The Session → Game tab decides how the game is played: how many squares the board has, how many rounds a match has, how much time there is for a move, who starts, what happens on a draw and whether there is sound. You can also run the game without changing anything; the ready-made values give you a classic noughts and crosses. This article explains every rule, its default, its limits and what it changes on the guest screen.
- The rules are in the Session → Game tab. Ready-made values: 3x3 board, single round, 20-second move time, alternating start, draws count, sounds on.
- Every change is saved immediately and applies to the next game. The game being played at that moment does not change.
- If you set the move time to Off, only the kiosk timeout closes an abandoned board.
- The round end pause and the ball mode lock count as appearance, not rules; they are in the Game Screens → Game tab.
The rules one by one
Board
There are three cards: 3x3 (Classic), 4x4 (Longer matches) and 5x5 (Longest matches). The default is 3x3. On the guest screen the board sits in the middle and is divided into as many squares as you chose; the player panels stay on either side. How much of the screen the board takes up is a separate setting: the Game Screens → Game → Board slider.
Marks in a row to win
How many marks must line up (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) to win a round. This section is only shown when 4x4 or 5x5 is selected; on 3x3 the only option is three, so it is not shown. The slider runs from 3 to the side length.
When you enlarge the board from 3x3, this value becomes 4 by itself, because on a big board the side that starts almost always wins with three in a row. When you shrink the board, the value is trimmed to fit the side. A longer line also wins; on the guest screen the winning line changes color.
Series
How many round wins take the match. Three cards: Single match (One round decides.), Best of three (First to two wins.) and Best of five (First to three wins.). The default is Single match. The maximum number of rounds is 1, 3 and 5 respectively.
Counted draws also use up rounds. So Best of three can end 1–0 with one win and two draws; with one win, one loss and one draw the match is drawn. When the rounds run out, whoever won more rounds takes the match; if equal, the match is a draw.
On the guest screen the top strip shows the Round counter (such as 1 / 3) and the series score; each player's panel shows the rounds they have won. You can hide the strip with the Game Screens → Game → Round counter and series score switch.
Move time
Each player's time for one move. The slider runs from 0 to 120 seconds in 5-second steps; the default is 20 seconds. If you choose 0, Off appears next to the slider and this warning appears below it: With no move time, an abandoned game is only ended by the kiosk timeout.
On the guest screen, a ring in the panel of the player whose turn it is shows the remaining seconds. In the last seconds (a third of the time, at least the last 3 seconds) the ring turns to the warning color. When the time runs out, the turn passes to the opponent; no mark is placed for the player whose time ran out. If the time runs out 4 times in a row, the round ends in a draw. The timer stops during the round end pause and the ball mode lock.
The move time and the kiosk timeout complement each other. While the move time is on, the timeout does not run on the game screen; an abandoned game ends by itself as the timers run out and enters the match list as a 0–0 draw. If the move time is Off, Event Settings → Kiosk → Session Timeout takes over on the game screen and returns the display to the Welcome screen; that match does not enter the list.
Who starts
The first move is a real advantage; this setting says who opens each round.
- Alternating (The advantage changes hands each round.): Player 1 (X) opens the first round, Player 2 (O) the second, and so on. This is the default.
- Always Player 1 (Player 1 (X) opens every round.).
- Random (Drawn at the start of each round.): drawn again every round.
On the guest screen, the panel of the player whose turn it is shows Your turn. With Alternating selected, a replayed round (see On a draw) is opened by the same player again.
On a draw
What happens when a round ends without a winner. A draw only occurs when the board is full or the time runs out 4 times in a row; a "nobody can win" situation is not detected in advance.
- Counts as a draw (The series moves on.): the round is recorded as a draw and the next round begins. This is the default.
- Replay the round (The round does not count.): the board is cleared and the same round is played again. When you select it, this hint appears: After three replays the round counts as a draw — two careful players can draw forever.
On the guest screen, the Draw message appears when the round ends. The Draws number on the Thank You screen only shows counted draws; replayed rounds are not counted.
Sound
The Game sounds switch; the default is On. The move, round win, draw and time-out sounds are generated inside the app; no sound file is uploaded. Because of a browser rule, there may be no sound until the first touch on the screen.
Other timings that set the pace of the game
Round end pause
How long the winning line and the message (wins the round or Draw) stay on screen when a round ends. The slider runs from 400 to 6000 milliseconds in steps of 200; the default is 2000 ms. During this time the board is locked and the move timer stops. Then the next round begins.
Ball mode lock time
With Play with a ball (LIDAR) on, a square is chosen the moment the ball or pointer comes over it; no tap is expected. After each move the board is locked for Lock after each throw so that a bouncing ball does not make a second move. The slider runs from 0.5 to 5 seconds; the default is 2 seconds. During the lock the panels are dimmed, the timer stops, and in the middle of the board the next player's mark, name and the text Your turn appear with a shrinking line. The round end pause also lasts at least as long as the lock.
Only turn this mode on for setups such as a LIDAR wall. On a normal touch screen, a finger or the mouse passing over the board counts as a move.
How the match ends
When the series ends, the result is saved first, then the message wins the match! or It's a draw! is shown on screen for about a second, and the Thank You screen follows. If the input form is set to be asked after the game, the form comes first. The score in the record is the number of rounds each player won; the duration covers the whole match, pauses included.
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Board | Squares per side: 3, 4 or 5 | 3x3 |
| Marks in a row to win | Length of the winning line (4x4 and 5x5 only) | 3 (4 when enlarged) |
| Series | Number of wins that take the match: 1, 2 or 3 | Single match |
| Move time | Seconds per move, 0–120; 0 = Off | 20 s |
| Who starts | The player who opens the round | Alternating |
| On a draw | The draw counts or the round is replayed | Counts as a draw |
| Game sounds | Move, win, draw and time-out sounds | On |
| Round end pause | Duration of the round end message, 400–6000 ms | 2000 ms |
| Lock after each throw | Lock after a move in ball mode, 0.5–5 s | 2 s |
Choosing 5x5 and leaving Marks in a row to win at 3: the starting player wins almost every round. Choose 4 or 5 on a big board.
Setting the move time to Off and also turning off Session Timeout: an abandoned board stays open forever, and the next guest cannot start a game.
Choosing Replay the round, Best of five and a long move time together: a single match can drag on and the people waiting in line get bored.
Changing a rule while a game is in progress and expecting it to take effect right away: the change only shows in the next game.
Assuming Best of three always ends with two wins: draws use up rounds, so the match can end 1–0 or as a draw.
