Skip to content
PairKit

Templates vs Flows

PairKit gives you two ways to define what shows up on the player’s phone. Pick the simpler one until you outgrow it.

Templates — one screen for the whole session

A Template is a single, fixed widget layout. Every player connected to the session sees the same widgets, for the entire session. Examples:

  • D-pad + buttons for a platformer demo.
  • A full-screen tap area for a reaction-time game.
  • A text input + submit button for a kiosk.

Templates are the right choice when:

  • The phone-side experience never changes.
  • Every player has the same role.
  • You want the simplest possible setup — drag a template asset onto PhoneControllerManager and you’re done.

PairKit ships four built-in templates: D-pad + Buttons, Tap / Buzz, Text Input, and Joystick. Create one via Assets → Create → PairKit → Templates → ….

Flows — multi-screen, per-player

A Flow is a named collection of screens. Each screen has its own widget layout. The host transitions players between screens at runtime:

  • Show all players a lobby screen until everyone is ready.
  • Move them to a round screen with d-pad controls when the game starts.
  • Show one specific player a pick_word screen while everyone else stays on wait_for_drawer.

Flows are the right choice when:

  • The phone-side UI changes mid-session (lobbies, voting rounds, mini-game phases).
  • Different players see different screens at the same time.
  • You want to use one of the higher-level patterns: PromptAsync, RequestAsync, or RequestResendAsync.

Author a Flow via Assets → Create → PairKit → Flow Asset. The inline editor lets you define screens and their widget lists. Drag the Flow asset into the manager’s Flow Asset slot — it takes precedence over Template if both are set.

Decision shortcut

QuestionAnswer
Do all players always see the same controls?Template
Do you need to transition the UI mid-game?Flow
Will you use PromptAsync or RequestAsync?Flow (PromptAsync requires a Flow; RequestAsync works with either)
Are different players in different roles?Flow
Are you writing a small demo or test scene?Start with a Template, switch to Flow if it grows

You can migrate from a Template to a Flow later — the wire protocol underneath is the same widget data model. Templates are essentially Flows with one screen. Pick the smaller surface until the smaller surface stops working.

Next

  • Learn the multi-screen mechanics: FlowAsset.
  • Browse all 12 widget types: Widgets.