Chat & Mentions

TinyGenerals has a built-in chat system so you can communicate with other players before, during, and outside of games.

Chat channels

The chat panel has two tabs:

• Room — Messages in your current room or match. In the lobby, this is your pre-game chat. Once the game starts, lobby messages carry over into the match so you don’t lose context.
• General — A server-wide chat visible to everyone. Use it to find opponents, chat between games, or just hang out.

Both tabs show an unread badge when new messages arrive while you’re on the other tab.

Sending messages

Type your message in the input field and press Enter or tap Send.

• Messages have a 500 character limit — a counter in the bottom-right shows how many characters you’ve used.
• Rate limits apply to prevent spam: 3 seconds between messages in General chat, 1 second in room/match chat.
• You must be logged in to send messages. Guests and spectators can read chat but cannot post.

@Mentions

Mention another player by typing @ followed by their username, for example @Alice. Mentioned players receive a notification in their notification bell, even if they’re not looking at that chat.

Autocomplete

You don’t need to remember exact usernames. Type @ and at least two letters — a dropdown will appear with matching players. From there:

• Tab — inserts the highlighted name. Press Tab again to cycle through other matches.
• Enter — inserts the highlighted name and closes the dropdown.
• Arrow keys — move the highlight up or down.
• Escape — closes the dropdown without inserting anything.
• Click — pick a name directly from the list.

The dropdown also shows a green dot next to players who are currently online.

Where mentions work

Chat channel	Who can you mention?
General	Any registered player
Room/lobby	Any registered player
Match	Only players in that match

During a match, mentions are limited to participants — you can’t ping someone who isn’t part of the game. In the lobby and general chat, you can mention anyone, which is handy for inviting players to join.

What the mentioned player sees

When someone mentions you:

1. Your notification bell shows a new alert with the sender’s name and a preview of the message.
2. Clicking the notification takes you to the room or game where you were mentioned.
3. The @YourName text is highlighted in the chat so it’s easy to find.

Bots and guest accounts cannot be mentioned.

System messages

Some messages are posted automatically by the game — for example, when a player joins the lobby, surrenders, or wins. These appear with icons and distinct styling so you can tell them apart from player messages.