Everyone wants their own version of the big minigame servers. The honest news: some minigames drop neatly onto one server, and some are really a network of servers behind a proxy. Knowing which is which before you install saves you an afternoon of fighting lag. This guide sorts minigames by weight, shows the setup pattern they nearly all share, and points you at the plugins you'll actually lean on.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| You need | A plugin-capable server (Purpur, PaperSpigot, or another Plugin Servers option) |
| Plan | Any — but heavier minigames want more than the free 2.5 GB shared RAM |
| Time | Fifteen minutes for a first arena; longer to tune |
New to installing plugins? Start with Install plugins.
Two kinds of minigame
The single most useful thing to understand up front:
- Self-contained arena plugins run entirely on one server. You define an arena (or a few) inside your world, players run a command or click a sign to join, the plugin handles the round. These are the ones that fit a single Falix server.
- Network-style minigames — the Hypixel model — spin up a fresh server for every game and sit behind a proxy that shuffles players around. That needs several servers plus a Velocity or BungeeCord proxy, which is a much bigger project. If that's your goal, read Minecraft server networks first and come back — it's not something one server does.
For your first minigame, pick a self-contained arena plugin.
What runs well — by weight
Every entity, particle, and scoreboard update costs tick time, and minigames are dense with all three. Rough guide:
| Minigame type | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Parkour, spleef, TNT-run | Light | Little AI, few entities — happiest on a small server |
| Wave-survival arenas (e.g. MobArena) | Medium | Mob spawns spike during waves; one arena at a time is fine |
| PvP arenas / duels | Medium | Watch particle-heavy kits and kill effects |
| Build battle, party games | Medium | Fine for a handful of players |
| BedWars / SkyWars-style | Heavy | Many entities + generators; really want a network and more RAM |
Long-running, well-tested picks to search for on the Plugins page include a Parkour plugin for jump courses and MobArena for wave survival — both have been maintained for years. Whichever you choose, open its page and confirm it supports your server's Minecraft version before installing.
🎯 Good to know: Run one arena type well before adding a second. Minigames compete for the same tick budget, and two heavy ones on a free server will lag both.
The setup pattern they all share
Different plugins, near-identical shape:
- Install the plugin from the Plugins page and restart so it loads.
- Grab its dependencies. Many arena plugins want WorldEdit so you can select and paste arena regions, and some reward money through Vault + an economy. The console names any missing dependency on startup.
- Build or paste an arena somewhere in your world (a separate world keeps lobby and game apart — see Multiverse).
- Define the arena in-game — almost always a command sequence like "set the lobby here", "set spawn points", "set the boundaries", then "save". This lives in the plugin's own docs.
- Add a join sign or command and test with a friend (or a second account).
Configuring it
Arena definitions and rewards live in the plugin's config.yml and per-arena files under /plugins/<PluginName>/. Edit them in the File Manager — and read YAML without tears first, because one stray space in an arena file breaks the whole plugin.
⚠️ Heads up: Minigame plugins vary enormously in how you build arenas. This guide gives the shape; the exact commands come from each plugin's own wiki. Always check the plugin's current documentation for your version.
Verify it works
After defining an arena, run the plugin's join command or click the join sign. You should be teleported into the arena and see the round start (a countdown, a scoreboard, a message). /plugins should list the plugin in green.
Troubleshooting
- Arena command says "not set up" — you skipped a required step (spawn points, boundaries, or the final "save"). Re-run the setup sequence from the plugin's docs in order.
- Missing dependency on startup — the console names it (commonly WorldEdit or Vault). Install that from the Plugins page and restart. See Install plugins.
- Lag when a round starts — a heavy minigame on limited RAM. Profile it with spark, cut particle-heavy options, or move to lighter software. See Fixing Minecraft lag.
- Two minigame plugins fight over the same command or lobby — pick one, or isolate them. See Diagnosing plugin conflicts.