How Grifball Works

  Grifball is an evolved version of football and Russian Roulette. Eight Spartans meet in an big room. They are separated into two teams of four. One “ball” (it’s really a bomb) sits in the center of the room. When the announcer makes the call, all the players rush the ball and try to get possession of it. This person become Grif. Grif is now responsible for getting the ball to the opposite side of the room and placing it on the plant. Once the ball is placed on the plant, it explodes and kills Grif and anyone else near by. The round ends when the bomb explodes and a point is scored. Usually, the best 2 of 3 will win, or 3 of 5. It’s a simple concept.
 

  But like any game, there are obstacles, and reasons that the game is challenging. If Grifball was as simple as running across a room, setting down a ball and watching an explosion, there’d be no sport in it. It makes sense that there would be people trying to stop Grif from scoring points for his team. So, we have the reasons why Grifball doesn’t work.

  Being Grif means that every player in the game is interested in killing you and taking the ball. When the ball is not in anyone’s possession, every player is interested in killing you to keep you away from the ball. This is how the game is supposed to work. Keep in mind that the players are all in a large room. Also, their only weapons are close proximity weapons – the Gravity Hammer, Plasma Sword or beat down. This means that while all the other’s teams players are trying to kill you and your team, your team is also extremely close and can easily kill you or be killed by you. There’s no option to boot for betrayals in Grifball because it is a fact of life in that game. Some players are better at not betraying than others. Some players do it intentionally.



  Aside from the likelihood of betrayal, kills in Grifball mean nothing, yet they’re the only way to get the ball most of the time. And once you’ve got the ball, you’re going to die. It’s not good being Grif. Grifball is a team sport and in order for the team to be successful, the team must work together. A lot of the matches I’ve seen have involved a “random” or a player that’s not friends or associated with the other players on the team. This person usually doesn’t play as part of the team and it causes suffering for the other players. I think Grifball would be better if the players made friends real quick in the lobby, set a plan for how the game should go, then go play, the whole experience would be better for everyone. But that’s just my happy rainbows viewpoint. Whatever.

  Grifball is fun. The players wouldn’t play it if it wasn’t. It’s not for everyone, and it’s not for improving k/d, but it’s a good time when it’s played properly. Besides, what’s more fun than bouncing around smacking hammers against the ground with their satisfying shocking thud.