Countdown command

Updated: 30 October 2026

1. Setup (run once)

/scoreboard objectives add count dummy
/scoreboard players set #cd count -1

#cd is a fake player name: it holds a score but never shows on the sidebar. A value of -1 means the timer is stopped.

2. The countdown chain

# repeat, always active
execute if score #cd count matches 1.. run scoreboard players remove #cd count 1
# chain, always active (every block below)
execute if score #cd count matches 60 run title @a title {"text":"3","color":"red"}
execute if score #cd count matches 40 run title @a title {"text":"2","color":"yellow"}
execute if score #cd count matches 20 run title @a title {"text":"1","color":"green"}
execute if score #cd count matches 0 run title @a title {"text":"Go!","color":"gold"}
execute if score #cd count matches 0 run scoreboard players set #cd count -1

The first block lowers the score by one each tick while it is 1 or more. 20 ticks make one second, so 60, 40, 20 and 0 show 3, 2, 1 and Go one second apart. Setting -1 at the end stops it, so Go shows only once.

3. Start it

/scoreboard players set #cd count 61

Put this in an impulse block behind a button. The next tick it drops to 60 and the 3 appears.

4. Add sounds

execute if score #cd count matches 60 as @a at @s run playsound minecraft:block.note_block.pling master @s ~ ~ ~ 1 1
execute if score #cd count matches 0 as @a at @s run playsound minecraft:entity.player.levelup master @s ~ ~ ~ 1 1

Add these to the chain. as @a at @s plays the sound at each player, so everyone hears it.

5. Start the game on Go

execute if score #cd count matches 0 run gamemode adventure @a
execute if score #cd count matches 0 run tp @a 0 64 0

Place these between the Go line and the -1 line. After the score is -1 the 0 check no longer matches. See the minigame commands for the full game flow.

Troubleshooting

• All numbers flash at once: only the first block is repeat; the rest must be chain.
• Go repeats: the -1 line must be the last block in the chain.
• Bedrock: write /title @a title 3 with plain text; the score logic is the same.

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