Welcome to CERABID AUCTION HOUSE Game!

General Information

Anyone can join an active game. Only users with Admin credentials can start a new game.

Cerabid Auction House

Initiate

  1. Select your Admin ID from the dropdown menu.
  2. Enter your Admin Password in the designated key field.
  3. Provide a Session Name that users will see when joining the auction.
  4. Set the Session Start Date and Time to determine when it will begin accepting bids. After this date-time, the session will no longer appear on the JOIN screen for users.
  5. Specify the Participant Budget, which limits the total amount participants can spend across all rounds.
  6. Click "Create Auction" after entering all the required information. If no errors are detected, a confirmation message will appear. Your session will now be visible on the JOIN screen, and participants will be able to join it.
Initiate Screen

Join

  1. Enter your nickname, which will be visible to all other participants during the game.
  2. Provide your email address, which may be used for further communications.
  3. Select the session you wish to join from the dropdown menu.
  4. Click the Join button. If no errors occur, you will be successfully registered for the game. The button label will change to "PLEASE WAIT," and a countdown will appear showing the remaining seconds until the first round begins. Do not refresh the page once you see the "PLEASE WAIT" notification. You will be automatically redirected to the first round when it starts.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: If fewer than 5 participants are registered by the starting date and time, the auction will not start.

Join Screen

Play

  1. Users registered for the auction and waiting on the JOIN screen will automatically be forwarded to the first round when the auction begins.
  2. At the top of the screen, players can view details such as the auction name, total number of rounds, current round, the number of players placing bids in that round, their alias, and their remaining budget.
  3. The total number of rounds is determined by the formula: ⌊log₂(n - 2)⌋ + 1, where n is the number of registered players.
  4. Players have one minute to place their bids. Bids cannot exceed the player's remaining budget. Players then wait until the round concludes. If the player does not place a bid, it is assumed to be 0.
  5. When the timer ends, bidders in the current round are ranked in descending order based on their bids. The lower half of the bidders are eliminated. For example, if there are t bidders, ⌊t/2⌋ players are eliminated. Eliminated players can no longer place bids but may monitor upcoming rounds.
  6. In each round (except the last two), the player with the highest bid is awarded a bye. This player skips the next round and automatically progresses to the round after, saving their budget. No bye is awarded in the last two rounds.
  7. After each round, all bids from previous rounds are revealed to all users, except for the bids of the round champions. Only the fact that their bid was the maximum is disclosed, providing strategic advantages.
  8. After the final round, the player with the highest bid becomes the overall champion of the game.

Game Examples

Enter your bid

In the third round of a four-round game, the player with the alias Two has an available budget of 340. They have placed a bid of 200 and are now waiting for the round to conclude.

BYE plater at a round

Player One earned a bye position in Round 2 by placing the maximum bid in Round 1. They will resume bidding in Round 3, skipping Round 2 entirely.

Complete game analysis

Analysis of a Completed Game

The above figure illustrates the summary of a completed game. In this game, 7 players registered, determining the total number of rounds as 4, calculated by the formula: ⌈log₂(7−2)⌉+1.