Our love for Dota 2 is undying, but it can get exhausting to slay enemy ancients or to see your ancient being slain all day. 

Sometimes, you just want to kick back and relax, enjoy a drink or have some food while playing Dota. Custom games or arcades as they’re often called, provide you with an immersive yet casual and enjoyable experience regardless of your medal or skill, thus relieving your stress. This list ranks the top 10 loved Dota 2 Arcade games.

10. Angel Arena Reborn

Angel Arena Reborn Gameplay

Originally designed as a mod for Warcraft 3, Angel Arena has found its way into Dota 2, hence the name Angel Arena Reborn. It’s a 5v5 PvP mode with a simple goal in mind, the first team to reach 100 kills wins the game. 

And that’s not it! With over 10 unique heroes and 50 interesting items, you are guaranteed to learn a new strategy or playstyle no matter how many hours you’ve spent playing it. Good team coordination and synergy will lead you to victory in this mode. If you plan on having a Dota game night with your friends, Angel Arena Reborn can result in long-lasting and fun memories.

9. Attack on Hero

Attack On Hero Gameplay!

Inspired by the critically acclaimed anime Attack on Titan, you have to hold your ground and survive against 36 waves of monsters, The difficulty of the monsters increases with their levels. The game mode gets more challenging as the hero skills are altered and swapped along with the addition of custom items.

Attack on Hero caters to the casual Dota audience. Since this is a PvE mode with up to 5 players, you may not feel as pressured as you usually do in your ranked Herald games.

8. Dota 2 IMBA

Dota 2 IMBA Gameplay

If you don’t think that Dota is a balanced game, then Dota 2 IMBA will change your mind on it. This custom mode is what you would expect if the devs just decided to buff everything in the game. Everything, including towers, runes,  most heroes, and even Roshan is buffed in this mode. Essentially, this is Dota on steroids.

Dota 2 IMBA is a hilariously fun mode that has unique spells and animations which can be rather humorous at times. This is one of the few custom games on this list which does not require the player to be skilled at the game. It is a real example of a casual mode.

7. Skillshot Wars

Skillshot Wars Gameplay

If you are having difficulties in landing those game-changing skillshots, then this mode will help you learn how to land them precisely while having fun. In Skillshot Wars, every player has the same spells, Mirana Arrow, Pudge Hook, Invoker Sunstrike, and Clockwork Hookshot. Your goal is to lock down and slay the enemies with those skillshots. 

This custom game mode is extremely gripping if you are a new player who is struggling to land the skillshots. This game may get competitive pretty quickly since it requires some team communication so you don’t end up stacking the spells!

6. Hardcore Ninja

Hardcore Ninja Gameplay

Hardcore Nina was designed to test your reflexes. It can be played both as a 5v5 or 1v1 if you like the standoffs. You play as Juggernaut, but with the abilities that you only see in the Ability draft mode. You have both offensive and defensive spells which are the same for all players.

You can dodge spells with Refraction, move away from enemies using Blink, or you could show your offensive side by using Shockwave or Stifling Dagger to assassinate your enemies. If your offensive spells land then it is a confirmed kill.

Adapting to this mode can be hard for casual players, as the skill level required is high. The regular and more competitive players will have an edge in this mode. It all boils down to your reflexes!

5. Watcher of Samsara 

Watcher of Samsara Gameplay

Watcher of Samsara is similar to Dota, but the only difference is you defend towers instead of ancients. You will be fighting against the deadly horde of creeps with 3 teammates on your side. You can appoint 8 creeps yourself to assist you on the battlefield. 

The game ends if the creeps are successful in outnumbering you. Or if you are successful then you will be facing Roshan as the final boss. This game is suited both for casual and competitive players as you have the option to choose the difficulty before the game begins. Watcher of Samsara is addictive due to its replayability and RNG.

4. Overthrow

Overthrow Gameplay

Overthrow holds the title of being the first of a few Valve-designed arcade games. The game mode has different map settings, ranging from a casual four teams of two players facing each other, to a more competitive setting of three teams of five players battling it out ferociously. 

No matter the game setting, you win the game by being the team with the most kills. Most kills happen at the center of the map, near the Midas Throne, which drops gold and items randomly on the map. You win by being the team with the most kills.

Overthrow is a mode best enjoyed with friends. The unpredictable and chaotic nature of it makes it a unique and fun arcade game.

3. Dota 10v10

Dota 10v10 Gameplay

As if the game couldn’t get any more chaotic, Dota 10v10 is exactly what it’s called, 10 players on two teams each, battling it out on a normal-sized map of Dota. Talk about claustrophobia! Other than increased XP and gold there aren’t many changes in this game, except the chaos that ensues every two minutes.

On paper, this may sound like a hectic and competitive mode, but in reality, it is hard to take this game seriously due to its vast and unpredictable nature. Wander in the enemy jungle alone and you are guaranteed to get ganked by 6 blood-thirsty enemy heroes!

2. Auto Chess

Dota Auto Chess Gameplay

Auto Chess is by far the most famous arcade game in Dota 2. There aren’t many similarities to chess except the layout and a few basic concepts. Auto Chess has achieved acclaim from gamers outside the Dota space. Tens of thousands of people downloaded Dota just for this custom mode. 

It is a turn-based game (akin to chess), where you’re up against 7 other players, but after you place the heroes, they automatically start fighting each other! Never seen that in a real chess game, have you? This game is entirely dependent on RNG, so you just sit back and watch your heroes slay the other heroes and proceed to the next round until one player proves victorious.

The game may look rather easy for a beginner, but it takes hours of play to understand the dynamics of it, but just like real chess, you improve with time!

1. Pudge Wars 

Pudge Wars!

As if one pudge on your team wasn’t enough, this game mode lets all 10 players enter the battlefield as the hook-wielding butcher! The two teams of 5 are divided by an uncrossable river, with only the hook ability available. As you progress, you will gain certain abilities that can give you an edge over your enemies. The first team to reach a set amount of kills wins the game.

Not only is Pudge Wars one of the most played Dota Arcade games, it is a blast from the past for many Warcraft 3 players, bringing back those LAN cafe memories. It is an ode to the Pudge Wars mod from Warcraft 3, providing the exact fun and exciting experience.

This concludes the Top 10 Best Arcade Games We Love. These arcade games make you realize that there is more to Dota than just the MMR grind or the typical 5v5 mode. Now it is time for you to try these games out for yourself, GLHF!

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