90s board game Hotel comes back online: server down, no dark mode

The 90s game Hotel is back online, with a crashed server and no dark mode

Hotel, the classic board game popular in the 90s and 2000s, has returned as an online version thanks to a developer who admits he built it with AI help. A test game ended with the server going down mid-match. It's not a metaphor for the Spanish tech industry: it's literal.

The project, which aims to test the multiplayer mode, ran into enthusiasm from a handful of players and indifference from everyone else. "Nobody is going to join, I'm telling you now," the creator admitted before an unknown user came in and the game took off. The local mode, though, is "under control".

A server that can't even handle a test game

That's just how independent game development in Spain goes. One day you're testing the voice chat, the next the server is down. The creator of the online Hotel knows it well: after a session with a player called inone, the system collapsed. "My server broke in the middle of the game, sorry hehe," he wrote. The final laugh gives away that it's not the first time.

The project, which by his own admission is vibecoded with Claude — that is, generated with the help of artificial intelligence — raises suspicions among the veterans. "What is this, a game you vibecoded with Claude?" asks another participant, who suspects there's an operation behind it to get the unsuspecting mining cryptocurrency. The creator denies it: "There's no malware, Claude would never do that to you."

From dark mode to manually rolling dice

Players' requests weren't long in coming. One of the most repeated is for a dark mode to avoid the eye strain caused by such a colorful board. The developer's answer is honest: "This isn't a game that takes well to dark mode, I wouldn't even know how to implement it."

Another suggestion points to the possibility of manually entering dice results, for those who prefer to roll physical dice. A antiestéticature that would bring the online game closer to the tabletop experience and that, for now, hasn't been implemented.

Voice chat, the final frontier

The online mode includes a voice chat that is the only thing left to test. The creator asks for cooperation: "I know you won't plug in your mic because you're embarrassed, but I'll plug mine in and you can tell me if you can hear me." The trial by fire for a game that aims to reclaim the glory of the 90s in a market saturated with casual offerings.

The same old Hotel, but online. That phrase sums up the project and its limitations too. As long as the server holds up.