diff --git a/packages/games/src/othello/othello.test.ts b/packages/games/src/othello/othello.test.ts
index 1b430fe..ddb1206 100644
--- a/packages/games/src/othello/othello.test.ts
+++ b/packages/games/src/othello/othello.test.ts
@@ -358,8 +358,8 @@ describe('views, replay, playouts', () => {
           throw new Error('disc count invariant broken');
         }
       };
-      const a = randomPlayout(othello, { players: ['A', 'B'], options, seed: seedN(i), invariant, maxSteps: 200 });
-      const b = randomPlayout(othello, { players: ['A', 'B'], options, seed: seedN(i), maxSteps: 200 });
+      const a = randomPlayout(othello, { players: ['A', 'B'], options, seed: seedN(i), invariant, maxSteps: 200, maxApplyMs: 30 });
+      const b = randomPlayout(othello, { players: ['A', 'B'], options, seed: seedN(i), maxSteps: 200, maxApplyMs: 30 });
       expect(a.finished).toBe(true);
       expect(JSON.stringify(a.finalState)).toBe(JSON.stringify(b.finalState));
       expect(othello.result(a.finalState as OthelloState)).not.toBeNull();
diff --git a/packages/games/src/yacht/yacht.test.ts b/packages/games/src/yacht/yacht.test.ts
index e1af267..55d8ce9 100644
--- a/packages/games/src/yacht/yacht.test.ts
+++ b/packages/games/src/yacht/yacht.test.ts
@@ -530,12 +530,12 @@ describe('random playouts (docs/09 §7)', () => {
         fullHouseAllowsYacht: i % 2 === 0,
         yahtzeeJoker: i % 6 === 0 ? 'free' : 'forced',
       });
-      const a = randomPlayout(yacht, { players, options, seed: seedN(i), maxSteps: 20_000, invariant: checker() });
+      const a = randomPlayout(yacht, { players, options, seed: seedN(i), maxSteps: 20_000, invariant: checker(), maxApplyMs: 30 });
       if (!a.finished) throw new Error(`seed ${i} did not finish`);
       const r = yacht.result(a.finalState as YachtState)!;
       expect(r.ranking.flat().sort()).toEqual([...players].sort());
       if (i % 25 === 1) {
-        const b = randomPlayout(yacht, { players, options, seed: seedN(i), maxSteps: 20_000 });
+        const b = randomPlayout(yacht, { players, options, seed: seedN(i), maxSteps: 20_000, maxApplyMs: 30 });
         expect(JSON.stringify(b.finalState)).toBe(JSON.stringify(a.finalState));
       }
     }