Timatch Web — Help

The web version of Timatch: the game table to go, for Android and any browser.

Installing

Timatch Web runs right in the browser. Installed on the home screen it gets its own icon, runs full screen and works without an internet connection:

• Android (Chrome): The start page shows the card “Install as an app” — tap “Install”. Alternatively choose “Install app” or “Add to Home screen” from the browser menu.
• iPhone and iPad (Safari): Share icon → “Add to Home Screen”.
• On a computer (Chrome, Edge): the install icon in the address bar.

When a new version is available, the app shows the banner “New version ready.” with a “Reload” button. In the middle of a play you can safely postpone it — the running play survives the reload.

Setting up a play

“New play” on the start page opens the setup:

• Game: Type the title; games from your history are suggested. If the game last used a score sheet, it is preselected.
• People: Known people are ready as chips — tap to add them. Type new names directly. Tapping the colored dot changes the color, ↑ and ↓ change the seating order, “Starts” selects the person who takes the first turn; “Teams” gives each person a letter.
• Time: A turn time limit caps every single turn. The total time (countdown) runs down for the whole table. The time bank per person (chess clock) gives everyone their own bank that only runs during their turns — a turn limit then is just a warning.
• Penalty points for overtime: points per minute, optionally “to the second instead of per started minute”. With a time bank the deduction happens once at the end for the time beyond the bank; with a turn limit per turn for the time beyond the limit. Under “Exempt from the time penalty” you can exclude individual people, such as children or newcomers.
• Order: “Fixed order” goes around the table. With “Changes freely” you tap whoever is up next.
• Teams: Each person gets a team letter; the summary then also shows the team scores.
• Score sheet: “Total points only” (one number per person at the end), a template — Catan, Carcassonne, Azul, 7 Wonders, Wingspan, Ticket to Ride, Agricola, round scoring — or “Create your own sheet”: one category per line, a leading “-” subtracts (penalty points).
• Lowest score wins: for games where less is better. Penalty points are then added instead of deducted.

At the table

The big card shows the person whose turn it is. Tapping the card ends the turn and the next person is up. The tiles below show everyone else's thinking time so far — with a time bank, the time left in their bank — and their number of turns.

• Pause: All clocks stop. A pause counts towards the total time of the evening, not towards turn time.
• Interruption: Nobody is playing right now — dinner, adjourning. Unlike a pause, this time does not count as play time.
• Pass: The person sits out until the next round. Once everyone has passed, the next round starts by itself.
• Next round: Clears all passes and starts a new round.
• Another turn for …: The turn is counted and the same person stays up.
• Back to the last player: Takes back the last turn; its time continues for that person. The aborted turn stays visible in the history.
• Everyone at once: A simultaneous thinking phase, for example for planning at the start of a round. Each person taps “Done” when ready — the time is booked per person. “End phase” stops everyone still thinking.
• Scores: Enter scores during the play — with a score sheet that has rounds, after each round.
• History: The turn history with turn numbers, passes, pauses and undos, plus the evaluation per person.
• Helpers: Dice, coin, “Who starts?” and a sand timer — also from the start page and by long-pressing the app icon.

Sounds: When time runs out there is an alarm, five and one minute before a warning; on Android also vibration. You choose sound and volume in the settings. The screen stays on during a play. A browser cannot play sound in the background — but the times are correct as soon as you return to the app.

Finishing a play

“Finish” at the top right leads to entering the scores. With a score sheet you enter the category values per person; the total updates as you type. Time penalties are deducted — with “lowest score wins” they are added.

The summary shows places and winner (shared on a tie), the breakdown by category, play time, breaks and rounds, and the thinking time per person. There you add notes, the place and a tie-break note, edit scores afterwards and open the turn history.

Export: “Timatch file” creates a Timatch session file that the iPhone app imports under Settings → “Import session file”. “CSV” gives you a table for spreadsheet apps, “Share” opens the device's share menu.

Handing over a play

When the battery runs low, another device can take over the running play: choose “Hand over play” at the table — the play is paused and shown as a QR code. On the other Android or browser device open “Take over play” in the settings and scan the code with the camera. The play arrives paused and continues with “Continue”, with all times and the whole history.

Without a camera it works via a file: share the play and import it on the other device.

Handing over to the iPhone (Timatch app) is not possible yet. Finished plays can be brought there as a session file.

People, statistics, all plays

• People: The directory builds itself as you play. Per person you see color, plays, wins, win rate, average and longest turn time and the plays. Renaming keeps the old plays.
• Statistics: Plays, play time, turns, wins per person, deep thinker and lightning, longest turn, win streak, most played games, places and the last twelve months — for everything, this year or the last twelve months.
• All plays: Search across game, person, place and note, plus a filter per person.

Your data

Everything lives only in this browser. Under Settings (gear) → Data you find:

• Create backup / Share backup: one file with all plays, people and settings — for switching devices, or just in case.
• Import file: reads a backup, a Timatch session file from the iPhone app, or a handed-over play. Plays already known are not added twice.
• Delete all data: resets the app.

Important: Clearing the browser data for this site also deletes the app data. Create a backup first.

The installed app appears in the Android share menu: Timatch files from WhatsApp, Mail or Drive can be shared straight to “Timatch” and land in the history.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an account?

No. Timatch Web works without an account. You can create an optional Timatch account (sign-in email, Apple or Google); your data then shows up on all your devices, including the iPhone app.

Where is my data?

Only in your browser on this device. There is no server and no sync. For switching devices there is the backup.

Why is there no sound when the app is in the background?

Browsers are not allowed to play sound or keep clocks running in the background. That is why the screen stays on during a play. When you return, all times are still correct — they are computed from timestamps, not counted along.

Can I play together with friends on iPhone?

Finished plays can be exchanged as Timatch session files: the iPhone app exports them, Timatch Web imports them — and the other way round. Handing a running play over to the iPhone live is not possible yet.

Is the app in the Play Store?

Not yet. It is installed through the browser, see Installing. After that it behaves like an app.

What can the iPhone app do that this can't?

The game collection with BoardGameGeek, Apple TV and iPad as a table display, the Apple Watch, iCloud sync, AI insights and PDF reports. Timatch Web concentrates on the table itself.

Reporting a bug

Send an email to support@timatch.de with:

• What you did, what you expected, and what happened instead
• Device, operating system and browser
• Version of Timatch Web (shown at the bottom of the start page and under Settings → About)
• A screenshot or screen recording if the problem is visual