A growing arsenal for each competitor. A hefty purse for anyone who makes it through the final wave of monsters. An even heftier purse for the people running the show.

SYNOPSIS:

The arena is a time-honored tradition of entertainment; fighters compete to take out the most robots, with alternating rounds of combat and resupply. Unusually reliably, only one or two make it out of the final wave, with the prize money going almost entirely to them.

There are a thousand different ways to go in: melee weapons, guns, lasers, and a critical eye towards synergy of the support equipment. Once the bell has been rung, though, it's very simple: wreck or be wrecked.

Friendly fire is not a feature, which is primarily enabled via hologram-esque shenanigans, but also the pragmatic element that beating on a fellow competitor takes time and energy without yielding any points.

The options for an ensemble cast, with a variety of combat styles and motivations for entering the competition, are obvious. Elements of workplace comedy are also an option, particularly with alteration of the structure to minimize the game-show aspect thereof.

This proposal is inspired by the indie roguelike God of Weapons, using careful placement of purchased weapons and equipment in a grid inventory to survive waves of monsters.