> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.craftsmanplus.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.craftsmanplus.com/play/settings/global-timer.md).

# Global Timer

The Global Timer is a project-wide countdown that runs across your entire playable. Unlike scene-level timing, the Global Timer keeps counting as users move between scenes, giving you a single, continuous timer for the whole experience.

Use it for time-limited gameplay, urgency-driven CTAs, or any pattern where you want a single clock running across multiple scenes.

### Enabling the Global Timer

The Global Timer is configured from the **Settings Panel**, accessible by clicking the gear icon in the top-right corner of the editor.

In the Settings Panel, find the **Global Timer** module. Toggle it ON to enable the feature. With the module enabled, click on the module to open the **Timer Properties** popup, where you'll set duration, choose an action, and configure scene exclusions.

#### Timer Duration

The **Timer Duration** field sets how long the timer runs, in seconds. The default is **60**.

The countdown begins as soon as the playable starts and continues across scene transitions. Scene-level timing (Scene Duration, scene events) runs independently of the Global Timer — the two don't affect each other.

#### Action

The **Action** dropdown sets what happens when the Global Timer reaches zero.

Choose any of PLAY's standard actions. To learn more about the full list of actions in PLAY, click [here](/play/general/actions.md).

When the timer completes, the action you select takes priority over other simultaneous events to keep behavior consistent.

If no action is set, the timer simply stops at zero and nothing happens. In most cases you'll want an action assigned so the user has somewhere to go when time runs out.

#### Exclude Scenes

The **Exclude Scenes** dropdown lets you choose scenes where the Global Timer should *not* run. Useful when you want the timer active during gameplay but paused on, for example, an intro scene or an end card.

Click the dropdown to open the menu. Every scene in your project is listed with a checkbox. Check the scenes you want to exclude, the timer will pause on those scenes and resume on any scene not excluded.

{% hint style="info" %}
*The* ***Exclude Scenes*** *dropdown replaced the legacy* ***Play on End Cards*** *toggle. If you're opening an older project that used the toggle, your settings have already been migrated automatically: any scene previously marked as an End Card in a project with the toggle OFF is now listed in* ***Exclude Scenes**\_\_. No action needed on your end.*
{% endhint %}

#### Playback Behavior

The Global Timer starts counting as soon as the playable begins and continues across scene transitions. It does not reset between scenes.

On excluded scenes, the timer pauses. When the user reaches a non-excluded scene again, the countdown resumes from where it left off.

When the timer reaches zero, the configured Action fires. The timer does not restart on its own.


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