Lifesteal: hearts for kills
The trendy SMP format: heart-stealing mechanics, a ban when all hearts are lost, returning to the game, and balance configuration.
Updated August 13, 2026
Lifesteal is survival where killing a player lets you take their heart. Lose them all and you're out of the server.
Mechanics
- Kill: +1 heart to the killer, −1 to the victim.
- The maximum is usually 20 hearts, the minimum is 1.
- Losing your last one means a ban or spectator mode.
- Getting back in: a "heart" item crafted from rare resources, or an unban for money/time.
What you need to configure
| Parameter | Why |
|---|---|
| Crafting the return heart | Without it, players who lose everything leave for good |
| Cooldown on killing the same player again | Against farming hearts off a friend |
| Maximum hearts | Otherwise the top player becomes unkillable |
| Ban duration | A day works better than "forever" |
Farming hearts on alts is the main hole in this format. An IP limit and a cooldown are mandatory — Ban by IP.
Plugins
Ready-made Lifesteal plugins exist; if you want, you can build the mechanics with Skript — it's simple.
Why the format works
The stakes are higher than in regular survival: every fight has a price. That makes player encounters an event rather than routine. The format suits small communities of 20–50 people well.
Risk
A strong player can knock everyone out and be left alone. The answer to that is cooldowns, a heart limit and regular seasons with a reset — World reset.
