Add category grouping in game queue and category slide transitions

Questions in the game queue are now grouped by category with per-group
drag-and-drop constraints and category reorder buttons. During live games,
a full-screen category slide appears for 3 seconds when transitioning
between categories. Backend now includes previous_category and
category_changed fields in question_changed events.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

backend/services/game_service.py

@@ -106,18 +106,31 @@ def broadcast_question_change(game, socketio_instance):
     if not current_question:
         return
 
+    # Determine previous category for category slide transitions
+    prev_category = None
+    if game.current_question_index > 0:
+        prev_gq = game.game_questions[game.current_question_index - 1]
+        prev_category = prev_gq.question.category
+
+    current_category = current_question.category
+    category_changed = current_category != prev_category
+
     # Emit to contestant room (without answer)
     socketio_instance.emit('question_changed', {
         'question_index': game.current_question_index,
         'question': current_question.to_dict(include_answer=False),
-        'total_questions': len(game.game_questions)
+        'total_questions': len(game.game_questions),
+        'previous_category': prev_category,
+        'category_changed': category_changed
     }, room=f'game_{game.id}_contestant')
 
     # Emit to admin room (with answer)
     socketio_instance.emit('question_with_answer', {
         'question_index': game.current_question_index,
         'question': current_question.to_dict(include_answer=True),
-        'total_questions': len(game.game_questions)
+        'total_questions': len(game.game_questions),
+        'previous_category': prev_category,
+        'category_changed': category_changed
     }, room=f'game_{game.id}_admin')
 
 

frontend/frontend/src/components/contestant/ContestantView.jsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
+import { useState, useEffect, useRef } from "react";
 import { useParams } from "react-router-dom";
 import { useSocket } from "../../hooks/useSocket";
 import { gamesAPI } from "../../services/api";
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@ export default function ContestantView() {
   const [questionIndex, setQuestionIndex] = useState(0);
   const [totalQuestions, setTotalQuestions] = useState(0);
 
+  // Category slide state
+  const [previousCategory, setPreviousCategory] = useState(null);
+  const [showCategorySlide, setShowCategorySlide] = useState(false);
+  const [pendingQuestion, setPendingQuestion] = useState(null);
+  const categorySlideTimeoutRef = useRef(null);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     // Load initial game state
     const loadGameState = async () => {
@@ -107,14 +113,41 @@ export default function ContestantView() {
 
     socket.on("question_changed", (data) => {
       console.log("Question changed:", data);
-      setCurrentQuestion(data.question);
+
-      setQuestionIndex(data.question_index);
+      const applyQuestion = (questionData) => {
-      setTotalQuestions(data.total_questions);
+        setCurrentQuestion(questionData.question);
-      setShowAnswer(false); // Hide answer when question changes
+        setQuestionIndex(questionData.question_index);
-      setAnswer("");
+        setTotalQuestions(questionData.total_questions);
-      setTimerSeconds(30);
+        setShowAnswer(false);
-      setTimerActive(true);
+        setAnswer("");
-      setTimerPaused(false);
+        setTimerSeconds(30);
+        setTimerActive(true);
+        setTimerPaused(false);
+        setPreviousCategory(questionData.question?.category || null);
+      };
+
+      // Clear any existing category slide timeout
+      if (categorySlideTimeoutRef.current) {
+        clearTimeout(categorySlideTimeoutRef.current);
+        categorySlideTimeoutRef.current = null;
+      }
+
+      if (data.category_changed) {
+        // Category changed — show category slide, then apply question after 3s
+        setPendingQuestion(data);
+        setShowCategorySlide(true);
+        categorySlideTimeoutRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
+          setShowCategorySlide(false);
+          setPendingQuestion(null);
+          applyQuestion(data);
+          categorySlideTimeoutRef.current = null;
+        }, 3000);
+      } else {
+        // Same category — apply immediately
+        setShowCategorySlide(false);
+        setPendingQuestion(null);
+        applyQuestion(data);
+      }
     });
 
     socket.on("score_updated", (data) => {
@@ -149,6 +182,13 @@ export default function ContestantView() {
       setTimerPaused(false);
       setCurrentTurnTeamId(null);
       setCurrentTurnTeamName(null);
+      setPreviousCategory(null);
+      setShowCategorySlide(false);
+      setPendingQuestion(null);
+      if (categorySlideTimeoutRef.current) {
+        clearTimeout(categorySlideTimeoutRef.current);
+        categorySlideTimeoutRef.current = null;
+      }
     });
 
     socket.on("lifeline_updated", (data) => {
@@ -484,7 +524,56 @@ export default function ContestantView() {
           </div>
         </div>
 
-        {/* Right side: Scoreboard */}
+        {/* Category slide overlay */}
+      {showCategorySlide && pendingQuestion && (
+        <div
+          style={{
+            position: "fixed",
+            top: 0,
+            left: 0,
+            right: 0,
+            bottom: 0,
+            background: "black",
+            color: "white",
+            display: "flex",
+            flexDirection: "column",
+            alignItems: "center",
+            justifyContent: "center",
+            zIndex: 1000,
+            animation: "categorySlideIn 0.5s ease-out",
+          }}
+        >
+          <div
+            style={{
+              fontSize: "1.2rem",
+              textTransform: "uppercase",
+              letterSpacing: "8px",
+              marginBottom: "1.5rem",
+              opacity: 0.6,
+            }}
+          >
+            Next Category
+          </div>
+          <div
+            style={{
+              fontSize: "5rem",
+              fontWeight: "bold",
+              textAlign: "center",
+              padding: "0 2rem",
+            }}
+          >
+            {pendingQuestion.question?.category || "Uncategorized"}
+          </div>
+          <style>{`
+            @keyframes categorySlideIn {
+              from { opacity: 0; transform: scale(0.95); }
+              to { opacity: 1; transform: scale(1); }
+            }
+          `}</style>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
+      {/* Right side: Scoreboard */}
         <div
           style={{
             flex: "1",

frontend/frontend/src/components/questionbank/GameSetupView.tsx

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import {
 	Shuffle,
 	Trash2,
 	ChevronDown,
+	ChevronUp,
 	ChevronRight,
 	FileText,
 	Image,
@@ -67,6 +68,11 @@ interface Template {
 	total_questions: number;
 }
 
+interface CategoryGroup {
+	category: string;
+	questionIds: number[];
+}
+
 type PoolRow =
 	| { kind: "category"; category: string; count: number; selectedCount: number }
 	| { kind: "question"; question: Question; isSelected: boolean };
@@ -114,14 +120,6 @@ function SortableQuestionRow({
 			<span className="w-5 shrink-0 text-center text-xs tabular-nums text-muted-foreground">
 				{index + 1}
 			</span>
-			{question.category && (
-				<Badge
-					variant="outline"
-					className="shrink-0 text-[0.65rem]"
-				>
-					{question.category}
-				</Badge>
-			)}
 			<TypeIcon type={question.type} />
 			<span className="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate">
 				{question.type !== "text" && question.answer
@@ -295,6 +293,26 @@ export default function GameSetupView() {
 		[selectedQuestions, questions],
 	);
 
+	/* ─── Grouped queue (by category, preserving first-appearance order) ── */
+	const groupedQueue = useMemo<CategoryGroup[]>(() => {
+		const groups: CategoryGroup[] = [];
+		const catMap = new Map<string, number[]>();
+		const catOrder: string[] = [];
+		for (const id of selectedQuestions) {
+			const q = questions.find((qq) => qq.id === id);
+			const cat = q?.category || "Uncategorized";
+			if (!catMap.has(cat)) {
+				catMap.set(cat, []);
+				catOrder.push(cat);
+			}
+			catMap.get(cat)!.push(id);
+		}
+		for (const cat of catOrder) {
+			groups.push({ category: cat, questionIds: catMap.get(cat)! });
+		}
+		return groups;
+	}, [selectedQuestions, questions]);
+
 	/* ─── Pool virtualizer ─────────────────────────────────────── */
 	const poolVirtualizer = useVirtualizer({
 		count: poolRows.length,
@@ -306,19 +324,49 @@ export default function GameSetupView() {
 		overscan: 20,
 	});
 
-	/* ─── Queue virtualizer ────────────────────────────────────── */
+	/* ─── Utility: sort IDs by category grouping ──────────────── */
-	const queueVirtualizer = useVirtualizer({
+	const sortByCategory = useCallback(
-		count: selectedQuestionObjects.length,
+		(ids: number[]) => {
-		getScrollElement: () => queueScrollRef.current,
+			const groups = new Map<string, number[]>();
-		estimateSize: () => 34,
+			const order: string[] = [];
-		overscan: 10,
+			for (const id of ids) {
-	});
+				const q = questions.find((qq) => qq.id === id);
+				const cat = q?.category || "Uncategorized";
+				if (!groups.has(cat)) {
+					groups.set(cat, []);
+					order.push(cat);
+				}
+				groups.get(cat)!.push(id);
+			}
+			return order.flatMap((cat) => groups.get(cat)!);
+		},
+		[questions],
+	);
 
 	/* ─── Question actions ─────────────────────────────────────── */
 	const addQuestion = (id: number) => {
-		if (!selectedQuestions.includes(id)) {
+		if (selectedQuestions.includes(id)) return;
-			setSelectedQuestions((prev) => [...prev, id]);
+		const q = questions.find((qq) => qq.id === id);
-		}
+		const cat = q?.category || "Uncategorized";
+
+		setSelectedQuestions((prev) => {
+			// Find last index of a question in the same category
+			let insertAt = -1;
+			for (let i = prev.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+				const existing = questions.find((qq) => qq.id === prev[i]);
+				if ((existing?.category || "Uncategorized") === cat) {
+					insertAt = i + 1;
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+			if (insertAt === -1) {
+				// New category — append to end
+				return [...prev, id];
+			}
+			const next = [...prev];
+			next.splice(insertAt, 0, id);
+			return next;
+		});
 	};
 
 	const removeQuestion = (id: number) => {
@@ -346,13 +394,32 @@ export default function GameSetupView() {
 
 	const handleDragEnd = (event: DragEndEvent) => {
 		const { active, over } = event;
-		if (over && active.id !== over.id) {
+		if (!over || active.id === over.id) return;
-			setSelectedQuestions((items) => {
+
-				const oldIndex = items.indexOf(active.id as number);
+		// Verify same category
-				const newIndex = items.indexOf(over.id as number);
+		const activeQ = questions.find((q) => q.id === active.id);
-				return arrayMove(items, oldIndex, newIndex);
+		const overQ = questions.find((q) => q.id === over.id);
-			});
+		const activeCat = activeQ?.category || "Uncategorized";
-		}
+		const overCat = overQ?.category || "Uncategorized";
+		if (activeCat !== overCat) return;
+
+		setSelectedQuestions((items) => {
+			const oldIndex = items.indexOf(active.id as number);
+			const newIndex = items.indexOf(over.id as number);
+			return arrayMove(items, oldIndex, newIndex);
+		});
+	};
+
+	/* ─── Category group reorder ──────────────────────────────── */
+	const moveCategoryGroup = (categoryIndex: number, direction: -1 | 1) => {
+		const newIndex = categoryIndex + direction;
+		if (newIndex < 0 || newIndex >= groupedQueue.length) return;
+
+		const newGroups = [...groupedQueue];
+		const [moved] = newGroups.splice(categoryIndex, 1);
+		newGroups.splice(newIndex, 0, moved);
+
+		setSelectedQuestions(newGroups.flatMap((g) => g.questionIds));
 	};
 
 	/* ─── Random questions ─────────────────────────────────────── */
@@ -390,7 +457,9 @@ export default function GameSetupView() {
 			}
 
 			if (newQuestionIds.length > 0) {
-				setSelectedQuestions((prev) => [...prev, ...newQuestionIds]);
+				setSelectedQuestions((prev) =>
+					sortByCategory([...prev, ...newQuestionIds]),
+				);
 			}
 			setRandomSelections({});
 			setShowRandomPanel(false);
@@ -423,7 +492,9 @@ export default function GameSetupView() {
 				);
 				return [...prev, ...newQs];
 			});
-			setSelectedQuestions(templateQuestions.map((q) => q.id));
+			setSelectedQuestions(
+			sortByCategory(templateQuestions.map((q) => q.id)),
+		);
 			setTemplateDialogOpen(false);
 		} catch (error) {
 			console.error("Error loading template:", error);
@@ -899,27 +970,60 @@ export default function GameSetupView() {
 									onDragEnd={handleDragEnd}
 									modifiers={[restrictToParentElement]}
 								>
-									<SortableContext
+									<div className="grid gap-1 p-2">
-										items={selectedQuestions}
+										{(() => {
-										strategy={
+											let runningIndex = 0;
-											verticalListSortingStrategy
+											return groupedQueue.map(
-										}
+												(group, gi) => (
-									>
+													<div key={group.category}>
-										<div className="grid gap-1 p-2">
+														{/* Category header */}
-											{selectedQuestionObjects.map(
+														<div className="flex items-center gap-1 px-1 py-1.5">
-												(q, i) => (
+															<span className="flex-1 text-xs font-semibold text-muted-foreground">
-													<SortableQuestionRow
+																{group.category}
-														key={q.id}
+																<span className="ml-1 font-normal">
-														question={q}
+																	({group.questionIds.length})
-														index={i}
+																</span>
-														onRemove={
+															</span>
-															removeQuestion
+															<button
-														}
+																onClick={() => moveCategoryGroup(gi, -1)}
-													/>
+																disabled={gi === 0}
+																className="rounded p-0.5 text-muted-foreground hover:bg-muted disabled:opacity-30"
+																title="Move category up"
+															>
+																<ChevronUp className="size-3" />
+															</button>
+															<button
+																onClick={() => moveCategoryGroup(gi, 1)}
+																disabled={gi === groupedQueue.length - 1}
+																className="rounded p-0.5 text-muted-foreground hover:bg-muted disabled:opacity-30"
+																title="Move category down"
+															>
+																<ChevronDown className="size-3" />
+															</button>
+														</div>
+														<SortableContext
+															items={group.questionIds}
+															strategy={verticalListSortingStrategy}
+														>
+															{group.questionIds.map((id) => {
+																const q = questions.find((qq) => qq.id === id);
+																if (!q) return null;
+																const idx = runningIndex++;
+																return (
+																	<SortableQuestionRow
+																		key={q.id}
+																		question={q}
+																		index={idx}
+																		onRemove={removeQuestion}
+																	/>
+																);
+															})}
+														</SortableContext>
+													</div>
 												),
-											)}
+											);
-										</div>
+										})()}
-									</SortableContext>
+									</div>
 								</DndContext>
 							)}
 						</div>