diff --git a/components/Landing.tsx b/components/Landing.tsx
index 41edd05..d6ba50a 100644
--- a/components/Landing.tsx
+++ b/components/Landing.tsx
@@ -568,8 +568,8 @@ export const Landing: React.FC<LandingProps> = ({ onGenerate, onCreateManual, on
                 type="text"
                 placeholder="Game PIN"
                 value={pin}
-                onChange={(e) => setPin(e.target.value)}
-                className="w-full p-4 text-xl font-bold border-2 border-gray-200 rounded-2xl focus:border-theme-primary focus:ring-4 focus:ring-theme-primary/20 outline-none text-center"
+                onChange={(e) => setPin(e.target.value.toUpperCase().replace(/[^A-Z0-9]/g, '').slice(0, 6))}
+                className="w-full p-4 text-xl font-bold border-2 border-gray-200 rounded-2xl focus:border-theme-primary focus:ring-4 focus:ring-theme-primary/20 outline-none text-center uppercase tracking-widest"
               />
               {gameInfo?.randomNamesEnabled ? (
                 <div className="p-4 bg-theme-primary/10 rounded-2xl border-2 border-theme-primary/20">
diff --git a/hooks/useGame.ts b/hooks/useGame.ts
index f6c23c0..7d06ebb 100644
--- a/hooks/useGame.ts
+++ b/hooks/useGame.ts
@@ -180,7 +180,14 @@ export const useGame = () => {
     }
   }, [auth.isLoading, auth.isAuthenticated, location.pathname]);
 
-  const generateGamePin = () => Math.floor(Math.random() * 900000) + 100000 + "";
+  const generateGamePin = () => {
+    const chars = 'ABCDEFGHJKMNPQRSTUVWXYZ23456789';
+    let pin = '';
+    for (let i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
+      pin += chars.charAt(Math.floor(Math.random() * chars.length));
+    }
+    return pin;
+  };
 
   const generateRandomName = (): string => {
     return uniqueNamesGenerator({
@@ -214,30 +221,43 @@ export const useGame = () => {
     }
   }, []);
 
-  const createGameSession = async (pin: string, peerId: string, quizData: Quiz, config: GameConfig): Promise<string | null> => {
-    try {
-      const response = await fetch(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/games`, {
-        method: 'POST',
-        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
-        body: JSON.stringify({
-          pin,
-          hostPeerId: peerId,
-          quiz: quizData,
-          gameConfig: config,
-        }),
-      });
-      
-      if (!response.ok) {
-        console.error('Failed to create game session');
+  const createGameSession = async (pin: string, peerId: string, quizData: Quiz, config: GameConfig): Promise<{ hostSecret: string; pin: string } | null> => {
+    const maxRetries = 5;
+    let currentPin = pin;
+    
+    for (let attempt = 0; attempt < maxRetries; attempt++) {
+      try {
+        const response = await fetch(`${BACKEND_URL}/api/games`, {
+          method: 'POST',
+          headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+          body: JSON.stringify({
+            pin: currentPin,
+            hostPeerId: peerId,
+            quiz: quizData,
+            gameConfig: config,
+          }),
+        });
+        
+        if (response.status === 409) {
+          currentPin = generateGamePin();
+          continue;
+        }
+        
+        if (!response.ok) {
+          console.error('Failed to create game session');
+          return null;
+        }
+        
+        const data = await response.json();
+        return { hostSecret: data.hostSecret, pin: currentPin };
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.error('Error creating game session:', err);
         return null;
       }
-      
-      const data = await response.json();
-      return data.hostSecret;
-    } catch (err) {
-      console.error('Error creating game session:', err);
-      return null;
     }
+    
+    console.error('Failed to create game after max retries');
+    return null;
   };
 
   const updateHostPeerId = async (pin: string, secret: string, newPeerId: string) => {
@@ -340,18 +360,23 @@ export const useGame = () => {
 
   const initializeHostGame = async (newQuiz: Quiz, hostParticipates: boolean = true) => {
     setQuiz(newQuiz);
-    const pin = generateGamePin();
-    setGamePin(pin);
+    const initialPin = generateGamePin();
+    setGamePin(initialPin);
     
-    setupHostPeer(pin, async (peerId) => {
-      const secret = await createGameSession(pin, peerId, newQuiz, gameConfigRef.current);
+    setupHostPeer(initialPin, async (peerId) => {
+      const result = await createGameSession(initialPin, peerId, newQuiz, gameConfigRef.current);
       
-      if (!secret) {
+      if (!result) {
         setError("Failed to create game. Please try again.");
         setGameState('LANDING');
         return;
       }
       
+      const { hostSecret: secret, pin } = result;
+      if (pin !== initialPin) {
+        setGamePin(pin);
+      }
+      
       setHostSecret(secret);
       storeSession({ pin, role: 'HOST', hostSecret: secret });
       
@@ -498,8 +523,8 @@ export const useGame = () => {
         return;
       }
       
-      const hostMatch = path.match(/^\/host\/(\d+)$/);
-      const playMatch = path.match(/^\/play\/(\d+)$/);
+      const hostMatch = path.match(/^\/host\/([A-Z0-9]+)$/i);
+      const playMatch = path.match(/^\/play\/([A-Z0-9]+)$/i);
       const session = getStoredSession();
       const pinFromUrl = hostMatch ? hostMatch[1] : (playMatch ? playMatch[1] : null);
 
diff --git a/server/src/routes/games.ts b/server/src/routes/games.ts
index c82b251..eaf0b7d 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/games.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/games.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ const gameCreationLimiter = rateLimit({
   message: { error: 'Too many game creations, please try again later.' },
 });
 
+const gameLookupLimiter = rateLimit({
+  windowMs: 60 * 1000,
+  max: isDev ? 500 : 100,
+  standardHeaders: true,
+  legacyHeaders: false,
+  message: { error: 'Too many requests, please try again later.' },
+});
+
 const SESSION_TTL_MINUTES = parseInt(process.env.GAME_SESSION_TTL_MINUTES || '5', 10);
 
 interface GameSession {
@@ -71,7 +79,7 @@ router.post('/', gameCreationLimiter, (req: Request, res: Response) => {
   }
 });
 
-router.get('/:pin', (req: Request, res: Response) => {
+router.get('/:pin', gameLookupLimiter, (req: Request, res: Response) => {
   try {
     const { pin } = req.params;