Splatoon/Kelp Dome

Kelp Dome's unusual non-linear design makes this map quite different from the rest. The grates provide handy alternate routes, but one risks exposing themselves to enemy fire.

Layout
Unlike conventional maps like Urchin Underpass and Walleye Warehouse, which has both team's bases at far ends of the map and players clashing at the midpoint, Kelp Dome is shaped more like a donut. Either team's bases are situated on the outer rim of the map, enveloping the central area. The spawn point is located on a very high pillar with a large grate extending out from it, and there's a large raised area that players can only reach by dropping down from the spawn point. There are two paths leading away from the spawn point, left and right, while in Ranked modes there is also a third, direct path leading to the central area through the newly-added metal box. The area behind spawn has a ramp that leads out into the left path.

Going down the left route is a small square area, with a narrow opening leading into the neutral combat area and a ramp going over the wall and on to the map's grate network. On the right is an enclosed area with two ramps leading out of it. One connects to the grate passages, while the other is a one way drop into the corner regions. These two corner regions are where players of both team's leaving their base without using the grates meet. It is a simple square area with simple cover and an inkable wall for squids to swim on to the grate network. There is a wide path leading into the middle region. The grate runs above this path, branching off into either team's inner base.

At the center is a wide open area that is broken into halves by a tall cylinder in the middle, with two arms extending out from it. The entire structure can be inked so that players can get on to the platform from below. It is also where the grates on either side of the map ends. Two inflatable barriers are placed in either corner of the arena for cover.

Turf War
Unlike in Ranked, there is no metal block for a shortcut into the center arena. One of the inflatable barriers in the center has also been rotated by 90 degrees, meaning that the map is actually slightly asymmetrical in this mode. The large raised platform behind the spawn point is typically neglected in other modes, but contributes significant turf when inked. It's a good place to drop a Sprinkler on, or to Inkstrike the enemy's when the match is nearly over.

There is a fairly large chunk of either team's base that is hard to access by the enemy, due to the limited paths into the area around the spawn. Therefore, the areas that you will be contesting for the most part is the arena at the center and the squares at the corners. There are multiple paths leading away from spawn and thus you may run into more foes than you can handle if you rush out from the start. Use the inking patterns on the minimap to infer how many enemies you'll face when taking your initial path.

The central column is a key area to secure. It is situated at the center of the map and has a good view of enemies coming in through the corners as well as the grated walkways, making it a great spot for a long-range weapon to control the general area and harass enemies. The column is pretty wide, so there's a chance to escape flanking foes engaging you at close range as well. The battlefield around the column is quite large and it's difficult to keep the entire area turfed when both teams are equally matched, but can be scary to push into if the enemy team manages to claim it entirely.

The corners have a larger emphasis on close quarters combat. The obstacles form narrow paths and tight corners that let you slip around and circle opponents, giving fast killing, short-ranged weapons a great advantage. Meanwhile, the wider center and the inkable column benefits weapons with mobility. The grates are risky to use as foes can shoot at you from directly below much more easily than you can do so from above. However, it is an alternate path to push into enemy territory. It's risky to stay inside the enemy base due to the proximity to spawn, but a flanking weapon can make great use of the corners to hide and ambush unsuspecting foes.

Splat Zones
The zone is at the center, shaped like a square and divided perfectly by the central pillar's "arms". Small metal boxes have been added on to the grates for players to hide and refill ink while staying on the elevated passage. A wall is added beside the ramp off of the area behind spawn, providing cover. There is also a small patch of raised ground added in the corner arenas.

Tower Control
The tower begins on the middle pillar, descends to the ground and travels into the corner regions. It then makes a loop around the inkable wall and passes through the bottleneck into the defender's base, with the goal situated right in front of the defender's closest ramp from spawn. All of the map additions from Splat Zones return here, although an additional metal block has been added to the top of the ramp at the left branch leading on to the grates.

Rainmaker
The Rainmaker is located on the center cylinder and must be taken to the goal in front of the spawn point. A blockade has been added on the grates at the first branch from the center. There are also more cover added around the spawn point.