Making a JavaScript-Optional Online Board Game: A Case Study in Progressive Enhancement
2025-08-23
This article details how an online board game website achieved fully optional JavaScript functionality using server-side rendering, standard HTML elements, and URL parameters. The author replaced real-time updates with page auto-refresh, and used native HTML elements for dropdown menus and modals. While increasing server load and code complexity, this approach improved initial page load speed and site robustness, yielding unexpected benefits like more semantically correct HTML. However, the author concludes the extra effort isn't worthwhile unless targeting a very JavaScript-averse audience, and plans to eventually remove the extra code.
Development
JavaScript-Optional