How to play Spud Arena: controls and basic rules
This page describes the controls on each kind of device and the rules of the arena. Everything here is also shown in the field guide inside the game.
Keyboard and mouse
| Action | Default key |
|---|---|
| Move | W, A, S, D |
| Look and aim | Mouse |
| Shoot | Left mouse button |
| Jump, leave a ladder | Space |
| Crouch | C |
| Reload | R |
| Alternate aim | Shift (hold) |
| Sniper scope zoom | B |
To climb a ladder, walk towards it while looking up or down. All keys and the mouse sensitivity can be changed in the settings menu.
Touch screens
On phones and tablets, the left half of the screen moves your character and the right half turns the view. The buttons for shooting, jumping, crouching and reloading are placed near the thumbs. Their position can be changed in the settings menu by dragging them; the layout is saved on the device.
Controllers
A connected or paired controller is recognised automatically. The left stick moves, the right stick looks, and the triggers shoot and aim. Buttons can be reassigned in the settings menu.
Rules of the arena
Skin is health. There is no health bar. Damage removes the skin from your potato, and the amount of bare potato shows how much damage you have taken. If you take no damage for six seconds, the skin grows back. The sprout eyes on top of a potato are its weak point; hits there cause extra damage.
Standing still causes sprouting. A potato that stays in one place for four seconds begins to sprout. Sprouts are visible from a distance and reveal your position. Keep moving.
Puddles give speed. When a potato is knocked out, a slippery puddle remains for eight seconds. Moving through it gives a burst of speed, but steering is harder while sliding.
Oil makes potatoes crispy. Oil can be picked up in every arena and thrown. Potatoes hit by oil become fried: they move twenty percent faster, take twenty percent more damage, and drop fries that can be collected.
Pickups
Every arena contains three kinds of pickups: oil, health (which restores your skin) and ammunition. They are placed symmetrically, so each pickup has a matching one on the other side of the arena.
Weapons
At the start of each life you carry one main weapon and two sidearms: the Pocket Spud pistol and the Potato Peeler. The main weapon can be changed on the results screen between rounds. The weapons guide describes each weapon.
For a description of the arenas, see the maps overview.