Banana Eats is an asymmetrical Roblox horror survival game created by RyCitrus where up to ten players enter a map as either Runners or the killer Banana. Runners win by completing puzzles to lower the match clock and fleeing through the exits once the final minute strikes. The Banana wins by hunting down every Runner, placing trap peels, and eating all players before anyone can escape.
Core Objective and Match Flow
Each standard round of Banana Eats begins with a six-minute clock. The Banana is locked in place for the first 15 seconds, giving Runners a brief window to spread out across the map, locate objectives, and grab items.
The match revolves around managing the countdown timer:
- Completing Standard Puzzles: Deducts 30 seconds from the remaining match time.
- Completing the Cake Puzzle: Deducts a full 60 seconds (1 minute) from the match clock.
- Runner Deaths: Each time the Banana eliminates a Runner, 15 seconds are added back to the timer.
- The Escape Phase (1:00 Mark): When the clock hits 1:00, the two exit doors open. At this exact moment, all surviving Runners have their health reduced to a single heart, and the Banana gains full vision of every player's location alongside a one-hit-kill bite. Runners must reach an exit before the final minute expires to win.
How to Play as a Runner
As a Runner, staying alive requires balancing puzzle completion with stealth and spatial awareness. Standing still in a hiding spot all match will stall the clock and leave you exposed during the dangerous final phase.
Health and Damage Mechanics
Runners start the match with three hearts. When the Banana catches up and bites you:
- You lose one heart.
- You receive a temporary speed boost and a brief invulnerability shield.
- While this shield is active, you are immune to additional bites and cannot slip on banana peels.
- Once the shield fades, you can take damage again. Losing all three hearts eliminates you from the round.
Using the Backpack Beacon
Every Runner wears a Beacon on their back that acts as a proximity detector. Under normal conditions, the Beacon's sensor rests at a neutral white color. As the Banana gets closer, the Beacon shifts toward an intense color (defaulting to red) and emits pulse waves. If the Banana is right on top of you, your screen will begin to shake violently. Note that other players and the Banana can see these visual pulses.
Navigating Hiding Spots and Vents
Lockers are scattered across every map and provide quick cover, but they are not completely foolproof. The Banana can see health bars or body parts poking out if you do not position your camera carefully, and the Banana can destroy the locker to reach you.
Runners can also crouch and crawl into low vents and crawlspaces using the crouch controls (such as Ctrl or C on PC). While the Banana cannot fit through standard vents, killers can bite players near vent entrances or set traps directly outside crawlspace exits.
Puzzle Types and How to Solve Them
Maps feature four or five puzzles per round. Whenever a player finishes a puzzle, a jigsaw puzzle icon appears above the objective, alerting both Runners and the Banana to that location. Incomplete puzzles display a red exclamation point, while completed ones display a green indicator.
| Puzzle Name | Objective Requirement | Time Deducted | Key Player Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cake Platter | Collect 7 cake slices and place them on the central platter | 60 seconds | One slice starts on the platter; 8 slices spawn across the map. The platter has two fixed spawn points per map. |
| Water Valves | Repeatedly interact with 3 separate valves | 30 seconds (once all 3 are turned) | All 3 valves must be fully turned from red to green before any time is deducted from the clock. |
| Keypad / Code | Locate a 3-digit code painted in the environment and input it | 30 seconds | Code digits range from 1 to 7 and can appear on floors, walls, or conveyor belts near the panel. |
| Image / Tile Grid | Rotate or flip square tiles until every tile turns green | 30 seconds | Work on this puzzle alone; teammates interacting at the same time can inadvertently reset your progress. |
How to Play as the Banana
Playing as the Banana puts you in control of a predatory fruit that moves faster than standard Runners. Your primary goal is to wipe out the lobby before the exits open.
Hunting and Biting
To damage a Runner, close the distance and make direct contact or click to bite. Because Runners gain a burst of speed upon taking damage, do not relentlessly chase a freshly hit Runner into wide-open areas where you will fall behind. Instead, note players who are already down to one or two hearts and prioritize them to add 15 seconds to your match timer.
Placing Peels and Traps
The Banana can place peel traps throughout the match to disrupt Runner escape routes. Stepping on a standard peel causes the Runner to slip and temporarily locks their controls.
Key peel categories include:
- Stun Peels: Standard traps that halt Runner movement on contact.
- Slow Peels: Reduce a Runner's movement speed for a short duration.
- Disabling Peels: Lock movement briefly and shut down the Runner's proximity Beacon for several seconds, leaving them blind to your approach.
- Unique Peels: Specialized options such as the Happy Peel (grants bonus coins), Coin Dupe, and X-Ray peels (highlights the trapped Runner for 6 seconds).
The most effective trap placements are high-traffic bottlenecks: directly in front of the Cake Platter, at vent openings, immediately around tight corridor corners, and right in the threshold of both exit gates before the final minute begins.
Game Modes
While Escape Mode is the primary way to play Banana Eats, server map voting occasionally introduces alternative game modes:
- Escape Mode: The standard mode. Runners complete puzzles to open exits at the 1:00 mark, while the Banana uses peels and speed to eliminate all players.
- Infection Mode: One player starts as the Banana and infects Runners with a single bite. Every time a new Banana is created, all active Bananas suffer a permanent speed reduction.
- Banana Split Mode: Two players spawn as Bananas simultaneously. To balance the double threat, Bananas cannot place any peel traps, and vents are disabled if one Banana leaves and triggers an enraged state.
- Locker-Less Mode: Lockers are completely removed from the map, and Runners spawn with only one heart. To compensate, the Banana moves at a slower pace.
Leveling Up and Pro Servers
Completing puzzles, surviving rounds, and eating players grants experience points (XP) and coins. Accumulating XP increases your player rank (from Unripe up to Legendary ranks) and unlocks higher-tier peels in the shop.
Reaching Level 16 unlocks access to Pro Servers. Pro Servers grant twice as much XP during rounds, feature more experienced lobbies, and strictly disable the mid-game join feature to keep match balance intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when the timer reaches 1:00 in Escape Mode?
At the 1:00 mark, the two exit doors unlock. The Banana enters an enraged state where all surviving Runners are reduced to one heart, the Banana receives full vision of every player's location, and any bite results in an instant kill. Runners must reach an exit before the remaining 60 seconds expire.
Can the Banana check inside lockers?
Yes. The Banana can see player health bars or models clipping through locker doors if the Runner is not tucked in properly. The Banana can attack and destroy the locker, immediately eliminating anyone hiding inside.
How many slices of cake are needed to complete the cake puzzle?
The cake puzzle requires seven total slices on the plate to complete. One slice is already sitting on the plate when the round starts, meaning Runners must collect six additional slices. Maps spawn eight slices in total, providing one extra slice in case another player holds onto a piece.
Why did my backpack beacon stop glowing when the Banana got close?
If you step on a Disabling Peel (such as a Beacon Breaker or Ghost Breaker), your Beacon is temporarily disabled. It will remain locked on a white indicator for several seconds, preventing you from detecting how close the Banana is until the effect expires.
