diff --git a/src/network/Message.h b/src/network/Message.h
index 852c6dc..60f7b5a 100644
--- a/src/network/Message.h
+++ b/src/network/Message.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <variant>
+#include <vector>
 
 
 namespace UNO::NETWORK {
@@ -29,12 +30,19 @@ namespace UNO::NETWORK {
         std::vector<GAME::Card> cards;
     };
 
+    struct PlayerPublicState {
+        std::string name;
+        size_t remainingCardCount;
+        bool isUno;
+    };
+
     struct PlayCardPayload {
         GAME::Card card;
     };
 
     struct InitGamePayload {
         size_t playerId;
+        std::vector<PlayerPublicState> players;
         GAME::DiscardPile discardPile;
         std::multiset<GAME::Card> handCard;
         size_t currentPlayerIndex;
diff --git a/src/network/MessageSerializer.cpp b/src/network/MessageSerializer.cpp
index a929456..be764b5 100644
--- a/src/network/MessageSerializer.cpp
+++ b/src/network/MessageSerializer.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,20 @@ namespace UNO::NETWORK {
         return serializeCards(cards.begin(), cards.end());
     }
 
+    nlohmann::json MessageSerializer::serializePlayerPublicState(const PlayerPublicState &state)
+    {
+        return {{"name", state.name}, {"remaining_cards", state.remainingCardCount}, {"is_uno", state.isUno}};
+    }
+
+    nlohmann::json MessageSerializer::serializePlayerPublicStates(const std::vector<PlayerPublicState> &states)
+    {
+        nlohmann::json result = nlohmann::json::array();
+        for (const auto &state : states) {
+            result.push_back(serializePlayerPublicState(state));
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
     nlohmann::json MessageSerializer::serializePayload(const std::monostate &payload)
     {
         return nullptr;
@@ -56,6 +70,7 @@ namespace UNO::NETWORK {
     nlohmann::json MessageSerializer::serializePayload(const InitGamePayload &payload)
     {
         return {{"player_id", payload.playerId},
+                {"players", serializePlayerPublicStates(payload.players)},
                 {"discard_pile", serializeDiscardPile(payload.discardPile)},
                 {"hand_card", serializeCards(payload.handCard.begin(), payload.handCard.end())},
                 {"current_player", payload.currentPlayerIndex}};
@@ -215,6 +230,41 @@ namespace UNO::NETWORK {
         return res;
     }
 
+    PlayerPublicState MessageSerializer::deserializePlayerPublicState(const nlohmann::json &payload)
+    {
+        try {
+            if (payload.is_object() == false) {
+                throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid player public state: expected JSON object");
+            }
+            if (payload.at("name").is_string() == false) {
+                throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid 'name' field in player public state: expected string");
+            }
+            if (payload.at("remaining_cards").is_number_unsigned() == false) {
+                throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid 'remaining_cards' field in player public state: expected unsigned integer");
+            }
+            if (payload.at("is_uno").is_boolean() == false) {
+                throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid 'is_uno' field in player public state: expected boolean");
+            }
+            return {payload.at("name"), payload.at("remaining_cards"), payload.at("is_uno")};
+        }
+        catch (const nlohmann::json::out_of_range &) {
+            throw std::invalid_argument("Missing required field in player public state: expected 'name', 'remaining_cards', 'is_uno'");
+        }
+    }
+
+    std::vector<PlayerPublicState> MessageSerializer::deserializePlayerPublicStates(const nlohmann::json &payload)
+    {
+        if (payload.is_array() == false) {
+            throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid players field in INIT_GAME payload: expected JSON array");
+        }
+
+        std::vector<PlayerPublicState> players;
+        for (const auto &entry : payload) {
+            players.push_back(deserializePlayerPublicState(entry));
+        }
+        return players;
+    }
+
     std::monostate MessageSerializer::deserializeEmptyPayload(const nlohmann::json &payload)
     {
         if (payload.is_null() == false) {
@@ -299,13 +349,14 @@ namespace UNO::NETWORK {
                 throw std::invalid_argument("Invalid 'current_player' field in INIT_GAME payload: expected unsigned integer");
             }
             return {payload.at("player_id"),
+                    deserializePlayerPublicStates(payload.at("players")),
                     deserializeDiscardPile(payload.at("discard_pile")),
                     deserializeHandCard(payload.at("hand_card")),
                     payload.at("current_player")};
         }
         catch (const nlohmann::json::out_of_range &) {
             throw std::invalid_argument(
-                "Missing required field in INIT_GAME payload: expected 'discard_pile', 'hand_card', and 'current_player'");
+                "Missing required field in INIT_GAME payload: expected 'players', 'discard_pile', 'hand_card', and 'current_player'");
         }
     }
 
@@ -415,4 +466,4 @@ namespace UNO::NETWORK {
         }
     }
 
-}   // namespace UNO::NETWORK
\ No newline at end of file
+}   // namespace UNO::NETWORK
diff --git a/src/network/MessageSerializer.h b/src/network/MessageSerializer.h
index 1dca8a3..da3e962 100644
--- a/src/network/MessageSerializer.h
+++ b/src/network/MessageSerializer.h
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ namespace UNO::NETWORK {
         static nlohmann::json serializeCards(Iterator begin, Iterator end);
 
         static nlohmann::json serializeDiscardPile(const GAME::DiscardPile &discardPile);
+        static nlohmann::json serializePlayerPublicState(const PlayerPublicState &state);
+        static nlohmann::json serializePlayerPublicStates(const std::vector<PlayerPublicState> &states);
 
         static nlohmann::json serializePayload(const std::monostate &payload);
         static nlohmann::json serializePayload(const JoinGamePayload &payload);
@@ -43,6 +45,8 @@ namespace UNO::NETWORK {
         static GAME::Card deserializeCard(const nlohmann::json &card);
         static GAME::DiscardPile deserializeDiscardPile(const nlohmann::json &discardPile);
         static std::multiset<GAME::Card> deserializeHandCard(const nlohmann::json &handCard);
+        static PlayerPublicState deserializePlayerPublicState(const nlohmann::json &payload);
+        static std::vector<PlayerPublicState> deserializePlayerPublicStates(const nlohmann::json &payload);
 
         static std::monostate deserializeEmptyPayload(const nlohmann::json &payload);
         static JoinGamePayload deserializeJoinGamePayload(const nlohmann::json &payload);
@@ -58,4 +62,4 @@ namespace UNO::NETWORK {
         static Message deserializeMessage(const nlohmann::json &message);
     };
 
-}   // namespace UNO::NETWORK
\ No newline at end of file
+}   // namespace UNO::NETWORK
diff --git a/src/server/UnoServer.cpp b/src/server/UnoServer.cpp
index c584f6b..ff73048 100644
--- a/src/server/UnoServer.cpp
+++ b/src/server/UnoServer.cpp
@@ -61,8 +61,15 @@ namespace UNO::SERVER {
     void UnoServer::handleStartGame()
     {
         serverGameState_.init();
+        std::vector<NETWORK::PlayerPublicState> players;
+        players.reserve(serverGameState_.getPlayers().size());
+        for (const auto &player : serverGameState_.getPlayers()) {
+            players.push_back({player.getName(), player.getRemainingCardCount(), player.getIsUno()});
+        }
+        size_t currentPlayerIndex = static_cast<size_t>(serverGameState_.getCurrentPlayer() - serverGameState_.getPlayers().begin());
         for (size_t i = 0; i < playerCount; i++) {
-            NETWORK::InitGamePayload payload = {i, serverGameState_.getDiscardPile(), serverGameState_.getPlayers()[i].getCards(), 0};
+            NETWORK::InitGamePayload payload = {
+                i, players, serverGameState_.getDiscardPile(), serverGameState_.getPlayers()[i].getCards(), currentPlayerIndex};
             this->networkServer_.send(
                 gameIdToNetworkId.at(i),
                 NETWORK::MessageSerializer::serialize({NETWORK::MessageStatus::OK, NETWORK::MessagePayloadType::INIT_GAME, payload}));
@@ -132,4 +139,4 @@ namespace UNO::SERVER {
         this->networkServer_.run();
     }
 
-}   // namespace UNO::SERVER
\ No newline at end of file
+}   // namespace UNO::SERVER