Game Types in Pinbattle

Pinbattle offers eight different competition formats, each tailored for different situations and player counts.

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1. Frenzy

Description: Fast and intense format where matches are created automatically and continuously as long as the game is running.

How it works

• The system pairs players automatically
• Matches are created continuously based on available players and machines
• Perfect for drop-in/drop-out situations

Pros

• Minimal administration
• High tempo and lots of action
• Flexible - players can come and go

Cons

• Less control over who plays whom
• Can become chaotic with many players
• Difficult to guarantee everyone plays everyone

Recommended number of players

14+ players

Best suited for

• Larger groups where Round Robin becomes too time-consuming
• Informal gatherings
• Warm-up before tournaments
• Evenings with varying participant numbers

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2. Round Robin

Description: Classic format where all players face each other a set number of times.

How it works

• Matches are created manually via a matrix
• Each player combination can be played a configurable number of times (size)
• Clear overview of which matches have been played

Pros

• Fair - everyone plays everyone
• Clear structure and overview
• Results provide good basis for ranking

Cons

• Number of matches grows quickly with more players (n*(n-1)/2 matches)
• Takes a long time with many participants
• Requires all players to be present throughout

Recommended number of players

Up to 14 players

Best suited for

• Small to medium tournaments
• Club championships
• When you want a fair and complete tournament

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3. Max Matchplay

Description: Swiss-style tournament system with intelligent matchmaking and configurable maximum matches per player.

How it works

• Each player plays a maximum number of matches (configurable)
• The system pairs players based on:
  1. Number of matches played (prioritizes those with fewer)
  2. Previous meetings (avoids repetitions)
  3. Current standings
• Automatic match creation when >30% of players are waiting
• Uses Buchholz and Solkoff for tiebreakers

Pros

• Scalable for many players
• Fair matching based on performance
• Everyone plays the same number of matches
• Sophisticated ranking with chess-like tiebreakers

Cons

• More complex to understand for participants
• Not everyone necessarily plays everyone
• Requires trusting the algorithm

Recommended number of players

8-40+ players

Best suited for

• Larger tournaments
• IFPA-ranked events
• When time is limited but you want many participants

Special settings

• max_rounds: Maximum matches per player
• playoff_cutoff: Placement for playoff cutoff

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4. Combat (Team Battle)

Description: Team-based competition where two teams compete against each other.

How it works

• Players are divided into two teams
• Matches are automatically created between players from different teams
• The system avoids matching the same players too often
• "Tug of war" visualization shows team standings
• Automatic match creation when >30% of players are waiting

Pros

• Creates team spirit and engagement
• Everyone on the team contributes to the result
• Visually appealing with tug-of-war indicator

Cons

• Requires even teams for fair competition
• Less individual control
• Only works with exactly two teams

Recommended number of players

6-40+ players (3-20+ per team)

Best suited for

• Club vs club matches
• Team building events
• Corporate events

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5. Homerun (Home Court)

Description: Unique format where each player has a "home machine" and meets other players both at home and away.

How it works

• Each player is assigned a home machine
• Player pairs meet twice: one match on each player's home machine
• The system tracks home and away wins

Pros

• Rewards specialist knowledge on "your" machine
• Interesting dynamic with home/away aspect
• Everyone gets to know their machines well

Cons

• Requires each player to have an assigned machine
• Limited number of players (number of machines = max players)
• Can favor those with "easier" home machines

Recommended number of players

Max number of pinball machines - each player must have their own home machine

Best suited for

• League play
• Situations where players have "their" machines
• Long-term tournaments over multiple evenings

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6. Lotto

Description: Random format where machines are drawn lottery-style.

How it works

• 36 "tickets" are created
• Click on a ticket to randomly select a machine
• Click again to confirm and play

Pros

• Excitement and surprise element
• Easy to understand
• Suitable for casual play

Cons

• Less competition-focused
• No matchmaking
• Limited functionality

Recommended number of players

2-10 players

Best suited for

• Casual evenings
• Introduction for new players
• When you want variety

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7. Amazing Race

Description: Elimination format where all players compete on the same machine each round. The player with the lowest score is eliminated.

How it works

• Each round, the organizer chooses a machine
• ALL remaining players play ONE game each on the selected machine
• Scores are recorded for each player
• The player with the lowest score is eliminated
• The process repeats until only one player remains

Special features

• Parallel rounds: Multiple rounds can run simultaneously on different machines - when players finish one round, the next round can start on another machine while other players are still playing
• Auto-advance (Forward): If a player has already beaten the lowest score, they can be marked as "safe" without needing to record their actual score
• Manual machine selection: The organizer chooses which machine is used for each round (machines already in use are filtered out)
• Player status: Clearly shows which player is up next
• Waiting rounds: Players who have advanced are gathered in a waiting round until a machine is selected

Pros

• Extreme excitement - every round is decisive
• Everyone plays on exactly the same machine, fair basis
• Parallel rounds speed up the competition significantly
• Clear "Playing" status shows whose turn it is
• Easy to understand for spectators

Cons

• Eliminated players don't get to play anymore
• Requires active administration to record scores

Recommended number of players

4-20+ players

Best suited for

• Exciting finals
• Events where you want clear elimination
• Situations where everyone should compete on equal terms
• Public events with spectators

Tips for organizers

• Use the "Forward" button as soon as a player has beaten the lowest score to keep the tempo up
• Choose machines with varying difficulty to make it interesting
• Have a dedicated score recorder for smoother flow

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8. Playoff (Knockout)

Description: Classic elimination tournament with visual bracket. Best-of-5 format (first to 3 wins) per matchup, with automatic progression and bronze match.

How it works

• Choose bracket size when creating: 4, 8, or 16 players
• Each matchup is decided in best-of-5 format (first to 3 wins)
• The winner automatically advances to the next round in the bracket
• Losers from the semifinals meet in a bronze match for third place
• The system automatically draws an available machine for each match

Bracket structure

Size	Rounds	Structure
4 players	2	Semifinal -> Final + Bronze Match
8 players	3	Quarterfinal -> Semifinal -> Final + Bronze Match
16 players	4	Round of 16 -> Quarterfinal -> Semifinal -> Final + Bronze Match

Special features

• Visual bracket: Clickable matchup cards with yellow connectors between rounds
• Machine indicators: Red circle (ongoing match), green circle (completed match)
• Direct player input: In the first round, player names can be written directly in the matchup cards
• Best-of-5 tracker: Shows current score (e.g., 2-1) for each matchup
• Bronze match: Automatically created match for semifinal losers
• Real-time updates: All clients see changes immediately via WebSocket

Pros

• Classic and easy-to-understand format
• Visually appealing bracket display
• Best-of-5 reduces the risk of "bad luck" in individual matches
• Bronze match provides more meaningful matches
• Automatic machine lottery and release

Cons

• Early losers play fewer matches
• Requires specific number of players (4, 8, or 16)
• A bad series can result in early elimination

Recommended number of players

4, 8, or 16 players

Best suited for

• Playoffs after group stage/Round Robin/Max Matchplay
• Club championships and finals
• Events where you want clear drama and progression
• Situations where visual bracket presentation is desired

Tips for organizers

• Use 4-player bracket for quick finals
• For larger tournaments: run Max Matchplay or Round Robin first, then Playoff for top 4/8/16
• Have the Playoff bracket visible on a big screen for maximum excitement

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Comparative Summary

Game Type	Players	Automation	Fairness	Complexity
Frenzy	14+	High	Low	Low
Round Robin	<=14	Low	High	Low
Max Matchplay	8-40+	High	High	Medium
Combat	6-40+	High	Medium	Low
Homerun	=machines	High	Medium	Medium
Lotto	2-10	-	-	Low
Amazing Race	4-20+	Manual	High	Medium
Playoff	4-16	Low	Medium	Low

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Recommendations by Situation

Club night (casual)

Frenzy or Lotto

Small tournament (4-8 players)

Round Robin -> Playoff

Larger tournament (10+ players)

Max Matchplay or Frenzy -> Playoff

Club vs club

Combat

League play over time

Homerun or Round Robin

Exciting finals/elimination tournament

Amazing Race or Playoff