Time Based

Ludic Temporal Structure time_regime · time_based

An automatic timer regulates the course of play. Time runs out independently of the agents – it is a pressure source on the corpus side that accelerates decisions and limits windows of action. Time Based can act on the whole process, on segments or on individual actions.

Design question – Is there a timer that raises the pressure to act – and what happens when time runs out?

Reference example – Taboo: the sand timer runs while you explain – then it is the other team’s turn. Super Mario Bros.: the timer counts down; at zero a life is lost. Football: the 90 minutes create the arc of tension – the final minutes are the most dramatic.

Compatible with

• Crescendo (DU-01) – Running-out time creates rising urgency.
• Implosion (DU-06) – The final seconds as a condensation.
• Pulse (DU-07) – Short, recurring timers (speed rounds).