Running the game transitions the system through several game states. A game that has run out of time can still have active logic. The overview below distinguishes the timeout from the end of the game flow.
| From | Event or condition | To |
|---|---|---|
| Stopped | All applicable preparation conditions and required settings are satisfied. | Ready |
| Ready | A preparation condition stops being satisfied. | Stopped |
| Stopped or Ready | Start is accepted; required Game Settings must be present. | Running |
| Running | Maximum game time expires; fail Operations are activated. | RunningFailed |
| Running | Game Finish is reached. | FinishedSuccess |
| RunningFailed | Game Finish is reached. | FinishedFailed |
| Running, RunningFailed or a finished state | Reset the game. | Stopped, then Ready when the preparation checks pass. |
When the game is loaded, it starts in Stopped. Preparation checks include the applicable Ready conditions for Puzzles, Actions, Locks and Switches. See Puzzle Schema and Logic Controls. Once these checks and the required settings are satisfied, the game becomes Ready.
Before starting, complete the enabled fields in Game Settings: language, skill level, team count and team information as configured in Designer. With Force settings to be set each game, Reset clears the required choices for the next group. Core refuses a start with missing required settings, including a start attempted from Stopped. Check any missing-settings message instead of repeatedly pressing Start.
Running means that the game logic is active. It does not by itself mean that the game timer has started: the normal flow starts the timer at the Game Start system task.
When time expires during Running, the configured fail Operations are activated and the state becomes RunningFailed. The game flow has not necessarily ended. The game host can still operate the room and reset it. Reaching Game Finish while still Running produces FinishedSuccess; reaching it after RunningFailed produces FinishedFailed.
Pause is additional timing status, not a separate game state. Use the pause indication together with the game state to understand what is happening. Reset returns the game to Stopped, resets the components and applies their reset effects/defaults; the Ready checks then run again. Resetting an active game ends that run. Preparing the physical room for the next players remains a separate task.