ComLabGamesUser Guide version 2026-11-13T12:55Z
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Quick Start

Try A Game Before Designing One

  1. Open Demo from the home page and choose one of the five Getting started games.
  2. Start it, read the instructions, and use the player cards to inspect each role.
  3. Play a complete path through Results. Auto demo offers an automatic demonstration; separate player tabs are used later for a realistic test.

Demo Mode explains what to try in each introductory game.

Prepare Your Own Definition

  1. Choose Registered user, sign in, and open Design from the left menu.
  2. In Definitions, choose Open game to adapt an example, New game to start from scratch, or Upload game definitions to import a file.
  3. A Demo original opens read-only. Choose Save As and a non-Demo folder/name to create your editable copy. Save changes cannot overwrite a shared Demo original.
  4. In Editor, configure Layout and Assignment. Open Game presentation to review Instructions, Results and Moderator Pages. Use Data model and Gameplay when you need detailed calculations or process settings.
  5. Optionally use AI Design to describe or refine the game. Review the proposal before Apply; check Understanding of the game, especially after manual edits.
  6. Resolve Validation errors and use Save changes beside the game. Creating a valid definition does not prove its intended outcomes; play it before inviting participants.

Definitions keeps catalog commands; the row beside the selected game contains Save As, Save changes, download, add to rooms, rename, move and delete. The main menu and Editor/AI Design views are separate from the selected editor's tabs.

See Designing Games and AI Design. For an accidentally deleted saved game, see Recover A Deleted Game.

Test The Saved Game

  1. In Design, use Test players → Open test player once per participant needed for a session. The first click starts a normal run from the saved game; it does not require a room placement.
  2. Complete decisions in separate player tabs. Check each role's information, waiting states, calculated values and Results.
  3. Stop the test run when finished. In Run Logs, inspect its recorded events and primary analysis.
  4. Before a live class, also test the room-link entry described below. Test-player tabs do not verify participant name/PIN entry in the lobby.

Saving a changed game or applying a new AI proposal stops its open test/run. Start it again to test the new definition. Testing a Game Before Class provides the full check.

Invite Players And Monitor Sessions

  1. In Execution, choose a room, usually main, and use Add games to place the saved definition there. You can also add it from its commands in Design.
  2. Use Start game beside its room entry, then copy the room link. Shortcut controls appear in the expanded room's sharing toolbar above its games.
  3. Players open the link, enter their player name and optional PIN, choose an open game, and join in a new tab. A fixed-player session waits until enough players have joined.
  4. Watch Game sessions. Use the eye icon for the read-only Moderator view.
  5. When no more groups should join, use Stop game. A finished session is one finished group; the run may still accept another group. Stop uses normal final calculations and configured Results, but unfinished decisions can leave values undefined.

Stop session without Results is an exceptional interruption of one session. It skips final calculations and Results and leaves other sessions and run admission unchanged.

See Moderator Workspace and Rooms And Sessions Reference.

Review, Analyse And Keep The Run

  1. In Run Logs, choose Open run log and open the intended game/start time.
  2. Use Replay events to inspect the sequence and Primary analysis to check exact results. Load Variable history separately when needed.
  3. For a finalized Run, open AI analysis. Analyse run gives a general analysis; Analyse with template uses the selected saved instructions. Ask follow-up questions and check interpretations against the recorded values.
  4. Download a Portable Run Log package for long-term storage or transfer. Choose available definition/context/AI segments deliberately. Run Logs have server retention limits; a Game download and a workspace backup do not replace the Run Log export.

Run analysis uses the Understanding captured when the Run started, when available. A new analysis can use current saved templates. Logs and Run Analysis explains these boundaries and import options.