Add the Counter widget to OBS
On a computer, open the Twools editor, add the Counter widget and pick one of the eight layouts.
In "Title and value", type "Deaths" as the title, then set the starting value, the amount added per click and, if needed, a minimum and a maximum.
Click "Overlay link", copy your link and paste it into a Browser Source in your streaming software, sized to your canvas.
On your phone, open the Control Room: the Counter card adds or removes points, takes a typed value, undoes the last action and goes back to the starting value.
Features
- Eight layouts, including a goal bar, digits in cells, tally marks and a number set over the game
- Plus, minus, direct value, undo and a return to the starting value from the Control Room
- Two to four counters side by side, for example wins and losses
- Amount added per click, minimum and maximum, all adjustable
- Prefix, suffix, decimals and thousands separator
The settings
| Setting | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Layout | Eight designs: Classic, Goal bar, TV banner, Several, Cells, Balance, Tally and On the game. |
| Title | The text next to the number, for example "Deaths" or "Wins". Left empty, nothing shows. |
| Starting value | The number shown at the start, and the one a reset from the Control Room goes back to. |
| Added per click | How much the counter goes up or down with each tap on plus or minus. |
| Minimum and maximum | The limits that plus and minus never cross. Without a minimum, the counter stops at 0. |
| Goal | With the Goal bar layout, the value the bar fills up to. |
| Icon | Skull, heart, lightning bolt, star, trophy or dollar. The TV banner shows it; the Goal bar does once you switch it on in "Visible elements". |
| Format | A prefix and a suffix of up to five characters ("pts", "XP"), decimals, the thousands separator and shortened large numbers. |
From the Control Room
On your phone, the Counter card shows the current value. Two large buttons add or remove points, by the amount set in the editor. Tapping the number lets you type another one, Undo takes back the last action, and the reset goes back to the starting value after a confirmation. With Several and Balance, each additional value has its own plus and minus buttons. The eye shows or hides the widget. Every tap travels over the Internet to your overlay: your phone does not need to be on the same network as your streaming PC.
Ways to use it
Death counter
One tap on each death, from your phone, without leaving the game. The value is saved with the overlay and carries over from one stream to the next, until you reset it.
Wins and losses
The Several layout puts two to four values side by side, each with its own title; Balance puts wins and losses on a single bar. In the Control Room, each value has its own plus and minus buttons.
A challenge to reach
Fifty push-ups during the stream, for example: with the Goal bar layout, you set the goal in the editor, then the bar fills up with each point added from the Control Room.
Compared with the most common method
A text file read by an OBS Text source
| Aspect | With Twools | The other method |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | A widget in the editor, an overlay link in a Browser Source. | A text file, a Text source that reads it, and a script or tool that writes it. |
| Control during the stream | From a phone, a tablet or a second screen connected to the Internet. | From the streaming PC's keyboard, with hotkeys the game must not use. |
| Style | Eight layouts, style presets, colours, fonts and animations. | The options of a Text source: font, colour, outline, background. |
| Several counters | Two to four values in one widget, or several Counter widgets. | One file and one source per counter. |
| Saving | The value is saved with your overlay, in your account. | The file stays on your disk, kept up to date by the script. |
| Requirements | A Twools account, and streaming software that accepts a browser source (OBS, for example). | OBS, and a script or tool that writes the file. |
When the other method makes sense
If a script in OBS and the keyboard are enough for you, the text file does the job: it stays on your machine and needs no account. The Counter widget becomes useful when you want to control it from your phone, show several values or polish the style.
Counter: frequently asked questions
How do I add a death counter to OBS?
Add the Counter widget to your overlay and type "Deaths" as the title. With the TV banner layout, you can also pick the skull icon. Then paste your overlay link into an OBS browser source, and add a point from the Control Room on each death.
Can the counter count on its own, based on the game?
No. Twools does not read your game. You add the point yourself, with a tap on your phone or on a second screen.
Does the counter keep its value between streams?
Yes. The value is saved with your overlay. When you use the reset in the Control Room, the counter goes back to the starting value you chose.
Can I show several counters at once?
Yes. You can add several Counter widgets, each with its own style. The Several layout also groups two to four values in a single widget.
Can I use this counter on Twitch or YouTube?
Yes. The counter displays in OBS whatever platform you stream to. This widget does not require a Twitch account.
Can I reset the counter at the start of a stream?
Yes. The Counter card in the Control Room has a reset button, which asks for a confirmation: the counter goes back to the starting value you chose in the editor, zero or another number. With Several and Balance, the other values start again from zero, or from your minimum.
How do I show wins and losses side by side?
Pick the Several layout: it groups two to four values in a single widget, each with its own title. The Balance layout puts them on a single bar instead. In the Control Room, each value has its own plus and minus buttons.
Can the counter show without a background, right over the game?
Yes. Pick the On the game layout: the title and the number sit on the picture with no card, ringed with a thick outline like subtitles. The background colour becomes that outline and the accent colours the number, readable over a bright or a dark picture. The number shrinks as it gains digits.