The Arena · Common Questions

FAQ

Everything people ask before their first duel, during their first loss, and after they figure out what they were doing wrong.

Getting Started
Do I need an account to play?

No. You can play one free duel as a guest without signing in. After that, you need a free account. Registration takes about 30 seconds with Google, GitHub, or email.

Free accounts get 3 duels per day. If you want unlimited duels, multiplayer, and early access to new content, Pro is $4.97 a month.

Is this a chatbot or a game?

It is a game. Each duel has a narrative scene, a structured opponent with its own personality and escalation pattern, a scoring system, and a win condition. The AI is playing against you, not with you.

The main difference from other AI tools is that there is no helpful assistant here. Your opponent is trying to win.

Do I need to know anything about AI or prompt engineering to play?

No. The game is built around narrative improv, not technical knowledge. If you can think on your feet, stay in a scene, and adapt to what your opponent just said, you have everything you need.

That said, people who are good at creative writing, debate, or improv tend to pick it up fast.

Gameplay
What counts as a good move?

A good move does three things: it stays inside the scene, it responds to something specific your opponent just said or did, and it changes the dynamic instead of just reacting to it.

The best moves are actions, not arguments. Walking somewhere, picking something up, going silent, turning the opponent's words back on them in a concrete way. The AI scores what happens, not what you claim will happen.

For detailed examples, see the How to Play guide.

What is a "god mode attempt" and why does it hurt me?

In a standard duel, a god mode attempt is any move that claims an outcome the scene hasn't earned — declaring unlimited power, an instant kill, or invoking something that would end the duel by force rather than through the narrative.

The game is open. You can say whatever you want. But the AI judges what lands. An unearned claim scores as a Wasted Round (+10 to +15 HP for your opponent). The AI will call it out, mock it, and press harder. You wasted a round.

The same applies to anything sexual, bigoted, or designed to break the fiction rather than engage with it. The opponent will not refuse or break character. It will dismiss the move, stay in scene, and penalize it. The duel continues.

What is the God Mode setting in Settings?

God Mode is a toggle in Settings that removes the physics of the duel entirely. With it on, you can summon impossible forces, rewrite reality mid-scene, claim powers you haven't earned — and your opponent can do the same.

The AI is explicitly told to match your energy and escalate. Wild moves that land with genuine conviction and commitment score big. Halfhearted or lazy chaos is still punished — the AI can tell the difference.

A few things to know:

  • God Mode must be enabled before you start a match. It cannot be changed mid-duel.
  • Both sides get it. Your opponent will not hold back.
  • The scoring shift means exceptional moves are harder to fake — commitment matters more, not less.
  • Violation moves (sexual content, slurs) are still penalized regardless of God Mode. That is not a game mechanic. It just ends your round.
How does HP scoring work exactly?

This is Prompt Duel, not Punch Duel. Hitting hard is fine — prompting better is how you win. HP doesn't measure damage, it measures narrative control. The AI scores craft, specificity, and adaptation. A perfectly written shove can outscore a generic knockout blow.

Each opponent has a unique HP pool — Alex starts at 55, AXIOM at 130. After each of your moves, the AI scores it on a hidden scale and adjusts the HP bar. There are six outcomes:

  • Critical Strike (-30 to -39 HP): Extremely rare. Opponent physically broken — incapacitated. Must be fully earned by the narrative.
  • Exceptional (-20 to -29 HP): Your move was specific, creative, and perfectly adapted. The opponent had no real answer.
  • Strong (-10 to -19 HP): A real blow landed. Sharp, grounded, in scene. The opponent felt it but is still standing.
  • Average (-5 to -9 HP): Some contact, some pressure, no clear advantage.
  • Weak (0 HP): Move failed. Nothing landed. No damage for either side.
  • Wasted Round (+10 to +15 HP): You stalled, repeated yourself, went off-scene, or did nothing meaningful. The opponent recovers. This punishes passivity.

Weak and Wasted are different outcomes. A weak move does nothing. A wasted round actively heals the opponent.

Win by dropping the opponent to 0 HP before all 7 rounds are up. If they survive all 7 rounds with any HP left, they win.

Can I use voice input?

Yes. Hold the mic button and speak your move. Release to submit. It uses the Web Speech API built into your browser, so no app or plugin is required.

Voice input works best in Chrome. If it does not work in your browser, type your move instead. The game plays the same either way.

Each opponent also speaks their response aloud. You can turn voice output off in the settings if you prefer to read.

Do the opponents get harder as the duel goes on?

Yes. Each opponent escalates over the course of the duel. If you repeat a tactic, the AI will name it and call it out. If you use a move that worked in round 2 again in round 5, it will heal from it instead of taking damage.

The opponent also adapts to how you are playing. If you keep arguing verbally, it will reframe your arguments. If you keep making physical scene actions, it will respond to the physical terrain. You have to keep changing the game.

Campaign and Progression
How many opponents are there and how do I unlock them?

There are ten opponents across two worlds, unlocked in order.

World 1 — The Arena: Alex, Celeste, Marcus, Oracle, and AXIOM. Beat one to face the next. Alex is always available.

World 2 — The Court: Seraphine, Dorian, Vera, The Herald, and Malachai. This world unlocks after you defeat AXIOM.

Additional worlds are in development and will follow on a rolling release schedule.

What happens when I win a duel?

The opponent delivers a cinematic final monologue as they fall. After that, a short arc summary recaps the key moments of the duel in narrative form. Then the next opponent unlocks.

If you lose, the same thing happens in reverse. Your opponent wins with a final monologue, and you can retry from the beginning.

I beat Alex but I still can't access Celeste. What is wrong?

Campaign progression is tied to your account. If you played as a guest and then signed in, your guest progress does not carry over. You need to be signed in for a win to unlock the next opponent.

Try refreshing the page after signing in. If the unlock still does not appear, sign out and sign back in. If the problem continues, contact support through the settings menu.

How do I access World 2 — The Court?

Defeat AXIOM in World 1. The Court unlocks automatically — no extra steps needed. Seraphine's card will light up in your opponent grid when you return to the home screen.

World 2 is harder. The Court operates by different rules than The Arena. Opponents here don't clash with you directly — they redirect, reframe, and use your own words against you. Expect a different kind of pressure.

Interrogation Mode
What is Interrogation mode?

You are a suspect brought before Detective Graves. He uses the Reid Technique — the same psychological interrogation method used by real investigators. Each session opens with a procedurally generated briefing: the scene, the accusation, your goal, and the story beats Graves will press on.

No two sessions are identical. The goal is not just to avoid confessing — you have a specific objective each time. Redirect suspicion, protect someone, establish a version of events you can defend. Achieving it is the difference between a win and a draw.

How does the four-bar system work in Interrogation?

There are four bars, two for you and two for Graves:

  • Composure (yours) — Drains when you dodge, contradict yourself, or show panic. Small recoveries are possible with steady answers.
  • Story Integrity (yours) — Takes damage only on contradictions. No recovery. Every inconsistency is permanent.
  • Suspicion (Graves) — Climbs with weak, evasive, or unconvincing answers. If it hits 100, you lose.
  • Pressure (Graves) — Reflects what phase of the Reid arc Graves is in. It signals what's coming next.

Graves has full memory of everything you have said. A contradiction from round 2 can surface in round 9. Lock your story early and stay consistent.

What are the win conditions in Interrogation?

Interrogation runs 13 rounds and has three possible outcomes:

  • Win — Your objective is achieved and Suspicion stays below 60.
  • Draw — You survive all 13 rounds, with your objective achieved or Suspicion below 40.
  • Loss — Suspicion reaches 100, or both Composure and Story Integrity collapse to zero.

At the end, Graves delivers a closing monologue matched to how the session went. The end screen shows your final bar values with commentary.

Do I need to unlock anything to access Interrogation?

No. Interrogation is available to all registered users from the start under Alternate Modes. Select "Alternate Modes" on the home screen, then choose Interrogation.

The Tribunal
What is The Tribunal?

You stand before a formal Court. The Herald, Voice of the Court, presides. Your claim is on the record. The panel is watching. You have 9 rounds to make your case.

Three phases shape the proceeding: an Opening where you state your position (rounds 1–3), a Challenge phase where opposition voices and hostile witnesses are introduced (rounds 4–6), and a Closing where every word is your last (rounds 7–9).

How does the four-bar system work in The Tribunal?

Four bars track the state of the proceeding:

  • Credibility — Starts at 70. If it hits 0, you lose instantly. Protect it.
  • Momentum — Starts at 50. Reflects the energy and force of your argument. Keep it moving.
  • Opposition Strength — Starts at 80. Drive it below 10 and the Court rules in your favor — instant win.
  • Panel Favor — Starts at 30. Reach 70 and the panel sides with you — instant win.
What are the win conditions in The Tribunal?

Three possible outcomes:

  • Win — Panel Favor reaches 70 or Opposition Strength falls to 10 or below.
  • Loss — Credibility collapses to 0.
  • Draw — All 9 rounds complete with Panel Favor between 35 and 69.
How do I unlock The Tribunal?

The Tribunal unlocks after you defeat any World 2 opponent. Beat Seraphine and it opens. Once unlocked, it appears in Alternate Modes alongside Interrogation.

Account and Billing
What does Pro include and is it worth it?

Pro is $4.97 a month. It includes:

  • Unlimited duels (free tier is 3 per day)
  • Early access to new worlds and alternate game modes as they release
  • Multiplayer mode (coming soon)
  • Shareable result cards (coming soon)

If you are playing seriously and hitting the daily limit, Pro is worth it. If you are still on your first few opponents, the free tier is plenty to start.

How do I cancel my subscription?

You can cancel from the account settings menu at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. You keep Pro access until then.

Billing is handled by Stripe. Prompt Duel does not store your payment details.

Still have a question?

Check the How to Play guide for real examples, or just go find out for yourself.

Enter the Arena