Game Types in Pinbattle

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
Max Group 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
Round Based Knockout	4-64+	High	High	Medium

Pinbattle offers ten 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. Max Group Matchplay

Description: Group-based Swiss-style tournament where 4 players compete simultaneously, scored 7-5-3-1. Rolling rounds with intelligent group formation.

How it works

• Players are grouped into 4-player groups (or 3 if needed)
• Each round, groups play simultaneously on different machines
• Scoring: 1st = 7p, 2nd = 5p, 3rd = 3p, 4th = 1p
• Smart group formation minimizes repeat matchups
• Automatic round creation when enough players are waiting (configurable threshold)
• Uses Strength of Schedule (SoS) as tiebreaker

Pros

• More players active at the same time than 1v1
• Fair scoring system that rewards consistency
• Smart group formation avoids repeat opponents
• Configurable queue threshold for automatic rounds

Cons

• Requires minimum 3 players for a group
• Group dynamics can affect results
• More complex scoring than simple win/loss

Recommended number of players

8-40+ players

Best suited for

• Medium to large tournaments
• Events where you want maximum play time per player
• Situations where machines are limited relative to player count

Special settings

• max_rounds: Maximum matches per player
• playoff_cutoff: Placement for playoff cutoff
• queue_threshold: Percentage of players in queue before auto-creating groups (default 30%)
• repeat_penalty: How strongly to avoid repeat opponents (default 1000)
• balance_weight: How strongly to prefer balanced match counts (default 3)

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5. 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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6. 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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7. 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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8. 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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9. Playoff

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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10. Round Based Knockout

Description: Multi-round matches where actual pinball scores are recorded. The ratio between player scores per round is multiplied across rounds, and the cumulative ratio determines the winner. Losers receive strikes, and upon reaching max strikes, a player is eliminated.

How it works

• Players are paired (1v1 Basic Knockout) or grouped into 4 (Group Knockout)
• Each match consists of multiple rounds (default 3) on different machines
• In each round, actual pinball scores are recorded
• The ratio (score_a / score_b) is calculated per round and multiplied to form a cumulative ratio
• After all rounds, the player with cumulative ratio > 1.0 wins
• Losers receive strikes; reaching max strikes (default 3) means elimination
• New waves of pairings continue until a winner emerges

Strike distribution modes

Mode	1v1	Group (4 players)
Standard	0/1	0/1/1/2
Fair	0/1	0/0/1/1
Progressive	0/1	0/1/2/3

Special features

• Cumulative ratio: Scores multiply across rounds, rewarding consistency
• Score recording: Actual pinball scores tracked for all rounds
• Round history: Previous round scores and ratios visible when recording new scores
• Edge case handling: Both 0 = neutral (1.0), one 0 = capped at 10.0x
• Tiebreaker: If ratios are equal, total pinball score determines winner
• Configurable: Rounds per match, max strikes, group size, strike mode

Pros

• Uses actual pinball scores (not just win/loss)
• Multi-round matches reduce luck factor
• Ratio-based scoring rewards consistency
• Strike system gives multiple chances before elimination
• Supports both 1v1 and 4-player group formats

Cons

• Requires score entry for each round
• More complex scoring system to understand
• Longer matches due to multiple rounds

Recommended number of players

4-64+ players

Best suited for

• Tournaments that value actual pinball scores
• Events wanting elimination format with multiple chances
• Situations where single-game results feel too random
• Extended tournaments where players want multiple rounds per opponent

Special settings

• knockout_rounds_per_match: Rounds per match (default 3)
• knockout_max_strikes: Strikes before elimination (default 3)
• knockout_group_size: 2 for 1v1, 4 for groups (default 2)
• knockout_strike_mode: standard/fair/progressive (default standard)

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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, Playoff, or Round Based Knockout

Score-based elimination tournament

Round Based Knockout (uses actual pinball scores with multi-round matches)