Choosing Between Score Timers and Round Timers

One big difference between tabletop and digital games is the need for a timer in the former to ensure the game ends. Two common types of timers are score timers, which end the game when a player reaches a certain score, and round timers, which end the game after a set number of rounds. Each method has advantages and disadvantages.

The biggest advantage of a score timer is that it removes the need to track rounds. Round tracking adds upkeep and often requires extra components. It is easy to forget to update the round marker if nothing else depends on it. By contrast, tracking the score is something players already do and have an incentive to care about.

Score timers also reduce the problem of a runaway leader. If one player is far ahead, they will end the game early by reaching the goal faster. In a round-based game, players who are too far behind must wait out the remaining rounds with no hope of victory. This benefit is stronger if the score timer is structured as a tug-of-war, letting the leader end the game by being a certain number of points ahead rather than reaching an absolute score.

The major advantage of round timers is that they create a consistent game length since the game is guaranteed to be a set number of rounds. This makes it easier for players to plan future turns. For example, if you buy a building that produces one apple per round in Imperial Settlers on round 2 of 5, you know it will produce four apples total.

Tracking rounds for a game timer also provides a convenient place to schedule events between rounds. If you use a round timer, you might as well have something happen between rounds because players already pay the upkeep cost to track it, so it does not add to your attention budget. Having other things to do besides updating the round track also helps players remember to update the round.

If you need events between rounds anyway, you might as well use a round timer. Otherwise, a score timer requires less upkeep and causes less frustration when dealing with runaway leaders.