diff --git a/src/App.vue b/src/App.vue
index e814f61..390fe75 100644
--- a/src/App.vue
+++ b/src/App.vue
@@ -132,12 +132,24 @@
       <section v-if="step === 'game'" class="game-layout">
         <aside class="scoreboard">
           <h2>Teams</h2>
+          <div v-if="!canControlGame" class="viewer-team-select">
+            <label for="viewer-team">Playing For</label>
+            <select id="viewer-team" v-model="viewerTeamId" class="input">
+              <option value="">Select team</option>
+              <option v-for="team in teams" :key="`viewer-${team.id}`" :value="team.id">
+                {{ team.name }}
+              </option>
+            </select>
+          </div>
           <div class="team-list">
             <button
               v-for="team in teams"
               :key="team.id"
               class="team-score-card"
-              :class="{ active: team.id === currentSelectorId }"
+              :class="{
+                active: team.id === currentSelectorId,
+                viewerTeam: !canControlGame && !!viewerTeamId && team.id === viewerTeamId
+              }"
               :style="teamGradient(team)"
               @click="awardPoints(team.id)"
               :disabled="!canAward || !canControlGame"
@@ -251,6 +263,9 @@
                 @pause="handlePlayerPause"
                 @ended="handlePlayerPause"
               ></audio>
+              <button v-if="showEnableAudio" class="primary enable-audio" @click="enableViewerAudio">
+                Tap To Enable Audio
+              </button>
               <div v-if="!currentClipUrl" class="player-empty"></div>
             </div>
           </div>
@@ -380,7 +395,10 @@ export default {
       isApplyingRemote: false,
       queuedRemoteState: null as RealtimeState | null,
       syncTimer: 0,
-      playbackSyncInterval: 0
+      playbackSyncInterval: 0,
+      audioUnlocked: true,
+      latestRemoteState: null as RealtimeState | null,
+      viewerTeamId: ''
     }
   },
   async mounted() {
@@ -412,6 +430,9 @@ export default {
     canProceedToSelect() {
       return this.canProceed && this.canControlGame && !!this.normalizedGameIdInput && !this.sessionBusy
     },
+    showEnableAudio() {
+      return !this.canControlGame && !!this.currentClipUrl && !this.audioUnlocked
+    },
     canControlGame() {
       return !this.gameId || this.isHost
     },
@@ -497,6 +518,7 @@ export default {
         this.gameId = gameId
         this.gameIdInput = gameId
         this.isHost = true
+        this.audioUnlocked = true
         this.setGameInUrl(gameId)
         await this.connectSession()
       } catch (error) {
@@ -514,9 +536,15 @@ export default {
       try {
         const existsResponse = await fetch(`${REALTIME_BASE}/sessions/${normalized}`)
         if (!existsResponse.ok) throw new Error('Session not found')
+        const sessionInfo = (await existsResponse.json()) as { hasState?: boolean }
+        if (!sessionInfo.hasState) {
+          throw new Error('Game is not open yet. Host must press Next: Choose Game first.')
+        }
         this.gameId = normalized
         this.gameIdInput = normalized
         this.isHost = false
+        this.audioUnlocked = false
+        this.viewerTeamId = ''
         this.setGameInUrl(normalized)
         await this.connectSession()
       } catch (error) {
@@ -531,6 +559,9 @@ export default {
       this.gameIdInput = ''
       this.isHost = false
       this.syncError = ''
+      this.audioUnlocked = true
+      this.latestRemoteState = null
+      this.viewerTeamId = ''
       this.stopHostPlaybackSync()
       this.setGameInUrl('')
     },
@@ -598,6 +629,7 @@ export default {
     publishState() {
       if (!this.isHost || !this.socketConnected || !this.socket) return
       if (this.isApplyingRemote) return
+      if (this.step === 'setup') return
       const payload = {
         type: 'state:update',
         state: this.buildRealtimeState()
@@ -618,6 +650,7 @@ export default {
         this.queuedRemoteState = state
         return
       }
+      this.latestRemoteState = state
       const previousClipUrl = this.currentClipUrl
       this.isApplyingRemote = true
       try {
@@ -633,12 +666,24 @@ export default {
         this.currentSelectorId = state.currentSelectorId
         this.lastAwardedTeamId = state.lastAwardedTeamId
         this.isAnswerClip = state.isAnswerClip
+        if (this.viewerTeamId && !this.teams.some((team) => team.id === this.viewerTeamId)) {
+          this.viewerTeamId = ''
+        }
       } finally {
         this.isApplyingRemote = false
       }
       await nextTick()
       this.syncRemotePlayback(previousClipUrl !== this.currentClipUrl, state)
     },
+    async enableViewerAudio() {
+      if (this.canControlGame) return
+      this.audioUnlocked = true
+      this.ensureAudioContext()
+      await nextTick()
+      if (this.latestRemoteState) {
+        this.syncRemotePlayback(false, this.latestRemoteState)
+      }
+    },
     getCurrentTileStatus() {
       if (!this.currentTileKey) return 'available'
       return this.tiles[this.currentTileKey]?.status || 'available'
@@ -691,6 +736,7 @@ export default {
       }
 
       if (tileStatus === 'playing' || tileStatus === 'guessed') {
+        if (!this.audioUnlocked) return
         this.ensureAudioContext()
         player.play().catch(() => {})
       }
@@ -709,7 +755,11 @@ export default {
     setupAudioGraph() {
       const player = this.getPlayer()
       if (!player) return
-      this.ensureAudioContext()
+      try {
+        this.ensureAudioContext()
+      } catch {
+        return
+      }
 
       if (this.analyser) {
         this.analyser.disconnect()
@@ -723,7 +773,11 @@ export default {
         if (this.mediaSource) {
           this.mediaSource.disconnect()
         }
-        this.mediaSource = context.createMediaElementSource(player)
+        try {
+          this.mediaSource = context.createMediaElementSource(player)
+        } catch {
+          return
+        }
         this.mediaElement = player
       }
 
diff --git a/src/styles.css b/src/styles.css
index 9e71d58..25dc3ff 100644
--- a/src/styles.css
+++ b/src/styles.css
@@ -282,6 +282,17 @@ button {
   gap: 12px;
 }
 
+.viewer-team-select {
+  margin-bottom: 12px;
+}
+
+.viewer-team-select label {
+  display: block;
+  margin-bottom: 6px;
+  font-size: 0.85rem;
+  color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);
+}
+
 .team-score-card {
   width: 100%;
   border: none;
@@ -296,6 +307,10 @@ button {
   outline: 2px solid #ffffff;
 }
 
+.team-score-card.viewerTeam {
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6) inset;
+}
+
 .team-name {
   font-weight: 600;
 }
@@ -539,6 +554,12 @@ audio.hidden-audio {
   color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6);
 }
 
+.enable-audio {
+  position: absolute;
+  bottom: 20px;
+  z-index: 3;
+}
+
 .end-panel {
   text-align: center;
 }