Pit, Arena, or Party: which VS Compete mode is right for you?

Four ways to play, four different vibes. Here’s how 1v1 duels, the Pit, the Arena and Party mode differ — and when to pick each.

VS Compete is one arcade with four ways to play, and each has a distinct feel. Knowing which mode fits your mood — a quick solo duel, a high-stakes tournament, or a room full of friends — is how you get the most out of it. Here is the tour.

1v1 Duels — the classic

The heart of VS Compete: you versus one matched opponent, same challenge, best run wins. Duels are fast (a minute or two), steady, and the best place to learn a game and build a token balance without big swings. If you have five minutes and want a clean head-to-head, this is your mode.

Pick it when: you want quick, low-variance play — practicing a game, warming up, or grinding steady wins.

The Pit — async staked gauntlets

The Pit is where you put a run on the line. You play a gauntlet, post a score, and defend it against challengers — an asynchronous format, so you are not waiting on a live opponent. The stakes are higher than a casual duel, and so is the payoff. It rewards consistency under pressure: one great run can hold up against many.

Pick it when: you are on form and want bigger stakes than a duel, without needing a live opponent right now.

The Arena — 8-player tournaments

The Arena scales the competition up to eight players in an async tournament bracket. It is the biggest-stakes, biggest-bragging-rights mode — you are not just beating one person, you are outlasting a field. Tournaments build tension as the bracket narrows, and finishing on top of eight feels earned in a way a single duel does not.

Pick it when: you want the tournament thrill and a shot at a larger payout, and you are confident in your game.

Party mode — the in-person board

Party mode is the social one. A host opens a live board, everyone scans a QR code to join — no installs, no accounts for guests — and the whole room competes on a shared scoreboard. It is built for bars, break rooms, dorms and get-togethers, and it is the mode most likely to end in laughter and trash talk. We wrote a whole guide to it: turn any bar into a tournament.

Pick it when: you are with people in person and want a group competition that starts in under a minute.

Which should you play?

• Short on time, playing solo? 1v1 duels.
• Feeling sharp, want higher stakes? The Pit.
• Want the full tournament rush? The Arena.
• With friends in a room? Party mode.

The beauty of having all four is that the same skills carry across them — get good in duels and you will climb in the Pit and Arena, and clean up at a party. Try each once to find your favorite, then mix them by mood. The full mechanics live in the game modes guide.