S.A.M. Arena is a competitive online-multiplayer arena-battler game where strategy, timing and adaptation play a key role in fighting other players, while using masks of different abilities as both weapon and shield. Each player has a lifespan of three hearts and the goal is to outplay your opponents and be the last one standing, by applying the logic of rock-paper-scissors.
The core gameplay is to attack other players by throwing your currently equipped mask, while also picking up other masks from the arena and using their unique powers in surviving the hunt and winning the game.
The name S.A.M. is an acronym for Spirit, Animal and Machine - the three categories of masks available in the game, with each category having different types of masks with different abilities designed to help players chase, escape, control space, deceive or pressure other players.
Basing the main combat rules on rock-paper-scissors logic, the three primary categories of masks are interconnected in the following way:
- Animals are strong against Spirits
- Spirits are strong against Machines
- Machines are strong against Animals
Having three hearts before elimination, the combat rules oblige you to attack other players by shooting them with your currently equipped mask, therefore losing your mask. If you land a hit on an opponent, their current masks breaks. If you hit an opponent with a weaker mask, or no mask at all, then they take damage and lose one heart. Only by strategically targeting weaker players or catching them unmasked can you deal real damage.
