Spud Arena game modes: Mash Match, Red vs Blue, Patch Control, Hot Potato and Kitchen Clash
Spud Arena has five game modes. Each round is played in one of them; the lobby rotates through the modes, and a private party can choose a fixed mode. All modes use the same arenas and the same characters.
Mash Match
Every player competes individually. Knocking out another player scores one point. Players return to the arena a few seconds after being knocked out and can change their weapon between lives. The round is won by the first player to reach 25 points, or by the leader when the three-and-a-half-minute timer runs out. This is the recommended mode for new players.
Red vs Blue
Two teams of four. Each opponent knocked out by a team scores one point for that team, and the first team to reach 40 points wins. Team colours are shown on the characters and on their nameplates.
Patch Control
Three capture points, A, B and C, are placed around the arena. A team claims a point by standing on it. The more points a team holds, the faster its score rises; the first team to reach 150 points wins. Holding two of the three points is usually enough to win.
Hot Potato
A tactical mode played in short rounds. The attacking team tries to plant the hot potato at site A or site B; the defending team tries to stop them or to defuse it in time. Each player has one life per round, and the teams swap roles between rounds. The first team to win three rounds wins the match. No advertisements are shown between rounds in this mode.
Kitchen Clash
A melee-only mode. Each player chooses one kitchen tool, the Potato Peeler, the Skillet Smack or the Chef Cleaver, and there are no guns and no explosive damage. Each tool has a quick strike and a stronger strike that takes longer to perform. Smoke can still be used for cover.
Choosing a mode
New players should start with Mash Match. Groups of friends tend to enjoy Red vs Blue and Patch Control, which reward coordination. Hot Potato suits players who prefer a slower, more tactical round, and Kitchen Clash is the quickest and simplest mode. The weapons guide explains which weapons suit each mode.