Board Game Arena

Sorry for the silly question, but I don't understand how to manage the timer when it goes into the red. It has a little blue link under it saying 'need more time to think' but nothing seems to happen when I click that? I try to play reasonably quickly, but find I have less and less time to make a move Is that just the way it is

B

in a nutshell, yes, that is the way it is.

You may need to double check the time limits of the games you join. Most people won't mind you going over time a little bit, but be prepared to get some remarks from those who do. And you will get a small penalty on your account, so you don't want to do it too often.