FAQ · Game modes
Tournament types
Five simple tournament formats for solo players and teams.
The five modes
Every tournament has a type (the format) and a scoring criteria (how a winner is decided — see Scoring). Here are the formats:
2 playersHead To HeadTwo traders, one pool. Highest profit when the clock runs out takes it all. The purest test of edge.
4–10 seatsClan Battle · Team vs teamTwo clans face off. Every seated member's result rolls into the team score. Coordinate or get rolled.
4–16 playersFree-For-AllA crowd enters, one walks out. Up to 16 traders, last seat standing (or top profit) wins the whole pot.
2–8 playersEscape The GulagFor the detained. Win to clear your sentence and rejoin the ladder. Lose and the bars stay shut.
No stakesPracticeNo entry fee. Warm up against a bot or a friend and learn the arena before you play for real.
Seats & entry fees
Each format ships with sensible default seat ranges, but the creator sets the exact minimum and maximum seats, the entry fee, and the schedule. A match starts when it has enough seats and its start time passes.
| Mode | Default seats | Skulls on loss |
|---|---|---|
| Head To Head | 2 | No |
| Clan Battle | 4 – 10 | No |
| Free-For-All | 4 – 16 | Yes, for last place |
| Escape The Gulag | 2 – 8 | No |
| Practice | 2 | No |
Note
Only Free-For-Allgives a skull to its last-place finisher). That's the mode that can send you to the Gulag — see Skulls & the Gulag.
Tournament lifecycle
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| SCHEDULED | Open for seats; waiting for its start time. |
| LIVE | In progress — trade in the arena. |
| SETTLED | Finished. Pool paid out, rating & skulls applied. |
| CANCELLED | Under-seated at start time; entry fees released. |