Arena

The Arena is a combination of two new game modes featured in the 1.5 update: Sandbox and Competitive. These game modes are available from the main menu, and allow for local multiplayer with up to four players fighting and eating in a variety of Arena maps. Most creatures, objects, and maps of these modes are initially unavailable and must be unlocked by finding collectibles spread across the Single Player mode.

Sandbox
Sandbox mode allows the players freedom in crafting their own arena experience, with a readily accessible arena editing feature and customizable objectives. The menu screen of Sandbox allows for detailed control of the arena rules.

At the sliding menu to the left, the players choose among unlocked arena maps to play on. Immediately next to maps are several sliders to change the number of points rewarded for completing objectives, including slaying of unlocked creatures.

Below character selection are check-boxes to allow players to spear each other, make enemies more aggressive, and activate the map's developer chosen spawns. Beneath this is the option of end-conditions for a given round: playing until a desired score, playing until the rains come, or no restriction. Duration of cycles can range from 30 seconds to 10 minutes or can last forever.

In the Sandbox, the players are allowed to switch freely between a map editing mode and live play. The locations of creatures, food items, weapons, and even player spawns can be controlled in the map editor. A slugcat can only spawn at a tunnel, and will spawn randomly if one is not selected. In the bottom right of the map editing interface is the option to randomize creature spawns, switch between preset map configurations, and to initiate live play. Switching between live play and the map editor is also possible via the pause menu.

Competitive
This game mode encourages quick hop-in hop-out sessions where players compete towards objectives including food consumed, time survived, and creatures slain. Competitive mode is setup for the creation of round playlists, wherein several maps can be played sequentially without interruption. A second slider near the map selector allows for customization of that playlist, with the option of randomizing all maps chosen.

A checkbox to the right determines the number of times from 1 - 5 each map in the playlist will be visited. Above that slider are check-boxes to control the ability for players to spear each other and the aggressiveness of AI. Even the length and pacing of a round can be controlled, with duration of cycles able to be set from 0.5 - 10 minutes and the quantity of creatures ranging from non-existent to overwhelming in quantity.

Unlockables


Unlockables earned in the Single Player mode are shared between both Sandbox and Competitive modes. There are 34 playable maps, with Amphitheater, Frame, Levels, Platforms, and Warehouse initially unlocked. In Arena mode there are also 59 objects and creatures, of which Slugcats, Green Lizards, Pink Lizards, Batflies, Rubbish and Spears start unlocked.

Tips & Trivia

 * The first three color options are modeled after the single player difficulty modes. The dark blue slugcat is unique to Arena mode.
 * All slugcats in Arena mode have the physical aptitude and abilities of medium mode's Survivor from Single Player despite the color.
 * Players enter Arena mode via tunnels normally representing room transitions. These tunnels change into shelters as soon as the end-condition is met.
 * Arena unlocks do not persist between save files, but do not get deleted from resetting a save file.
 * If a Vulture's mask is removed in competitive mode and it survives, it has a chance to reappear in subsequent rounds.
 * On the darker maps, each slugcat will glow as if they have eaten a neuron fly.