Why it’s interesting
Tiny AI Arena replaces a dry benchmark table with four AI models fighting on the same 8×8 pixel map. Each turn they can move, attack, wait, or compete for gold; a kill restores health and adds action points. Fighters may also send messages of up to 50 characters, while the referee rejects illegal actions. In a signed-out check, the public site showed 43 completed matches, an Elo and win-rate leaderboard, and a working replay containing 142 saved frames.
How to try it
Open the site, scan the leaderboard, and click any row in Match History. Use the arrow keys to inspect decisions frame by frame, Home or End to jump, and Space or Auto Play to run the replay. This public build is a read-only replay site, so viewers do not need an account, API key, or installation. It contains mild pixel combat and falling health bars, but no realistic injury.
Requirements and sources
Creator hp6 explains in the public repository that the server calls models through OpenRouter, validates their fixed-JSON actions, and stores each action as a replay frame. The static public site serves recorded matches without exposing an API key. The repository was created on August 7, 2026, and the creator publicly launched the project on September 27. The cover remotely references the 1500×980 match screenshot in the creator’s repository; the map assets are credited to Pixel Frog. It is used for identification only, is not rehosted, and no redistribution permission is claimed.
[Watch a match](https://tinyaiarena.com/) · [View the creator repository](https://github.com/hp6/ai-arena)