Mobile · Play · First-time user
Brand-new user — zero data
Identical shell to the active Play screen — no onboarding overlay, no tutorial. The UI teaches itself through empty-state treatments: starter 500 IQ gift glows in the header, rank chip reads "—" (unranked), streak is Day 1, friends section invites you to add people, hero shows the next trivia round with a first-pick hint.
Design Mechanics · First-time Play
No overlay, no tutorial — same shell as [play-v2](/play-v2). Empty-state content teaches through form, not instructions.
Header chips adapt — "Day 1" streak (orange, not fire — not earned yet), ⚡ 500 IQ chip (glowing amber — signals "this is your gift"), "Unranked" chip (muted italic — invites the user to change that).
Hero eyebrow reads "Welcome · Next Trivia" — one-time greeting inline, dismisses to "Next Trivia" on subsequent loads.
Headline replaces generic title — "Play your first round" makes the action explicit. Once they've played, it reverts to "Trivia".
CTA is direct — "Play First Round →" with a subtle hint underneath: "Start at 1× — work up to 3×". Teaches the multiplier concept without modal.
Friends section becomes invite card — "Play with friends. Earn +250 IQ for each one who joins." with an Invite button. Social empty state = growth mechanic.
Bar strip reframes — "Play at a bar for 3× → Find one" (instead of specifying Kincade's). Teaches the bar multiplier concept with an explore CTA when no location/favorite is set.
Nav unchanged — Play / Rank / You (same 3 tabs). User can explore but Play is the default.
After first pick — Day 1 chip stays, Unranked fills in with national rank, IQ delta animates, hero reverts to normal "Trivia" framing.