diff --git a/src/client/PublicLobby.ts b/src/client/PublicLobby.ts
index d2594de55..31dc35cd4 100644
--- a/src/client/PublicLobby.ts
+++ b/src/client/PublicLobby.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ export class PublicLobby extends LitElement {
     const minutes = Math.floor(timeRemaining / 60);
     const seconds = timeRemaining % 60;
     const timeDisplay = minutes > 0 ? `${minutes}m ${seconds}s` : `${seconds}s`;
+    const playersRemainingBeforeMax =
+      lobby.gameConfig.maxPlayers - lobby.numClients;
 
     return html`
       <button
@@ -118,8 +120,8 @@ export class PublicLobby extends LitElement {
             </div>
             <div class="flex flex-col items-start">
               <div class="text-md font-medium text-blue-100">
-                ${lobby.numClients}
-                ${lobby.numClients === 1 ? "Player" : "Players"} waiting
+                ${lobby.numClients} / ${lobby.gameConfig.maxPlayers} players
+                waiting
               </div>
             </div>
             <div class="flex items-center">
@@ -129,6 +131,12 @@ export class PublicLobby extends LitElement {
                 ${timeDisplay}
               </div>
             </div>
+            <div class="flex flex-col items-start">
+              <div class="text-md font-medium text-blue-100">
+                Game starts when ${playersRemainingBeforeMax} more players join
+                or in ${timeDisplay} seconds.
+              </div>
+            </div>
           </div>
         </div>
       </button>
diff --git a/src/core/Schemas.ts b/src/core/Schemas.ts
index fcf6a106a..ebbf61329 100644
--- a/src/core/Schemas.ts
+++ b/src/core/Schemas.ts
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ const GameConfigSchema = z.object({
   infiniteGold: z.boolean(),
   infiniteTroops: z.boolean(),
   instantBuild: z.boolean(),
+  maxPlayers: z.number().optional(),
 });
 
 const SafeString = z
diff --git a/src/core/configuration/Config.ts b/src/core/configuration/Config.ts
index b4ef2161d..b23234f90 100644
--- a/src/core/configuration/Config.ts
+++ b/src/core/configuration/Config.ts
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ function getServerConfig(gameEnv: string) {
 export interface ServerConfig {
   turnIntervalMs(): number;
   gameCreationRate(highTraffic: boolean): number;
-  lobbyLifetime(highTraffic): number;
+  lobbyLifetime(highTraffic: boolean): number;
+  lobbyMaxPlayers(): number;
   discordRedirectURI(): string;
   numWorkers(): number;
   workerIndex(gameID: GameID): number;
diff --git a/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts b/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
index 88c5c214b..d11971df0 100644
--- a/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
+++ b/src/core/configuration/DefaultConfig.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ export abstract class DefaultServerConfig implements ServerConfig {
       return 50 * 1000;
     }
   }
+  lobbyMaxPlayers(): number {
+    return Math.random() < 0.1 ? 100 : 35;
+  }
   lobbyLifetime(highTraffic: boolean): number {
     return this.gameCreationRate(highTraffic) * 2;
   }
diff --git a/src/core/configuration/DevConfig.ts b/src/core/configuration/DevConfig.ts
index 964f7ad56..f88184a5f 100644
--- a/src/core/configuration/DevConfig.ts
+++ b/src/core/configuration/DevConfig.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ export class DevServerConfig extends DefaultServerConfig {
     return 5 * 1000;
   }
 
+  lobbyMaxPlayers(): number {
+    return Math.random() < 0.5 ? 2 : 3;
+  }
+
   discordRedirectURI(): string {
     return "http://localhost:3000/auth/callback";
   }
diff --git a/src/server/GameServer.ts b/src/server/GameServer.ts
index 1fc0f0443..337395d3f 100644
--- a/src/server/GameServer.ts
+++ b/src/server/GameServer.ts
@@ -380,7 +380,14 @@ export class GameServer {
       }
     }
 
-    if (now - this.createdAt < this.config.lobbyLifetime(this.highTraffic)) {
+    const msSinceCreation = now - this.createdAt;
+    const lessThanLifetime =
+      msSinceCreation < this.config.lobbyLifetime(this.highTraffic);
+    const notEnoughPlayers =
+      this.gameConfig.gameType == GameType.Public &&
+      this.gameConfig.maxPlayers &&
+      this.activeClients.length < this.gameConfig.maxPlayers;
+    if (lessThanLifetime && notEnoughPlayers) {
       return GamePhase.Lobby;
     }
     const warmupOver =
diff --git a/src/server/Master.ts b/src/server/Master.ts
index d112089c2..930149ec8 100644
--- a/src/server/Master.ts
+++ b/src/server/Master.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
   GameEnv,
   getServerConfigFromServer,
 } from "../core/configuration/Config";
-import { GameInfo } from "../core/Schemas";
+import { GameConfig, GameInfo } from "../core/Schemas";
 import path from "path";
 import rateLimit from "express-rate-limit";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "url";
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ async function fetchLobbies(): Promise<void> {
     });
 
   lobbyInfos.forEach((l) => {
-    if (l.msUntilStart <= 250) {
+    if (l.msUntilStart <= 250 || l.gameConfig.maxPlayers == l.numClients) {
       publicLobbyIDs.delete(l.gameID);
     }
   });
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ async function schedulePublicGame() {
   // Create the default public game config (from your GameManager)
   const defaultGameConfig = {
     gameMap: getNextMap(),
+    maxPlayers: config.lobbyMaxPlayers(),
     gameType: GameType.Public,
     difficulty: Difficulty.Medium,
     infiniteGold: false,
@@ -224,7 +225,7 @@ async function schedulePublicGame() {
     instantBuild: false,
     disableNPCs: false,
     bots: 400,
-  };
+  } as GameConfig;
 
   const workerPath = config.workerPath(gameID);