Quickstart

This takes a brand-new account from nothing to one game’s full record. It uses a test key, so it returns sample data and needs no approval. To click instead of paste, use the Walkthrough. To call any single endpoint, use Try it.

You need

A key that starts with a54_test_, from the dashboard. Sign in, name a key, press Create key, and copy it then: it is shown once.
curl, or any HTTP client.

1. Keep the key in your shell

Shell

export A54_API=https://developers.arena54.com/api/v1
export A54_KEY=a54_test_your_key_here

2. Check the key

Shell

curl $A54_API -H "Authorization: Bearer $A54_KEY"

You get the API’s name, its version and its endpoints. meta.mode reads test. A 401 here means the key was mistyped or revoked.

3. List games

Shell

curl "$A54_API/games?limit=2" -H "Authorization: Bearer $A54_KEY"

JSON · 200

{
  "success": true,
  "data": [
    {
      "slug": "sample-danfo-dash",
      "title": "Sample Danfo Dash",
      "tagline": "Sample data: not a real game",
      "cover_url": null,
      "genres": [
        "racing",
        "arcade"
      ],
      "platforms": [
        "android",
        "ios"
      ],
      "stage": "released",
      "release_year": 2025,
      "featured": false,
      "creator": {
        "handle": "sample-baobab-games",
        "name": "Baobab Sample Games"
      },
      "country_code": "NG",
      "city": "Lagos",
      "url": "https://arena54.com/g/sample-danfo-dash",
      "created_at": "2025-06-01T09:00:00.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "req_8f2c41d09b7e4a6f",
    "mode": "test",
    "next_cursor": "Mg",
    "total": 5
  }
}

meta.total is how many games match. meta.next_cursor fetches the next page.

4. Filter

Shell

curl "$A54_API/games?genre=racing&country=NG" -H "Authorization: Bearer $A54_KEY"

Filters combine. Genre keys come from /genres; country codes are two letters.

5. Open one game

Take a slug from a list row. The answer adds the description, screenshots, trailer, links and credits.

Shell

curl "$A54_API/games/SLUG_FROM_STEP_3" -H "Authorization: Bearer $A54_KEY"

Going live

In the dashboard, say what you are building. A person reads each request and you get an email either way. Once approved, create a live key and swap it in. Addresses and shapes stay the same; the data becomes the real directory.