diff --git a/src/client.odin b/src/client.odin
index bf295ae..31703f5 100644
--- a/src/client.odin
+++ b/src/client.odin
@@ -3,13 +3,78 @@ package hanabi
 import "core:fmt"
 import "core:net"
 
+Client_View :: struct {
+	num_hints: int,
+	num_lives: int,
+	players:   []Player,
+}
 
+unpack_card :: proc(c: Bit_Card) -> Card {
+	return {value = c.value, color = c.color}
+}
+
+recv_payload :: proc(sock: net.TCP_Socket, allocator := context.allocator) -> Payload {
+	header: [3]byte
+	net.recv(sock, header[:])
+	num_cards := header[2]
+	body := make([]byte, num_cards)
+	net.recv(sock, body)
+	return {header[0], header[1], header[2], transmute([]Bit_Card)body}
+}
+
+num_players :: proc(num_cards: int) -> int {
+	switch num_cards {
+	case 5:
+		return 2
+	case 10:
+		return 3
+	case 12:
+		return 4
+	case 16:
+		return 5
+	case:
+		return -1
+	}
+}
+
+create_view :: proc(pl: Payload, allocator := context.allocator) -> Client_View {
+	n := num_players(int(pl.num_cards))
+	assert(n > 0)
+	players := make([]Player, n)
+	for i in 0 ..< n - 1 {
+		cards_per_hand := int(pl.num_cards) / (n - 1)
+		hand: [dynamic]Card
+		for c in 0 ..< cards_per_hand {
+			append(&hand, unpack_card(pl.cards[i * cards_per_hand + c]))
+		}
+		players[i].hand = hand
+	}
+	return {num_hints = int(pl.num_hints), num_lives = int(pl.num_lives), players = players}
+}
+
+render_view :: proc(view: Client_View) {
+	fmt.println("number of hints left:", view.num_hints)
+	fmt.println("number of lives left:", view.num_lives)
+	for p in view.players {
+		fmt.println()
+		for c in p.hand {
+			fmt.println(c.value, c.color)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+
 run_client :: proc(host_addr: net.Endpoint) {
-	sock, list_err := net.dial_tcp(host_addr)
+	serv, list_err := net.dial_tcp(host_addr)
 	if list_err != nil do panic(fmt.tprintln("failed to dial:", net.to_string(host_addr)))
-	defer net.close(sock)
-	buf: [256]byte
-	net.recv(sock, buf[:])
-	fmt.println(transmute(string)buf[:])
+	defer net.close(serv)
+
+	pl := recv_payload(serv, context.temp_allocator)
+	fmt.println("received payload")
+
+	view := create_view(pl, context.temp_allocator)
+	render_view(view)
+
+	free_all(context.temp_allocator)
 }
 
diff --git a/src/game.odin b/src/game.odin
index 41dba42..1dbb51b 100644
--- a/src/game.odin
+++ b/src/game.odin
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ create_player :: proc(g: ^Game) -> (p: Player) {
 }
 
 create_game :: proc(hint_tokens, lives_left, num_players: int) -> (s: Game) {
-	assert(num_players > 1 && num_players < 6)
+	assert(num_players >= 2 && num_players <= 5)
+	s.num_players = num_players
 	s.hint_tokens = hint_tokens
 	s.lives_left = lives_left
 	s.deck = create_deck()
diff --git a/src/main.odin b/src/main.odin
index ca5013e..576ba25 100644
--- a/src/main.odin
+++ b/src/main.odin
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ main :: proc() {
 		if !endpoint_ok do panic(fmt.tprintln("failed to parse endpoint:", os.args[2]))
 		num_players, int_ok := strconv.parse_int(os.args[3])
 		if !int_ok do panic(fmt.tprintln("failed to parse number of players:", os.args[3]))
-		if num_players < 1 || num_players > 5 do return
+		if num_players < 2 || num_players > 5 do return
 		run_server(addr, num_players)
 	case:
 		return
diff --git a/src/server.odin b/src/server.odin
index b95bc7c..49c4af8 100644
--- a/src/server.odin
+++ b/src/server.odin
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ Bit_Card :: bit_field u8 {
 	color: COLORS | 3,
 }
 
+pack_card :: proc(c: Card) -> Bit_Card {
+	return {value = c.value, color = c.color}
+}
+
 Payload :: struct #packed {
 	num_hints: u8,
 	num_lives: u8,
@@ -52,7 +56,7 @@ create_payload :: proc(g: Game, player: int, allocator := context.allocator) ->
 		if i == player do continue
 		hand := g.players[i].hand[:]
 		for c in hand {
-			append(&cards, Bit_Card{value = c.value, color = c.color})
+			append(&cards, pack_card(c))
 		}
 	}
 	return {u8(g.hint_tokens), u8(g.lives_left), u8(len(cards)), cards[:]}
@@ -88,19 +92,27 @@ run_server :: proc(
 	defer delete_game(&g)
 
 	current_player := rand.int_max(num_players)
-	game_loop: for {
+	GAME_LOOP: for {
 		for i in 0 ..< num_players {
 			pl := create_payload(g, i, context.temp_allocator)
 			send_err := send_payload(w.sockets[i], pl)
 			if send_err != nil do panic("failed to send payload")
 		}
 
-		fmt.printfln("player %s's turn!", current_player)
+		fmt.printfln("player %d's turn!", current_player)
+
+		for p in g.players {
+			fmt.println()
+			for c in p.hand {
+				fmt.println(c.value, c.color)
+			}
+		}
 
 		// body
 
 		current_player = (current_player + 1) % num_players
 		free_all(context.temp_allocator)
+		break GAME_LOOP
 	}
 }