'white';
+    modalEl.style.visibility = 'hidden';
+    gameState.winner = null;
+    gameState.pass = null;
+    gameState.turn = gameState.handicap ? -1 : 1;
+    gameState.gameMeta.start = true;
+    initBoard();
+    renderBoardInit();
+    renderGame();
 }
 
 function initBoard() {