Field guide
How to play
Get access, learn the buttons, and find out why you just flew off the stage.
Get the game
Request access
Open SLOPArena on Steam and hit Request Access under “Join the SLOPArena Playtest”. Wishlist it while you’re there.
Wait for the email
The playtest lets people in by waves. Steam emails you when the developer is ready for more players.
Install and fight
SLOPArena Playtest shows up in your Steam library. Install it, open Training, and start hitting things.
Access is by request: Steam emails you when your spot opens.
What you need
- A Steam account
- Windows
- Keyboard and mouse, or a controller (Xbox, DualShock and DualSense work)
- An internet connection for online rooms
Controls
These are the defaults. Remap anything in Settings → Controls, and the HUD always shows your current bindings.
Keyboard and mouse
- Move
- WASD
- Camera and aim
- Mouse
- Jump (tap for a short hop)
- Space
- Shield on the ground, air dodge in the air
- Shift
- Grab
- C
- Crouch, slide, fast fall
- X
- Normals
- 1234
- Specials, as labelled on the HUD
- AERF
- Face where the camera looks
- Left click
- Lock on or off a target
- Right click
- Switch target
- Tab
- Zoom
- Wheel
- Pause
- Esc
Controller
- Move
- Left stick
- Camera and aim
- Right stick
- Jump (tap for a short hop)
- RB
- Shield on the ground, air dodge in the air
- RT
- Grab
- LB+RT
- Crouch, slide, fast fall
- LT
- Normals 1 · 2 · 3 · 4
- AXYB
- Specials A · R · E · F
- LB+AXYB
- Face where the camera looks
- L3
- Lock on or off a target
- R3
- Switch target
- D-pad →
- Pause
- Start
Xbox labels. On PlayStation: A = Cross, X = Square, Y = Triangle, B = Circle, LB/RB = L1/R1, LT/RT = L2/R2.
The basics
Damage is distance
Every hit adds to your percent. The same punch that tickles at 20% launches you at 120%.
Stocks and blast zones
Fly past the edge of the stage or fall into the void and you lose a stock. Matches start with three. Last fighter standing wins.
Getting back
You have a double jump, an air dodge and an E special built for recovery. There are no ledge grabs in this playtest: land on the stage or don’t land.
Shield and air dodge
Hold Shift on the ground to block from every direction. Letting go leaves you open for a moment. In the air, the same button is a quick forward dodge, once per jump.
Short hop, fast fall
Tap jump for a short hop, hold it for a full jump. Press X while falling to drop fast.
Clash
Two attacks that connect at the same time bounce off each other: no damage, both back to neutral.
Modes
Training
One idle CPU and your moves on the HUD. Press Esc to make it attack, shield or dodge, change its damage, or reset positions.
Solo
Fight an attacking CPU at the difficulty you pick.
Online rooms
Browse rooms, join one, pick a fighter and a stage. Up to four players, stock rules, rematch in the same room. Still rough: report every desync.
- In the works
Arcade
Solo challenges with personal bests, starting with Slopball: return the ball over the net with your attacks.
Questions
Is it free?
Yes. SLOPArena is free to play and the playtest is free. There’s nothing to buy.
Why do I have to request access?
The playtest is limited so the servers and the one developer can keep up. Steam lets people in by waves and emails you when it’s your turn.
Mac or Linux?
Not officially. The playtest build is made for Windows.
Is it finished?
No. Balance is unfinished, online play still has connection problems, and things will break. That’s what the feedback form is for.
Is it made with AI?
Yes, openly. SLOPArena uses AI coding agents and generated art as production tools, and those workflows are public. Every change is still reviewed and playtested by a human.
The name owns it.
Where do I report bugs?
Use the feedback form, post on Discord, or open an issue on GitHub if you can describe how to make it happen again.
Can I contribute?
Yes. The game is MIT-licensed on GitHub. Start with the docs, then read the contributing guide in the repository.
Stuck?
Ask on Discord. Someone, possibly the developer, will answer.