Review of Laaaava.io game

Welcome to Laaaava.io – Another .io Phenomenon

Hot Lava is a peculiar game. When someone shouts, “The floor is lava!” the action begins. Anyone playing must get off the ground. They can hop onto a nearby object, balance on a ledge, or hang from a fence. If their feet aren’t touching the floor within a few seconds, they win.

What began as a playground activity is now an international phenomenon. YouTube is littered with entertaining videos of people playing Hot Lava just about everywhere. There are funny compilations of failed attempts to leap into garbage cans, climb grocery store shelves, and scale walls. It was only a matter of time before Hot Lava crossed into the gaming realm—today, we’re reviewing Laaaava.io.

A Handful of Players
Laaaava io game is a multiplayer game. While most .io titles offer massive multiplayer matchups, this game features 5-player action. Before each round, gamers are assigned a room via random matchmaking. There are North American and European servers, both of which have an ample supply of competitors. We played during all hours of the day (and night) and never had trouble joining a 5-player game.

Welcome
The Laaaava.io welcome screen includes all of the expected items. There are links to the creator’s Twitter page and YouTube channel. More importantly, links to the game’s Discord chat and Reddit page let players communicate with each other. The developer also frequents both spots, so gamers can make suggestions and report bugs.

The Play button is right in the middle of the screen. Above that, gamers can enter a nickname. This is optional and only for bragging rights. As of today, there is no registration or login for Laaaava.io. Starting a game is free and easy. So, let’s play with lava!

The Game
The only instructions are “Move and click your mouse to move.” Truthfully, the game is that basic. Each round starts with 5 circles (players) hovering above bubbling lava. When the countdown timer disappears, every circle starts to fall. Simply click anywhere to move your circle in that direction. Stay out of the lava to stay in the game.

Gravity is always in effect, so staying above the orange magma is always a challenge. Even if no one else was playing, it would be hard to survive forever. That’s because there is a limited space in which each circle can move. If one hits the ceiling or walls, it will rapidly ricochet elsewhere. Plus, the lava is slowly rising. Eventually, the volcano will swallow every circle.

The Competition
Five players in a confined area results in tough competition. During our experience, each round lasted around 10 seconds. Every player must balance their own survival and attack strategies. When everyone tries to play defensively, a round might go as long as 15 seconds. If everyone plays aggressively, the game might last no longer than 5 seconds.

Since it’s easy to start a new game, Laaaava.io is never boring. When a short round ends, players can enter a new one just as quickly. Jump into the new craze, and jump over the lava!