Docking a game without covering the feed

A concept for X's docked live game that keeps the score on screen without floating over the timeline.

The problem

On X you can follow a live game and "dock" it so you can keep scrolling with the score in view. I love the feature, but the docked game floats as a card over the top of the timeline, covering the tabs and the Spaces row.

How it works today

You can move it. It still gets in the way.

At first I assumed the card was stuck there. Then I found you can drag it around or tuck it into the edge of the screen. That helps, but it only changes what you give up.

Four phones showing X's docked game today: floating over the tabs, dragged over posts at the bottom, tucked into the right edge, and tucked into the left edge during a FaceTime call

Docked, it covers the tabs and the Spaces row. Dragged down, it covers posts and crowds the compose button. Tucked away, nothing is covered, but the score is gone. On a FaceTime call, the call tucks into one edge and the game into the other, and neither shows you anything.

X timeline with the docked game card floating over the tabs and Spaces — **Docked**
Covers the tabs and the Spaces row.

The docked game card dragged to the bottom, over posts and next to the compose button — **Dragged**
Covers posts and crowds the compose button.

The game tucked into the right edge as a small tab with a chevron — **Tucked**
Nothing is covered, but the score is gone. To check the game you pull it back out.

During a FaceTime call: the game tucked into the left edge and FaceTime into the right — **On FaceTime**
The call tucks into one edge and the game into the other. Neither shows you anything.

Wherever I put it, I had to choose between seeing the score and seeing my feed.

I'm not on X's team, so I don't know everything the dock is meant to do. As someone following a game while scrolling, I wanted both on screen at once, so I explored giving the game a place in the layout instead of floating it on top.

Option 1: a game strip above Spaces

The game docks as a slim, full-width strip between the tabs and Spaces. It's part of the page, so it pushes content down instead of sitting on top of it.

The X timeline with a red game strip above Spaces, next to a close-up of the strip: Chiefs 7, 2nd quarter 01:58, 2nd and 3, Raiders 10, 6.9K listening, expand and close buttons

Close-up of the game strip: Chiefs 7, 2nd quarter 01:58, 2nd and 3, Raiders 10, 6.9K listening, expand and close

X timeline with the game strip docked above Spaces — **The strip in place**
It pushes content down instead of covering it.

Everything in one line. Score, clock, down and distance, and how many people are listening.
Field position at a glance. A thin bar along the bottom edge shows where the ball is.
Nothing to manage. It stays in place, whatever else is on screen, including a FaceTime call.

Option 2: pinned in Spaces

The game becomes the first card in the Spaces carousel, using the same pill shape as a Space. It stays pinned while the Spaces scroll under it.

Two phones with the game pinned as the first card in the Spaces row: at rest, and with the Spaces scrolled under it behind a fade

The game pinned as the first card in the Spaces row — **At rest**
The game is the first card in Spaces.

Spaces scrolled under the pinned game card, behind a fade — **Scrolled**
Spaces slide under it; the game stays put.

No extra space. It uses a row that's already there.
It fits with Spaces. A live game and a live Space are both happening right now, so putting them together seems like the next best option.
Less room for detail. The pill fits the score, clock and listeners, but not down and distance or field position.

Which one would I ship?

The strip shows more at a glance but costs a little vertical space. The Spaces card costs nothing but shows less. Next, I'd test both with people who follow games while they scroll, to see whether down and distance is worth the extra row.

A self-initiated concept. Not affiliated with or endorsed by X. All names, photos and posts are placeholders.