StarDodgeBall is a game that needs little explanation. Pick up a ball, hurl it at your opponent, and seize victory. Game maker “rut” has taken the schoolyard favorite and wrapped it tightly in the StarCraft II universe to make a game that is fast-paced and engaging.

Featuring 15 hero units to choose from, StarDodgeBall pits up to eight players against each other in several rounds of orb chucking death, building up to the final last-man-standing round. More kills means more money to spend on upgrades between rounds, including upgrades to your hero’s throwing power, speed, and health. Each hero also has a unique offensive and defensive ability that can be upgraded for maximum potency.

StarDodgeBall tracks your overall performance between matches, so as you level up, you gain access to more complex heroes and different dodgeball shapes such as hearts, shuriken, and the rage-inducing happy face ball.

If you’re looking for a game that rewards fast reflexes check out StarDodgeBall, now featured in the StarCraft II Arcade. But first, check out what “rut” had to say about making the game.

Traysent: What made you want to make games with the StarCraft II Editor?
Rut: I love StarCraft and I was extremely excited for the opportunity to learn to use the Editor. I was lucky enough to be given a beta key for Wings of Liberty and it was my goal to produce a game good enough to capture the market when Wings was released. That dream was hilariously crushed shortly into my first foray into the Editor, however, I decided to stick with it out of love for StarCraft!

T: What was the inspiration for StarDodgeBall?
R: I’d like to think StarDodgeBall is an original idea, as it’s not a remake of any existing games. That being said, I was heavily influenced and inspired by Bounty’s Photon Disks. I saw a gameplay video and was blown away. I had the idea of taking the concept of throwing and dodging standardized projectiles and creating it my own way. Then I realized dodgeball exists, and soon I was having visions of all the units in the StarCraft universe meeting on a dodgeball court and pounding each other’s brains out using their unique abilities and skills!

T: How many people worked on this game and what roles did they have?
R: I am the sole author of the game. My brother, in particular, was instrumental in helping me make the UI accessible for new players. My brother-in-law also helped come up with ideas, along with Rokh, Jarid, Zergling, and many others. Special thanks to my wife for being a good sport about it all.

T: How does the game work? What’s in store for a first time player?
R: The game is pretty simple: you pick your map, teams, and your hero, and when the game starts, you rush to pick up dodgeballs to try and peg the other team. If you die, no biggie, you respawn pretty quickly. When the round is over, you get to upgrade your unit’s stats, abilities, and more, and then continue trying to rack up kills. However, the final round is an elimination round. When you die, you’re permanently dead.

T: What should players who want to be great at the game do to reach that goal?
R: Well, StarDodgeBall is primarily a game of micro. Controlling your unit well and utilizing its abilities will get you far. You’ll naturally improve over time, so I highly suggest playing units that you enjoy and being aggressive.

T: What do you feel makes your game compelling?
R: The game is enjoyable to play because it rewards highly skilled players. I’ve seen some amazing moves and great comebacks. The fact that the last round is an elimination round means that one excellent player can overcome a game-long deficit. There’s also huge variety in the units to play and abilities to use.

T: Are there any tweaks coming to StarDodgeBall that the community can look forward to?
R: The game is in a constant state of development. I’ve been releasing more and more content since the game’s initial release a couple months ago. I’ve added seven units, two maps, one new game mode, a whole slew of unlockables, and a dramatically improved UI. StarDodgeBall is my primary hobby, and I’m very active about implementing new ideas and suggestions.

T: What advice would you give to someone who was interested in using the SCII editor to make their own game? Where is a good place for them to start the learning process?
R: Two things: SC2Mapster.com has a lot of great resources and tutorials, and “Be patient!” It took me years before I could create something that other people wanted to play. Try not to burn yourself out with too large a project. And of course, make sure you enjoy what you do!

T: What’s the best way people can follow you and your work?
R: You can visit http://stardodgeball.forumotion.com/ to communicate with me. I would love to hear any ideas, bug reports, complaints, and suggestions you might have.

"Don't let the M.U.L.E.'s humble appearance fool you. It is hiding abilities that can be very powerful in the right hands."  Spyrian

"Fair warning: Getting hit by the Stalker’s offensive ability slows you to the point that death-by-ball is imminent."  Cloaken

"You couldn’t hit water if you fell out of a boat!"  Kaivax

"It’s easy to overlook some of the more subtle teamwork tactics in the game. Blocking incoming damage with your invulnerability shield or having a Sentry slow down projectiles can be great ways to give your team the advantage."  Traysent

"If you can dodge a nuke, you can dodge a ball."  Aldrexus