The host names the stakes: classic tennis, or the death match

Three chips under VS A FRIEND — the host's pick rides the room and the
start message rebuilds both courts on pairing. In the death match your
opponent IS the zombie: their lost points tear its wound stages, their
won points draw your blood, and bleeding out crosses the wire as the
other phone's win. The same receiver-is-judge verdicts drive the match
machinery through resolveInterlude, so the fall, the mop beat and the
burst come along unmodified. New: gushProne — the game-winning body
bleeds out on the ground, from prone-height anchors, until it bursts.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

src/main.js

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { TUNE, COURTS, TOURS, MODES, MENU, DIFFS, EATEN_RESTART, DONE_RESTART, W
 import { P, O, ball, score, G, setupPoint, selectCourt, selectTour } from './state.js';
 import { update, restartRun, keyPressed, solveShot, inServeBox, inCourt, forceZombies, splatPoint, deliverTin, selectWeapon, grantWeapon, showModal, dismissModal, flickTarget, dragServe, toggleTestMode } from './gameplay.js';
 import { startDuel, resolveInterlude, startBossFight, endBossFight, startDrill, endDrill, startMatch, endMatch, startBench, endBench, FALL, benchFall, startNetVs } from './beats.js';
-import { netConnect } from './net.js';
+import { netConnect, netHooks } from './net.js';
 import { fitViewport, render, proj, RES, SPRV, LOAD, SPR } from './render.js';
 import { voice, ambient, menuMusic, menuDuck } from './audio.js';
 import { zombies, spawnZombie, spawnRacketZombie, spawnMachine, spawnChapterBoss, piles, gore, parts, pellets, extras, shots, pops, explode, hurtPlayer, killPlayer , spawnBarrel } from './zombies.js';
@@ -104,7 +104,9 @@ const pickMode = id => { pickedMode = id; try { localStorage.setItem('mode', id)
 // setup screen (court and tour ride whatever was last picked). HOST shows the code to share in a
 // modal over the frozen court; JOIN asks for a friend's code.
 // ponytail: prompt() is the join UI — replace with a drawn code entry if the mode ships.
-function netChip(label, join) {
+// The host's one decision — classic or the death match — rides the room, so the joiner never picks
+// a mode: the start message carries it to both phones and both courts are rebuilt on pairing.
+function netChip(label, join, death = false) {
   const b = document.createElement('button');
   b.className = 'chip';
   b.textContent = label;
@@ -114,8 +116,8 @@ function netChip(label, join) {
       code = (prompt('ROOM CODE FROM YOUR OPPONENT') || '').trim().toUpperCase();
       if (!code) return;
     }
-    start('classic');
-    if (startNetVs()) netConnect(code);
+    start('classic'); // the waiting court is classic either way; a death room swaps it on pairing
+    if (startNetVs()) netConnect(code, death);
   });
   return b;
 }
@@ -125,7 +127,8 @@ function buildSub(top) {
   const t = top || topOf(pickedMode);
   document.getElementById('subTitle').textContent = t.diffs ? 'DIFFICULTY' : (t.name || '');
   if (t.net) {
-    modeSub.appendChild(netChip('HOST — GET A ROOM CODE', false));
+    modeSub.appendChild(netChip('HOST — CLASSIC TENNIS', false));
+    modeSub.appendChild(netChip('HOST — DEATH MATCH', false, true));
     modeSub.appendChild(netChip('JOIN WITH A CODE', true));
     return;
   }
@@ -363,6 +366,7 @@ function intoSplatter() {
   zombies.length = 0; shots.length = 0; pellets.length = 0;
   score.server = 'P'; setupPoint();
 }
+netHooks.intoSplatter = intoSplatter; // netplay's death match enters splatter through the same hack
 document.getElementById('scWeapons').addEventListener('click', () => {
   start(null); intoSplatter(); toggleTestMode();
 });
@@ -583,8 +587,12 @@ if (location.hash === '#drill') setTimeout(() => { start(null); intoSplatter();
 if (location.hash === '#match') setTimeout(() => { start(null); intoSplatter(); startMatch(); }, 700);
 if (location.hash === '#cup') setTimeout(() => { start(null); intoSplatter(); startMatch(true); }, 700);
 if (location.hash === '#bench') setTimeout(() => { start(null); intoSplatter(); startBench(); }, 700);
-// #net hosts a room, #net-ABCD joins one — the netplay door from a URL (slice(5) skips '#net-')
-if (location.hash.startsWith('#net')) setTimeout(() => {
+// #net hosts classic, #netd hosts a death match, #net-ABCD joins — the netplay doors from a URL
+if (location.hash === '#netd') setTimeout(() => {
+  start('classic');
+  if (startNetVs()) netConnect(null, true);
+}, 700);
+else if (location.hash.startsWith('#net')) setTimeout(() => {
   start('classic');
   if (startNetVs()) netConnect(location.hash.slice(5).toUpperCase() || null);
 }, 700);