diff --git a/resources/lang/en.json b/resources/lang/en.json
index cedf01779..024878fad 100644
--- a/resources/lang/en.json
+++ b/resources/lang/en.json
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
     "action_alt_view": "Alternate view (terrain/countries)",
     "action_attack_altclick": "Attack (when left click is set to open menu)",
     "action_build": "Open build menu",
+    "action_emote": "Open emote menu",
     "action_center": "Center camera on player",
     "action_zoom": "Zoom out/in",
     "action_move_camera": "Move camera",
diff --git a/src/client/HelpModal.ts b/src/client/HelpModal.ts
index bbf842eb9..8de819377 100644
--- a/src/client/HelpModal.ts
+++ b/src/client/HelpModal.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ export class HelpModal extends LitElement {
                 <td>Ctrl + left click</td>
                 <td>${translateText("help_modal.action_build")}</td>
               </tr>
+              <tr>
+                <td>Alt + left click</td>
+                <td>${translateText("help_modal.action_emote")}</td>
+              </tr>
               <tr>
                 <td>C</td>
                 <td>${translateText("help_modal.action_center")}</td>
diff --git a/src/client/InputHandler.ts b/src/client/InputHandler.ts
index 806bc6cf8..ae495e9fe 100644
--- a/src/client/InputHandler.ts
+++ b/src/client/InputHandler.ts
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@ export class ShowBuildMenuEvent implements GameEvent {
     public readonly y: number,
   ) {}
 }
+export class ShowEmojiMenuEvent implements GameEvent {
+  constructor(
+    public readonly x: number,
+    public readonly y: number,
+  ) {}
+}
 
 export class AttackRatioEvent implements GameEvent {
   constructor(public readonly attackRatio: number) {}
@@ -292,6 +298,10 @@ export class InputHandler {
       this.eventBus.emit(new ShowBuildMenuEvent(event.clientX, event.clientY));
       return;
     }
+    if (event.altKey) {
+      this.eventBus.emit(new ShowEmojiMenuEvent(event.clientX, event.clientY));
+      return;
+    }
 
     const dist =
       Math.abs(event.x - this.lastPointerDownX) +
diff --git a/src/client/Main.ts b/src/client/Main.ts
index 6b4b623c9..e2637e4ae 100644
--- a/src/client/Main.ts
+++ b/src/client/Main.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import "./DarkModeButton";
 import { DarkModeButton } from "./DarkModeButton";
 import "./FlagInput";
 import { FlagInput } from "./FlagInput";
-import { GameStartingModal } from "./GameStartingModal";
 import "./GoogleAdElement";
 import GoogleAdElement from "./GoogleAdElement";
 import { HelpModal } from "./HelpModal";
@@ -27,6 +26,7 @@ import { UsernameInput } from "./UsernameInput";
 import { generateCryptoRandomUUID } from "./Utils";
 import "./components/baseComponents/Button";
 import "./components/baseComponents/Modal";
+import { GameStartingModal } from "./gameStartingModal";
 import "./styles.css";
 
 export interface JoinLobbyEvent {
diff --git a/src/client/graphics/GameRenderer.ts b/src/client/graphics/GameRenderer.ts
index 5f76b79e7..9207067b4 100644
--- a/src/client/graphics/GameRenderer.ts
+++ b/src/client/graphics/GameRenderer.ts
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ import { consolex } from "../../core/Consolex";
 import { EventBus } from "../../core/EventBus";
 import { ClientID } from "../../core/Schemas";
 import { GameView } from "../../core/game/GameView";
-import { GameStartingModal } from "../GameStartingModal";
 import { RefreshGraphicsEvent as RedrawGraphicsEvent } from "../InputHandler";
+import { GameStartingModal } from "../gameStartingModal";
 import { TransformHandler } from "./TransformHandler";
 import { UIState } from "./UIState";
 import { BuildMenu } from "./layers/BuildMenu";
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ export function createRenderer(
   if (!emojiTable || !(emojiTable instanceof EmojiTable)) {
     consolex.error("EmojiTable element not found in the DOM");
   }
+  emojiTable.eventBus = eventBus;
+  emojiTable.transformHandler = transformHandler;
+  emojiTable.game = game;
+  emojiTable.initEventBus();
+
   const buildMenu = document.querySelector("build-menu") as BuildMenu;
   if (!buildMenu || !(buildMenu instanceof BuildMenu)) {
     consolex.error("BuildMenu element not found in the DOM");
diff --git a/src/client/graphics/layers/EmojiTable.ts b/src/client/graphics/layers/EmojiTable.ts
index 06edeecb0..5db92c866 100644
--- a/src/client/graphics/layers/EmojiTable.ts
+++ b/src/client/graphics/layers/EmojiTable.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 import { LitElement, css, html } from "lit";
 import { customElement, state } from "lit/decorators.js";
+import { EventBus } from "../../../core/EventBus";
+import { AllPlayers } from "../../../core/game/Game";
+import { GameView, PlayerView } from "../../../core/game/GameView";
+import { TerraNulliusImpl } from "../../../core/game/TerraNulliusImpl";
+import { ShowEmojiMenuEvent } from "../../InputHandler";
+import { SendEmojiIntentEvent } from "../../Transport";
+import { TransformHandler } from "../TransformHandler";
 
 const emojiTable: string[][] = [
   ["😀", "😊", "🥰", "😇", "😎"],
@@ -17,6 +24,10 @@ const emojiTable: string[][] = [
 
 @customElement("emoji-table")
 export class EmojiTable extends LitElement {
+  public eventBus: EventBus;
+  public transformHandler: TransformHandler;
+  public game: GameView;
+
   static styles = css`
     :host {
       display: block;
@@ -96,6 +107,35 @@ export class EmojiTable extends LitElement {
   @state()
   private _hidden = true;
 
+  initEventBus() {
+    this.eventBus.on(ShowEmojiMenuEvent, (e) => {
+      const cell = this.transformHandler.screenToWorldCoordinates(e.x, e.y);
+      if (!this.game.isValidCoord(cell.x, cell.y)) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const tile = this.game.ref(cell.x, cell.y);
+      if (!this.game.hasOwner(tile)) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const targetPlayer = this.game.owner(tile);
+      // maybe redundant due to owner check but better safe than sorry
+      if (targetPlayer instanceof TerraNulliusImpl) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      this.showTable((emoji) => {
+        const recipient =
+          targetPlayer == this.game.myPlayer()
+            ? AllPlayers
+            : (targetPlayer as PlayerView);
+        this.eventBus.emit(new SendEmojiIntentEvent(recipient, emoji));
+        this.hideTable();
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
   private onEmojiClicked: (emoji: string) => void = () => {};
 
   render() {