Inspiration
Waiting for a stream to start can be boring—often the only thing happening is chat. I’m not usually a big chatter, but I love interacting alongside chat when there’s a poll or something quick to react to. There wasn’t really anything fun for viewers to do while the stream was about to start, so I created Startin Soon: a tap-to-play trivia party that keeps viewers active before the main stream begins.
What it does
Startin Soon turns a streamer’s Starting Soon scene into an interactive quiz game. Viewers see a fun multiple-choice question, tap one of four answers before the 15-second timer runs out, then watch the answer reveal, live correct/incorrect totals, and a leaderboard.
Streamers can customize the Starting Soon countdown, choose categories, and control the game live—starting immediately, pausing, skipping, or ending a quiz.
How we built it
I used Codex to build the Extension’s front end, question database, mobile/desktop UI, broadcaster controls, leaderboard, and backend logic.
Startin Soon uses:
- Twitch Extension Helper for authentication and stream context.
- Twitch Extension PubSub to sync questions, timers, scores, and leaderboard updates in real time.
- An EBS built with Node.js to validate Twitch JWTs, record viewer answers, calculate totals, and manage game state.
- HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the bright, chunky, responsive viewer and streamer interfaces.
Challenges we ran into
The biggest challenge was making the quiz feel shared in real time across desktop and mobile viewers. Every answer, score update, and leaderboard change needed to stay synchronized without exposing viewer identities.
Another challenge was designing a UI that feels fun and “chonky” while still being easy to read and tap on a phone. I also had to follow Twitch’s Extension structure, including the required Extension Helper, viewer pages, broadcaster configuration, mobile support, and privacy requirements.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
I'm proud that Startin Soon gives viewers a way to participate without having to type in chat. It creates a simple, competitive activity for the whole community during the usually quiet pre-stream period.
I'm also proud of the playful mobile-first design, the 15-second answer timer, live correct/wrong totals, leaderboard, and streamer controls that make the game easy to run during a live broadcast.
What we learned
I learned how Twitch Extensions work end to end: Extension Helper authentication, JWT validation, PubSub messaging, EBS communication, mobile requirements, and the Extension Console workflow.
I also learned that good live-game UX needs to be fast, clear, and accessible—one-tap answers, large buttons, visible timers, and instant feedback matter more than complicated features.
What's next for Startin Soon
Next, I plan to add more question categories, seasonal and meme-focused question packs, customizable branding for streamers, streak bonuses, and more leaderboard options. I also want to improve the broadcaster dashboard with scheduled quizzes and category voting, so chat can help choose what they play next.
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