The way Hunger Games is used under the general player versus player game mode of Minecraft is pretty basic as the players themselves do not really concerns themselves with anything aside from winning the match. They are more concerned with stratagems, map layout, chest locations and any advantage they can get to win, anything else is pretty much tossed out the window, as a result most maps stay within a general theme or style. In response servers offer incentives for players to differentiate themselves from other servers, it is usually a point system or rewards system to keep the players interested as well as offering other Minecraft game modes. In the end however, the game mode or style remains the same so the content and progression of the game does not really change. So the challenge now is to create different styles of game play but with still keeping the staples of Hunger Games. (even though it’s just the cornucopia, designated tributes, etc..) I have thought of a couple ideas, some that were already mentioned, but I have chosen three ideas that seem the most striking for changing up the normal formula.

The first would be the normal Hunger Games mode while adding aspects of complete the monument CTM (another Minecraft game mode) as an alternate form of winning the game. The main goal would be finding a specific piece of wool hidden somewhere on the map and placing it on a red stone setup, placed either at the cornucopia or elsewhere, this will trigger something that proclaims the winner. This is a simple change but an important one as we can change the up the way to acquire the wool either by adding a puzzle element, creating a game element to force the players to cooperate with each other or even forcing them to make a sacrifice to get to the wool. This also allows to see how different players will react to the game, will they follow normal conventions to solve to puzzle or wait until someone else gets the wool just to engage in combat to take it from them. We will be able to view different thought processes to win. This would work pretty well as there many kinds of puzzles that can be used.

The second would be placing all the players in random locations inside a huge arena or tower structure, the goal would be getting from their initial location to the center where the cornucopia will be. They will then fight in standard pvp to decide a winner, the catch is that instead of fighting each other during the flow of the game like the norm, the structure will be swarming with hazards such as traps and a copious amount of mobs, this would be more a chaotic, hardcore mode and force the player to decide how they will play, do they take a slower pace avoiding the mobs and traps or do they speed through to get to the center. An interesting point with this is that mobs will be targeting the players the see so if the players decide not to kill the mobs, they will eventually follow them to the center where the players will converge.

The third would be a parkour style map using the random location from the second idea but they will be in a linear mountain area with varying levels of height and the only weapon available to them will be an infinity bow. The goal would be to get to top where the cornucopia will be, the combat aspect here will be to snipe players either from above or below so they will need to chose when and where they attack other players. This might be a little clunky in execution as I am pretty sure most will focus on getting to the top first then go in combat then but it will be interesting to see which style players chose.

These are pretty simple ideas but can be effective if implemented properly.