I wanted to make a game similar to the jackbox.tv party games, in that players use their phones to connect to the main game. However, I just have absolutely no idea where to start... I've watched videos and read some articles, but I can't seem to find one that explains what I'm trying to do. Each player would be getting the same ui/layout on their phone, but with different types of information. Meanwhile, the TV or PC would act as the lobby and server that the players would need to connect to (through a LAN?). Is that even possible? Can phone apps connect to PC games?  The TV would just be displaying some visuals of the player icons and play some animations. I've heard of airconsole, but I don't feel like it would accomplish what I wanted. Or would it?

I'm just really confused . If someone could help me answer even one of my questions I would really appreciate. I'd even be happy if someone pointed me towards a guide or tutorial that I can look into that would help me learn how to do this on my own. Thank you for the help!

If you want a Jackbox style approach, you just need a remote server that the players and game are both connecting to. Note that Jackbox sends you to their site and asks for a code. This has the advantage of being able to play over that king videos that I hear is popular with kids these days.

People can and will break the LAN controls. No two networks are exactly the same. If you have to ask, you may want to put it aside until you have the other thing working.