diff --git a/src/game.odin b/src/game.odin
index f841ccb..41dba42 100644
--- a/src/game.odin
+++ b/src/game.odin
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ Game :: struct {
 	deck:        [dynamic]Card,
 }
 
-hand_size :: proc(s: Game) -> int {
-	return s.num_players <= 3 ? 5 : 4
+hand_size :: proc(g: Game) -> int {
+	return g.num_players <= 3 ? 5 : 4
 }
 
 create_deck :: proc() -> (deck: [dynamic]Card) {
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ create_deck :: proc() -> (deck: [dynamic]Card) {
 	return
 }
 
-create_player :: proc(s: ^Game) -> (p: Player) {
-	for i in 0 ..< hand_size(s^) {
-		append(&p.hand, pop(&s.deck))
+create_player :: proc(g: ^Game) -> (p: Player) {
+	for i in 0 ..< hand_size(g^) {
+		append(&p.hand, pop(&g.deck))
 	}
 	return
 }
@@ -63,8 +63,16 @@ create_game :: proc(hint_tokens, lives_left, num_players: int) -> (s: Game) {
 	return
 }
 
-print_game :: proc(s: Game) {
-	for p in s.players {
+delete_game :: proc(g: ^Game) {
+	delete(g.deck)
+	for &p in g.players {
+		delete(p.hand)
+	}
+	delete(g.players)
+}
+
+print_game :: proc(g: Game) {
+	for p in g.players {
 		fmt.println("---")
 		for c in p.hand {
 			fmt.println(c.value, c.color)
diff --git a/src/main.odin b/src/main.odin
index 576ba25..ca5013e 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 < 2 || num_players > 5 do return
+		if num_players < 1 || num_players > 5 do return
 		run_server(addr, num_players)
 	case:
 		return
diff --git a/src/server.odin b/src/server.odin
index fcfd4e8..b95bc7c 100644
--- a/src/server.odin
+++ b/src/server.odin
@@ -1,23 +1,106 @@
 package hanabi
 
 import "core:fmt"
+import "core:math/rand"
 import "core:net"
 
-run_server :: proc(listen_addr: net.Endpoint, num_players: int) {
+Comm_World :: struct {
+	sockets: [dynamic]net.TCP_Socket,
+}
+
+create_comm_world :: proc(
+	listener: net.TCP_Socket,
+	num_conn: int,
+) -> (
+	w: Comm_World,
+	err: net.Network_Error,
+) {
+	for len(w.sockets) < num_conn {
+		client_sock, source := net.accept_tcp(listener) or_return
+		append(&w.sockets, client_sock)
+		fmt.println("player connected:", net.to_string(source))
+	}
+	return
+}
+
+delete_comm_world :: proc(w: ^Comm_World) {
+	for sock in w.sockets {
+		net.close(sock)
+	}
+	delete(w.sockets)
+}
+
+
+/*
+emulates Card, but packs the fields more neatly
+*/
+Bit_Card :: bit_field u8 {
+	value: int    | 3,
+	color: COLORS | 3,
+}
+
+Payload :: struct #packed {
+	num_hints: u8,
+	num_lives: u8,
+	num_cards: u8,
+	cards:     []Bit_Card,
+}
+
+create_payload :: proc(g: Game, player: int, allocator := context.allocator) -> Payload {
+	cards: [dynamic]Bit_Card
+	for i in 0 ..< g.num_players {
+		if i == player do continue
+		hand := g.players[i].hand[:]
+		for c in hand {
+			append(&cards, Bit_Card{value = c.value, color = c.color})
+		}
+	}
+	return {u8(g.hint_tokens), u8(g.lives_left), u8(len(cards)), cards[:]}
+}
+
+send_payload :: proc(sock: net.TCP_Socket, pl: Payload) -> net.Network_Error {
+	data: [dynamic]byte
+	defer delete(data)
+	append(&data, pl.num_hints, pl.num_lives, pl.num_cards)
+	for c in pl.cards do append(&data, transmute(u8)c)
+	net.send(sock, data[:]) or_return
+	return nil
+}
+
+DEFAULT_HINT_TOKENS :: 8
+DEFAULT_LIVES :: 3
+
+run_server :: proc(
+	listen_addr: net.Endpoint,
+	num_players: int,
+	num_hints := DEFAULT_HINT_TOKENS,
+	num_lives := DEFAULT_LIVES,
+) {
 	listener, list_err := net.listen_tcp(listen_addr)
 	if list_err != nil do panic(fmt.tprintln("failed to listen:", net.to_string(listen_addr)))
 	defer net.close(listener)
 
-	players: [dynamic]net.TCP_Socket
-	defer delete(players)
+	w, comm_err := create_comm_world(listener, num_players)
+	if comm_err != nil do panic(fmt.tprintln("failed to create comm world:", comm_err))
+	defer delete_comm_world(&w)
 
-	for len(players) < num_players {
-		client_sock, source, err := net.accept_tcp(listener)
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.eprintln("failed to connect:", err, source)
+	g := create_game(num_hints, num_lives, num_players)
+	defer delete_game(&g)
+
+	current_player := rand.int_max(num_players)
+	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")
 		}
-		append(&players, client_sock)
-		fmt.println("player connected:", net.to_string(source))
+
+		fmt.printfln("player %s's turn!", current_player)
+
+		// body
+
+		current_player = (current_player + 1) % num_players
+		free_all(context.temp_allocator)
 	}
 }