On this page
- Choose the spleef modes you want to run
- Choose a plugin route before building the arena
- ArenaSpleef: four modes through BattleArena
- SpleefX: a route with teams and arena regeneration
- MinigameFrenzy & EventCore/Minigame Core: broader events
- Install your chosen route on a test server
- Create your first SpleefX arena with WorldEdit
- Select and copy the whole playable area
- Create the arena and configure its settings
- Place player spawns, the waiting lobby and the exit
- Use ArenaSpleef's layer tools if you chose that route
- Test regeneration, elimination and the next round
Key takeaways
5- Choose your first spleef mode before building its arena.
- ArenaSpleef needs BattleArena; check compatibility for both projects.
- SpleefX uses a WorldEdit selection and copy to define the arena area that regenerates.
- Set player spawns, the waiting lobby and the post-game finishing location separately.
- Complete two consecutive test rounds with normal player accounts before opening.
This guide is for server owners adding a spleef arena or planning a dedicated spleef server. You will choose a plugin route, create a first arena and check that players can finish a match and enter the next one.
Choose the spleef modes you want to run
Start with one mode and one arena. ArenaSpleef offers classic spleef with shovels, splegg with an egg cannon, bow spleef and a decay mode whose blocks deteriorate in a similar way to TNT Run. SpleefX covers spleef, splegg and bow spleef.
- Classic spleef: choose this if you want shovel-based rounds.
- Splegg: choose a plugin that explicitly includes the egg-based variant.
- Bow spleef: check for this mode separately rather than assuming every spleef plugin includes it.
- Several event types: consider whether a broader minigame core better matches your event schedule.
Write down the player count you want to test, whether you need teams and where eliminated players should go. These decisions give you a concrete arena to build and a match flow to check.
Choose a plugin route before building the arena
ArenaSpleef: four modes through BattleArena
ArenaSpleef provides classic spleef, splegg, decay and bow spleef. Its requirements specify Paper or a derivative on Minecraft 1.19.4 or newer, plus BattleArena. Its map tools include a chat wizard for adding layers, setting their bounds and choosing their block type.
BattleArena is the free minigame framework that ArenaSpleef needs. Check both projects against your intended server version: BattleArena listing a version does not establish that its ArenaSpleef extension supports it.
SpleefX: a route with teams and arena regeneration
SpleefX is a paid plugin covering spleef, splegg and bow spleef. Its listing describes team and free-for-all play, automatic arena regeneration, statistics, leaderboards, shops and perks. It suits owners who want those systems alongside their matches. The arena instructions below follow its documented WorldEdit workflow.
MinigameFrenzy & EventCore/Minigame Core: broader events
MinigameFrenzy & EventCore/Minigame Core, made by our team, is described as an event core with multiple minigames, including spleef and TNT games, statistics, and WorldGuard and WorldEdit support.
We could not check its full listing, so confirm its requirements and setup instructions before choosing it.
| Route | Useful when you want | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| ArenaSpleef | Four spleef variants, including decay | Compatibility of both ArenaSpleef and BattleArena |
| SpleefX | Spleef variants with teams, shops and progression features | Current server requirements and the WorldEdit arena workflow |
| MinigameFrenzy & EventCore/Minigame Core, made by our team | Spleef within a broader event core | The full documentation, which we could not verify |
Install your chosen route on a test server
If you are choosing where the server will run, use a test instance before opening public matches. Keep your working server available while you check the plugin combination.
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The detailed arena example uses SpleefX and WorldEdit. WorldEdit is a free editor used here to select and copy the playable area. Its listing supports Paper, Spigot, Bukkit and Folia, but that does not establish support for the game plugin you pair with it.
Install only the route you are testing and its required dependencies. For ArenaSpleef, include BattleArena. For the SpleefX workflow below, include WorldEdit.
- Stop the test server through its console.
- Upload the selected plugin jars and their required dependencies into the server's
pluginsdirectory. - Start the server using its existing startup command.
- Read the startup log for errors involving the game plugin or its dependencies before joining.
- Stop the test server from the Console.
- Open the File Manager and upload the plugin jars into
plugins, or use SFTP. - Start the server and inspect the Console for loading errors.
- If the plugin requires a different Java version, check the Docker image available through the Startup tab. Ask the host if the required image or setting is unavailable.
- Stop the test server.
- Use Files / FTP to upload the plugin jars into
plugins. - Start the server and inspect the console for errors.
- Check the JAR selection if the server software needs changing. Ask the host about Java requirements that the panel does not let you control.
Do not continue past loading errors. Record the plugin versions you tested so you can repeat the same combination when preparing the public server.
Create your first SpleefX arena with WorldEdit
The following commands are run in Minecraft by the administrator building the arena, regardless of where the server is hosted. WorldEdit requires operator access or appropriate permissions.
If you already have an arena schematic, follow our WorldEdit schematic loading and pasting guide before selecting the playable region.
Select and copy the whole playable area
- Prepare the arena you want restored between matches.
- Obtain the WorldEdit selection wand.
- Left-click one corner and right-click the opposite corner to select the playable cuboid.
- Check that the selection contains the whole playable area, then copy it.
//wand
//copySpleefX's arena documentation says the selected cuboid regenerates automatically after each game. Make the selection deliberately: a floor extending beyond it will not be fully covered by that selected area.
Create the arena and configure its settings
The documented command pattern is /mode arena create <key> <ffa|teams> <display name>. Replace mode with spleef, bowspleef or splegg. For a free-for-all spleef arena called Snowpit, use:
/spleef arena create snowpit ffa Snowpit
/spleef arena settings snowpitThe second command opens the arena settings GUI. Review the available settings before testing rather than assuming the defaults match your planned rounds.
Place player spawns, the waiting lobby and the exit
SpleefX provides separate commands for arena spawn points, the waiting lobby and the post-game finishing location. Stand at each intended location before running its command.
/spleef arena spawnpoint snowpit 1
/spleef arena spawnpoint snowpit 2
/spleef arena lobby snowpit
/spleef arena finishingloc snowpitThe spawn-point command accepts a team or player number. The example sets two numbered positions; add the positions your chosen arena configuration needs. Put the waiting lobby and finishing location somewhere you can clearly distinguish during testing.
A SpleefX setup video shows arena creation followed by a lobby and sign.
Use ArenaSpleef's layer tools if you chose that route
Do not apply SpleefX commands to ArenaSpleef. ArenaSpleef's Hangar page describes using /spleef to make maps through its chat wizard, where you add layers, set their bounds and choose block types. It also documents /spleef deathregion for death regions.
- Use the layer wizard to define the playing surfaces.
- Check each layer's bounds and block choice against your build.
- Configure death regions and test elimination before inviting players.
Keep the first test focused on one mode. Once its layers and elimination behave as intended, repeat the checks for any additional variant you want to offer.
Test regeneration, elimination and the next round
A successful arena test includes the transition into another match. Work through this checklist with ordinary player accounts as well as an administrator account.
- Entry: can players reach the intended waiting area and enter the correct arena?
- Spawns: does each player appear at a usable position?
- Elimination: does falling out of play remove the player from the round?
- Match ending: does the round finish with the expected winner?
- Restoration: for SpleefX, does the whole selected playable area regenerate after the game?
- Exit: do players reach the intended finishing location?
- Repeat play: can the same group complete a second round without administrator intervention?
For lobby protection planning, use our WorldGuard safe-zone guide. Test any protection alongside the game plugin, particularly where players must break arena blocks.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a Minecraft spleef server?
Choose a plugin that includes your intended spleef variant, then install it with its required dependencies on a test server. Create an arena using that plugin's own tools and configure player locations. Test elimination, match ending and the following round before opening.
Is there a free spleef plugin for Paper?
ArenaSpleef is a free option with classic spleef, splegg, decay and bow spleef modes. It requires BattleArena. Check the supported versions of both projects before selecting your server version.
How do I create a SpleefX arena with WorldEdit?
Select the whole playable cuboid with WorldEdit's wand and run //copy. Create the arena with the appropriate mode's arena create command, then open its settings. Place the spawn points, waiting lobby and finishing location before testing.
How do spleef arenas regenerate after each game?
SpleefX's documentation says its selected arena cuboid regenerates automatically after each game. Include the whole playable area when making the WorldEdit selection. Test restoration after an actual round rather than assuming every plugin uses the same method.
Which plugins support bow spleef or splegg?
Both ArenaSpleef and SpleefX list bow spleef and splegg among their modes. ArenaSpleef also includes classic spleef and decay, while SpleefX lists team and free-for-all play alongside other match systems. Choose by the complete requirements and features you intend to use.
