Board game timer for two players
Chess invented the two-faced clock, but nothing about it is chess-specific. Give each player a bank of time, tap to end your turn, and any game with alternating turns stops running long.
Nothing leaves this tab. The clock is JavaScript running on your own device. No account, no upload, no ads, no time limit — and once the page has loaded it keeps working with the Wi-Fi off.
What this clock does
Name the players
Open settings and replace White and Black with actual names. Nobody playing Scrabble wants to be told they are Black.
Two players, not four
This clock has two halves, so it suits any two-player game. It cannot run a four-player Catan turn order — be aware of that before you set up.
Generous controls are in the list
Thirty minutes is a sensible default for a long board game. Build a custom control for anything longer, up to ten hours a side.
Which games this suits
Anything with two players and alternating turns. Scrabble, backgammon, draughts, Go, shogi, Stratego, two-player Carcassonne, Hive, or a heavy Euro that has quietly turned into a four-hour evening because one player analyses every option.
What it will not do is a four-player turn order. This clock has exactly two halves, the way a chess clock does. If you need four players you need a different tool.
How much time to give each player
The rule of thumb is to work out how long you want the game to last, halve it, and then decide whether you want an increment. Twenty-five minutes each with a ten-second increment turns most two-player games into a comfortable hour.
| Game | Suggested control | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Scrabble (tournament) | 25 min each, no bonus | The standard competitive control; the penalty for overrunning is scored, not automatic loss |
| Backgammon | 3 min + 12s per move | Dice games need a per-move bonus or the doubling decisions get rushed |
| Draughts / checkers | 15 min + 10s | Enough to see a multi-jump without stalling the game |
| A heavy two-player Euro | 30 min + 30s | The increment stops a complex turn being punished; the bank stops the evening running away |
The etiquette bit
Putting a clock on a friendly board game changes the mood, so introduce it as a shared decision rather than a complaint about one person. In practice it usually speeds up both players, because everyone starts thinking on their opponent's turn — which is the real benefit and has nothing to do with running out of time.
Set the bank generously the first time. A clock that flags in a game people were enjoying teaches the wrong lesson.
Read next
Guides that go with this clock
How to use a chess clock
Who presses first, which hand to use, when to press, and what happens when a flag falls. The whole thing, once, properly.
Read it Choosing a controlThe best control for beginners
A real recommendation rather than a shrug, with a progression from a first clock game to a club night.
Read it Choosing a controlUsing a clock with kids
When to introduce one, which control to start with, and how to handle the first time a child loses on time in a winning position.
Read itFAQ
Questions about this clock
Can I use a chess clock for other board games?
Yes, and it is common in Scrabble, backgammon, Go and shogi. Any two-player game with alternating turns works: each player gets a bank of time, ends their turn by pressing, and the game stops running long.
Does this work for more than two players?
No. This clock has two halves, like a physical chess clock. For a three or four player turn order you would need a different tool.
What is a good time bank for a board game?
Decide how long you want the game to last and halve it. Twenty-five to thirty minutes each, with a ten to thirty second increment, covers most two-player games comfortably.
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Other clocks on this site
Same engine underneath, set up for a different game. Pick the one that matches what is on the table.
Two players, one phone
Lay the device flat between you. Each player taps their own half, and the far half is rotated so it reads correctly across the board.
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Open it BulletBullet timer
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Open it RapidRapid timer
10|0, 15|10 and the rest of the rapid family, with a live estimate of the longest a game can run so you can plan a round.
Open it Multi-stageTournament clock
Real multi-stage controls. Reach move 40 and the next period is added to the time you saved, exactly as a hardware clock does.
Open it OfflineOffline clock
Load the page once and turn the network off. Nothing about your game is uploaded, because there is nowhere for it to go.
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