Spiral Knights - Make Arcade more enjoyable

Make Arcade more enjoyable

6 replies [Last post]

Sat, 10/17/2026 - 13:01

Epsilium

Beyond new content, arena, mini boss or even a new full boss, it seems to me that the time we spent walking endless corridor is quite detrimental to the enjoyment factor of the Arcade. Boss and designed mission (danger prestige) have way less walking time, or time in which nothing is happening.

Thus I open a thread for arcade speedup suggestion.

A few:
- make the loot box and the minerals spawn closer to the rest on the level, or when it is not the end of an exploration, directly in the middle of a coridor.
- provide automatic zone dedicated increase walking speed in corridors
- more on a redesign aspect: make corridors place where monster spawn too (like in danger missions)

Sun, 10/18/2026 - 12:25

Cetta

1+ and whole overhaul

I support your idea, actually i support any idea that makes Arcade a better place to be! Totally agree, some speed booster on long corridors or a few enemies occasionally are a good addition, has well has fusing prize boxes room whit minerals rooms (To a degree its worth it taking a look around if they merged during level generation)

After many years, i´ve considered that the Arcade has to be place for testing new mechanics for user experience, here comes a little brief of more suggestions for Arcade.

Monster/Theme/Mineral Tokens : The idea of using the space Sullivan left in arcade, for a new token shop separated by theme.
We can gather tokens that loot randomly from defeating monsters of certain theme or family. And we can transform the current minerals we hold in level, on a Mineral crusher next to the elevator at the end of each level. (Wich gives you tokens based on the type and size of said mineral) This Space is also to add new Armors,Helms (Like the Purrfect Kat Hat,Shields, Weapons (Like new weapons or dormant ones like the Gram Troika or the electric disk gun), Trinkets, accessories (Like the monster and theme badges and better versions), etc. This space works tied exclusively to the Arcade (The tokens and mineral crushers doe not appears in regular missions)

Hunting Missions (Requires heavy testing on challenge and price proportions) : This idea has many segments in particular, are in likeness to the daily missions, and permanent missions. The daily missions could consist in defeating specific amounts of monsters, or gather specific amounts of material related, for a exchange of price that can be a combo of tokens, extra crowns, or exclusive prices. These lesser missions change every day and cannot be repeated the same day. Weekly Missions are missions more heavy or grindy for better prices (has i said, it has to be tested for a fair challenge), like defeating 20 trojans, defeating a boss on the arcade version (That would grant also extra boss tokens has price), apply certain debuff certain times, like poison 50 Slimes, Break 100 price boxes in total. Explore 25 Fire themed levels, etc. Main Challenges : These missions are static, once you complete them, they cannot re appear, its like a to do list in likeness to the regular missions, but you have to search for in the arcade to complete them, can be like the others, but these are always available until you complete them.

Wide new variety of present monsters : Well, it would be kinda hard to add new monsters to the game, but at least is not programming resistances on new from old ones. We know that more Sleep or Cursed themed enemies would be an irksome encounter in some combinations (Like sleep Overtimes or Cursed Pups), but without necessarily entering in that landscape, some monster do needs versions, mainly because that will tied whit the other ideas. Some examples are a Fire themed pit boss (Like Sullivan for example), Maybe a Poison Thwackers. Freeze Silkwings. Those are examples, most of them would not be able to inflict the debuff they´re themed, but would be inmune to it. Just has these can be rare spawns if wanted to during testing. (Another thing i think about, is "True Stun" monsters... Wich are actually inmune to stun, the biggest different whit the regular version of monsters.

Curse and Sleep new Levels in Mistery Elevator? : Since toying around whit the idea seems hard to balance, in such case of how more new sleep and brand new curse levels would work... It would be better if they´re bad outcomes from mistery elevators. Of course this is has to be heavily tested in the preview servers beforehand.

Level Immersion : Actually, some levels, even the clockwork version, should have more details hinting at the main monster of the level. For example, adding slime blows that match level theme on corners, maybe changing the lights from the machines to pink in that case. Adding trees in wild paths and more grass maybe? Desk and chairs for devilities in infernal passages, dirt patches whit tombs on haunted corridors? The generation of level and procedural creation of maps is already powerfully enough to add details like these without problem.

Any more addition, suggestion and critic is well received, Together we can make Arcade a Better place

Mon, 10/19/2026 - 08:21

Mergu-Md

Everyone knows knights hate walking. My proposal is something radically different, and genuinely easy to implement (1 hour tops):

YARRR YE BE SAILING THE SEAS O CRADLE! The clockworks have been replaced with free roam open waters. Take up yer cutlass and plunder some booty in yer own customizable vessel. With the release of this small change should also come the Tech Buccaneer Booty Mk II Prize Box so we can sail the seas in style.

Mon, 10/19/2026 - 08:49

Epsilium

I'd love a sailing event in

I'd love a sailing event in SK, maybe sailing ballon across the void in the clockworks?

For easy to implement arcade rework:
- on the hunting mission idea, setting some daily mission oriented to the arcade seems easier than a full new story line. Those could follow some of the ideas from the bingo event (although they are targetting missions), or duplicate the current accomplishment that exist. -> could provide prestige, and/or small reward
- follow up on the free SL proposals.
- I really like the more immersion approach, getting some personnalisation of the clockwork based on the monster family they host.

And what about community designed level? as the crucible ?
Level loot could be calibrated with different level category (normal, rare, mini boss) changing the probability of the level to spawn in a gate. And depending on the category, designer would have a budget of monster to add to the level. Level length could also be limited (both min and max) etc.

Mon, 10/19/2026 - 12:17

Cetta

About Sailing.

The implementation can be done by creating a "Moving away Background" and that works like an arena level that make enemies spawns in hordes of invading enemies, but not defined by fight progression, but by a hidden timer... Then from the sky fall prize boxes and health boxes from time to time or even mineral cages and support from Spiral Knights HQ- Has we are trying to explore the Clockworks without using the elevators, the "exit elevator" would be on the same side we start the level/mission has a form to represent the ship´s inner base of operations, has the level shape repeat, the background changes whit the monsters hosted and theme, simulating a whole navigation by hair on a blimp-like vehicle/floating boat/balloon/space ship, whatever GH´s team chooses to make. Has the traverse of levels are mostly long fight challenges, avoiding obstacles from above or by the sides like gremlings missiles and turret enemies. And i think its an scenario where the Roarmulus Twins would fit very well, since they seem to float during the fight, has for introduction, Big gun puppies that shoot heavy attacks by the side of fights, but not has big has the actual boss.

Mon, 10/19/2026 - 12:57

Cetta

Steam Suggestion i read

Some people suggested an endless mode for Arcade.

Like a more fleshed out version, would be that after reaching the core, there is a second elevator that moves you to the next gate keeping the travel combo or that the levels are totally randomly now and gate map is broken. (The deep is always broken pass from 1 to max depending on the level).

Maybe some enemies and levels could be exclusive of this mode (Such a re adding golden enemies, wich are indestructible and do not count for any fight progression, but the new version could just have double HP, ATK and DEF, but if happens, that has to be heavily tested before).

Another Steam Suggestion is that Prize boxes, in case of giving a pickup (Vials and barriers for example) it should spawn alongside, the other price box stuff, in likeness to the fire crystals, that spawns alongside crowns and heat. So it not frustrating getting 4 pickups in a row from a set of 5 prize boxes (Or worse long pickups comboes)

Mon, 10/19/2026 - 12:35

Cetta

Second Elevators in Clockwork Terminals

Yeah, this will be another idea for Arcade, about these elevators!

The idea is that Clockwork Gate´s have 2 faces!!!, and to enter the second one, you need to use the second elevator that is currently broken. The second face of said stratum, is the oposite in mineral combination to the visible, but you will have to take a look at the normal gate to guess wich levels will be.

For example, a Fiend level will be a Beast level, has for a Ghost level would be a Construc one.

A fire level would be a freeze level and a poison one would be a regular normal one. Has for special levels like Graveyards, Price Vaults and Boss levels, those will remain the same.

I dunno, maybe Sleep levels are normal or they become Cursed themed. However the opposites are not 1 to 1, for example i don´t get what is opposite to an slime, but if we use match weakness, in case of slimes, its opposite would be gremlings has its also fit whit the other 2 examples, one being weak to pierce and the other to elemental.

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Make Arcade more enjoyable