I built a 3D game about my Nigerian childhood (and I'm not a game developer)

Description and use

The game was stuck on a rotate‑screen prompt because app browsers didn’t report orientation changes. The fix was to poll screen size every 500 ms and redesign for upright play, reducing drop‑offs.

Problem

The game was stuck on a rotate‑screen prompt when opened from app browsers, causing many players to leave without playing.

Outcome

The orientation bug was fixed by polling screen size and redesigning for upright play, improving player retention and reducing bounce rate.

Workflow

• Detect orientation change via event listener
• Poll screen dimensions every 500 ms as fallback
• Rebuild UI to support upright orientation
• Test on real phones within app browsers
• Deploy updated build

Evidence

The quick fix was to check the screen's width and height every half second instead of waiting for a rotation event.

Source

The game was stuck on “Turn your phone sideways to play” even after turning their phone.

Source