The G8 Game Timer 1) Of course, when players just want to end a game after a certain amount of time has elapsed, they have always found an alarm clock or watch alarm to be sufficient. 2) Sand timers come with a lot of party games, but they're invaluable for moving along any game that might otherwise bog down from the presence of one or two cautious players. (I would be among them.) Sand timers are handy for limiting a player's turn to one, two, or three minutes, or a general round of play to maybe five or ten minutes. But in the former case, each person really needs his own; otherwise, the sand usually has to be run into one of the two glass bulbs before the timer can be passed to the next player. (Only a few games make a partially-run sand timer part of the rules and strategy of a player's turn.) Expert players could presumably handicap their play by using timers that last longer than those of their less experienced opponents, though few games provide either suggestions for this option or the equipment for carrying it out. 3) On the other hand, many games, especially those being played as part of a tournament, give players more flexibility by limiting only the amount of time each player can use for the totality of his moves. For this purpose, a standard-issue analog "chess clock" has been the preferred instrument since before the turn of the last century, when large chess tournaments began to require time management, and special timepieces were developed almost by necessity. When a player finishes his turn, he simply pushes down on the button on his side of a small case containing two clocks, stopping the clock on his side of the case and starting the one on his opponent's side. A bell rings or a flag drops when one player runs out of time. Digital equipment is starting to replace analog, but may cost $100 or more and still be limited to only two players. Thus my delight when a low-cost ($33) unit recently appeared on the market that can do all the above and then some. The G8 Game Timer, designed by aeronautics student Don Green and marketed by his educational games company Dream Green, is a marvel of design. Though only 3 1/2" by 4 3/4" by 3/4" with its matching Noxema-bottle-colored cover in place, it can limit the turn times and/or the total times of up to eight players, as well as the combined time of all the players for the whole game. Different players can receive their own customized turn or total times for handicapping purposes. A delay time can even be programmed into the mix so that a player whose turn has just begun can gather his thoughts or so that a trivia card can be read before a round of guessing begins. The countdown alarm for the end of a player's turn or game time can be adjusted for length and type (beeps and/or flashing light). And though several statistics appear at the same time on the large LCD screen, the emphasis can be put alternatively on the present player's game time remaining, his game time accumulated, or his turn time remaining. (The previous player's game time remaining or accumulated always appears in small numbers at the bottom of the screen.) Game times that don't just run out are ended by hitting the big blue rubberized button in the center of the console. Six smaller yellow buttons around the edges are for making the initial settings and, if desired, saving those settings or unfinished games in either of two memory banks. The designer's self-confessed attention to detail has prompted him to include a summary of the programming routines in the sliding cover, a reset button, a port for accepting a remote access key, and an extra battery slot for installing a new battery while the old one retains the memory already programmed and saved. Materials and workmanship are warranted for one year. The beauty of the unit is that, once it's programmed for the game at hand, it manages the pace of play with nothing more than a periodic tap to the center button. Its sheer usefulness was evident when it was used as the official timer of the 2001 Las Vegas International Scrabble Championship. The only possible downside is the trickiness of the programming procedures. The instructions that come with the G8, though they are not terribly lengthy, are maybe too terse (and assuming) for the layperson who has no more computer skills than I do. Though Don has been generous with technical and emotional support by phone and e-mail, I still find the G8 occasionally locked in an uncommunicative and even mocking mode reminiscent of my VCR and a handful of other recalcitrant hardware. But I am getting better. The machine is already doing most everything I really need it to, and I have already begun to think of it as a permanent guest at my gaming table. Available from Dream Green, P.O. Box 2347, Weirton WV 26062. 1-888-GET
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