Survival Arena

Survival Arena is a game that I designed and developed, available as a free-to-play experience. The following is a breakdown of the key highlights and challenges I encountered during the development process.

Why develop on Roblox?

As a solo developer, Roblox is an ideal platform for getting a project off the ground quickly. Its built-in avatar system, complete with animations, eliminates the need for character modeling, rigging, and animation from the start. Deployment to multiple platforms is streamlined with a single command, and updates can be rolled out instantly. The platform also manages scalable game servers, databases, transactions, and advertising, making it highly manageable for one person. Additionally, the platform’s Lego-like art style allowed me to rapidly create assets without requiring a large team.

The next challenge was defining the game design and moving into development.

Design

For the design, I wanted to create a game that would be engaging for solo players while remaining fun as more people joined. The goal was to ensure that if only one player entered the server, they wouldn’t immediately leave due to lack of activity. If I could keep the first player engaged, the game would attract more players over time, creating a snowball effect.

I opted for a round-based structure that could support various game modes. This allowed the game to be fully playable with one mode, while leaving room for future modes to be added and randomized or alternated. The first mode I created was 'The Crumble,' where a floating structure gradually falls apart until only a small piece remains. The simplicity of this idea made it accessible and enjoyable, regardless of how many players were involved. It wasn't reliant on a specific number of participants to be fun.

This round-based design also supported long-term expandability. New modes could be introduced over time while the game remained live, allowing for flexibility in adding new content as ideas evolved.

I encountered several design challenges with multiplayer, but one that stood out was creating collectables that added an extra layer of difficulty for players seeking a greater challenge. I wanted these collectables to behave as physics objects, falling with the terrain as it crumbled, rather than remaining in fixed locations. However, I also needed each player to have a chance at collecting them, without more skilled players dominating the experience.

The main issue was ensuring the collectables remained available to all players without breaking the physics simulation. If one player collected a physical object, it couldn’t simply disappear, as the physics would still apply for other players.

To solve this, I designed the collectables as glass balls containing a color. When a player collected one, the color inside would disappear, deactivating the collectable for that player but leaving it intact for others. This approach kept the physics synchronized while ensuring all players had an equal opportunity to collect the items.

I developed five distinct game modes, each procedurally generated to ensure a unique layout every time the mode appeared.

The Crumble: A floating island with structures that gradually break apart and fall, revealing paths to the final safe location. The round ends once all surviving players reach the safe zone.

The Swamp: Players must navigate across a swamp filled with floating logs and small islands. They can climb trees or hop on lily pads to reach the finish line.

The Cliff: Players are tasked with climbing a vertical cliff by scaling objects, crossing narrow logs, and working their way up to the safe zone at the top.

The Tumble: A large cube with interconnected pathways that rotates, challenging players to stay on as the paths drop off. The final safe zone is revealed as the round progresses.

The Scrap Chute: Players must dodge increasingly difficult obstacles until the target time is reached, testing their agility and timing.

Each game mode adjusts its difficulty based on player performance. If most players survive, the game becomes harder; if many players fail, the difficulty decreases for the next round.

Final Thoughts

Survival Arena attracted over 100,000 players and maintained a positive rating of 84%. Despite its success, the game did not generate enough revenue to sustain active development, and I made the strategic decision to discontinue ongoing maintenance. However, the project was an incredible learning experience, pushing me to grow as a developer while successfully launching a game that resonated with a large audience.