Board Game Arena

Since the digital version doesn't have the same limitations as the paper version, I'd like to recommend that the communications card remain in your hand, with the glow around it and the comm marker sitting on it.

The replacement card is gray noise that is not effective at providing situational awareness. It's necessary for the paper copy, but in a digital implementation the card can remain in-place, making it easier to understand your hand by having all of it co-located.

exactly this

I agree too with this.
If some people mind because it is not alike the live game, that can be set as a player preference.

+1
This is also one of the changes my group would recommend - we keep forgetting that we have an extra card "on the table"!

Also, during the Distress Signal phase:

1) A clear distinction about which way the cards are being passed. Perhaps arrows pointing between the players?
2) A persistent indication of which card you have passed to your neighbour.

+1

It's not feasible to do that in physical game one will need a second desk but it's not an issue online.

Came to forums just to suggest this. In the group I play with, we often make this mistake. It seems like an easy fix to the visuals.

+1 to the distress token usage. It was impossible who to tell was on the "Left" or "right".

+1

Both showing the communicated card and the direction of passed cards are very good suggestions. They would cut down on mistakes that are only due to the user interface, rather than a poor play decision.

I agree. Especially since you have a strange card in your hand and pressing on it on your turn has unintended consequences.

+1 (and +7 from all the people I play with)

Even more: In the real game, you get a card that reminds you that you have a communicated card lying in front of you. You don't even get that reminder in the BGA version.