How do I display a countdown on my experience? – Fastory

Add a countdown to your Fastory experience to build anticipation and drive virality around your campaign. You can launch your game at a specific date and time that everyone is waiting for.

What is it for?

The countdown displays the time remaining before your game opens (or before it closes) directly on the screen of your experience. It allows you to:

Build excitement and create a clear sense of occasion around the launch of your campaign.

Drive virality for your game by announcing a date and time everyone is waiting for.

Pace your experience by automatically displaying a message tailored to whether the game has not started yet, is in progress, or has ended.

Set up the countdown

1. Schedule the dates

Go to your game settings, in the Game planification section.

Follow the steps described in the article How do I schedule the game's opening and closing dates? to set your opening and closing dates.

Once your dates are scheduled, the default Start button automatically shows or hides based on the times you have set.

2. Add the countdown

Add the countdown component to the first screen of your game.

Configure the countdown texts to match your campaign.

How is the countdown displayed?

The countdown automatically adapts to the status of your game.

Game not started yet

The countdown shows the time remaining before the game opens, which builds anticipation among your participants.

Game in progress

Once the opening date is reached, the game becomes accessible and the Start button appears so players can take part.

Game ended

At the closing date and time, the game is no longer accessible and the countdown reflects this ended state.

Note: at the scheduled closing date and time, if a user is in the middle of playing, they will be automatically redirected to the end screen or the losing screen, and will be able to sign up for the bot if one is configured.

Best practices

Always schedule your opening and closing dates before adding the component: the countdown relies on these times to work.

Place the countdown on the first screen so it is visible as soon as participants arrive.

Customize the texts to reinforce the sense of anticipation and reflect the identity of your campaign.

Announce the launch date and time in advance to maximize the sense of occasion and virality.

Concrete use cases

If you want to build anticipation around a launch

Schedule a specific opening date and display the countdown on the first screen: your participants see the time remaining before they can play and come back when the game launches.

If you want to pace a time-limited campaign

Set a closing date and let the countdown show the time left to participate, which encourages players not to wait.

If you want to control when your game ends

Thanks to closing dates, the game closes automatically at the scheduled time and players still mid-game are redirected to the end screen, without any manual action on your part.

FAQ

Where should I add the countdown in my Fastory experience?

Add the countdown component to the first screen of your game so it is visible as soon as participants arrive.

Do I need to schedule the dates before adding the countdown?

Yes. The countdown relies on the opening and closing dates set in the Game planification section. Schedule them beforehand so the component works correctly.

Can I customize the countdown texts?

Yes. Once the component is added, you can freely configure the countdown texts to match the tone and message of your Fastory campaign.

Does the countdown change depending on the game status?

Yes. It displays differently depending on whether the game has not started yet, is in progress, or has ended, with no extra action needed on your part.

What happens if a player is mid-game when the game closes?

At the scheduled closing date and time, a player still in the middle of a game is automatically redirected to the end screen or the losing screen, and can sign up for the bot if you have configured one.

Does the Start button display automatically on my experience?

Yes. The default Start button automatically shows or hides based on the opening and closing times you defined when scheduling your game.

How can I go further with scheduling my experience?

You can also choose which screens to display and when. Check out the article How do I show or hide a screen in my experience? to schedule the display of a screen in your Fastory game.