Phase 0: deployment shell

README.md

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+# Life Journey — Deployment Shell (Phase 0)
+
+An empty, deployable shell for the async multiplayer board game. It contains no
+game logic yet — its only job is to prove the deployment path works: the server
+runs in Docker, is reachable through Nginx Proxy Manager over HTTPS, and
+WebSockets survive the reverse proxy.
+
+Once both checks are green, adding the real game (Phase 1 onward) never touches
+the deployment story again.
+
+## What's here
+
+```
+lifegame/
+├── docker-compose.yml
+├── Dockerfile
+├── package.json / package-lock.json
+├── server/index.js      # health endpoint + WebSocket echo
+└── public/index.html    # live HTTP + WebSocket status page
+```
+
+## 1. Put it on the homelab
+
+Drop the folder in your services directory (e.g. `~/homelab/lifegame/`) and build:
+
+```bash
+cd ~/homelab/lifegame
+docker compose up -d --build
+docker compose logs -f      # expect: "Life Journey (Phase 0) listening on :3000"
+```
+
+Verify locally on the host first:
+
+```bash
+curl http://localhost:3000/api/health
+# {"ok":true,"service":"life-journey","phase":0,...}
+```
+
+## 2. Point Nginx Proxy Manager at it
+
+Add a **Proxy Host**:
+
+- **Domain**: your chosen name, e.g. `game.example.com`
+- **Scheme**: `http`
+- **Forward Hostname / IP**:
+  - *Option A (default compose):* the homelab's LAN IP (e.g. `192.168.x.x`)
+  - *Option B (shared network):* `lifegame`
+- **Forward Port**: `3000`
+- **Websockets Support**: **ON** ← the easy-to-forget one
+- **SSL tab**: request a new Let's Encrypt certificate, Force SSL on
+
+## 3. Confirm it works
+
+Open `https://game.example.com`. You should see two rows go green:
+
+- **Server (HTTP)** — the health endpoint responded
+- **WebSocket** — a live socket connected through the proxy
+
+Click **Send WebSocket ping** and the status should show the echo came back.
+
+If HTTP is green but WebSocket is red, the proxy isn't upgrading the
+connection — go back and toggle **Websockets Support** on the proxy host.
+
+## Data & backups
+
+The `lifegame-data` volume (mounted at `/app/data`) is where the SQLite
+database and uploaded player tokens will live in later phases. It's empty now,
+but include it in the same backup routine as your other self-hosted data.
+
+## What Phase 1 adds
+
+- The shared `game.js` rules engine (the pure reducer from the prototype)
+- SQLite data model: games, players, board/rule config, tokens
+- Rooms + shareable invite links / join codes
+- `NetworkTransport` on the client — the one-line swap that makes the game
+  run across devices
+- Persistence & reconnection, since async means tabs close and servers restart