diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a798364..438c9df 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -134,12 +134,18 @@ disabled, deleted, or the plugin shuts down, so it never leaks entities.
   off entirely. Eliminated players become spectators at the configured spectator location.
 - Last player standing wins; rewards, stats and celebration effects (fireworks, titles,
   sounds) fire automatically.
+- **Solo play**: if a match starts with only one player (e.g. `min-players: 1` for testing),
+  "one player remaining" is the expected steady state, not a win — the match keeps running
+  rounds, each shorter than the last, until that player is actually eliminated or leaves.
+  With two or more players, the match ends the moment only one remains.
 
 ## Configuration overview
 
 - **`config.yml`** — global settings: `ui.*` toggles for scoreboard/bossbar/titles/actionbar,
   `sounds.*` (Bukkit `Sound` enum names; invalid names are logged and skipped, never crash
-  the plugin), `performance.floor-blocks-per-tick` (batch size for floor mutations),
+  the plugin), `performance.floor-blocks-per-tick` (batch size for floor *generation* and
+  *restoration*, spread across ticks — the round-end removal of non-target blocks is always
+  instantaneous, all at once, by design),
   `defaults.*` (used only when `/bp create` seeds a new arena), `default-floor-materials`
   (the full 16-color concrete palette by default), `rewards.winner.commands`, and
   `integrations.placeholderapi`.
diff --git a/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/arena/Arena.java b/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/arena/Arena.java
index 5c2374a..cca0a83 100644
--- a/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/arena/Arena.java
+++ b/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/arena/Arena.java
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ public class Arena {
 
     private int countdownRemaining;
     private int round = 0;
+    /** True when the match started with exactly one player (solo/testing play): in that case
+     *  the match doesn't end just because "one player remains" — it keeps running rounds until
+     *  that player is actually eliminated or leaves. */
+    private boolean soloMode;
     private Material currentTarget;
     private Material previousTarget;
     private int currentRoundTime;
@@ -248,19 +252,21 @@ public class Arena {
             return;
         }
         round = 0;
+        soloMode = players.size() == 1;
         previousTarget = null;
         if (!floorManager.hasLayout()) {
             floorManager.generate(random);
         }
         floorManager.restoreFull(plugin.getConfigManager().getFloorBatchBlocksPerTick(), () -> {
+            Location safeSpawn = safeSpawnLocation();
             for (UUID uuid : players) {
                 Player p = plugin.getServer().getPlayer(uuid);
                 if (p == null) {
                     continue;
                 }
                 p.setGameMode(GameMode.ADVENTURE);
-                if (config.getSpawn() != null) {
-                    p.teleport(config.getSpawn());
+                if (safeSpawn != null) {
+                    p.teleport(safeSpawn);
                 }
             }
             startNextRound();
@@ -272,10 +278,12 @@ public class Arena {
             endMatch(null);
             return;
         }
-        // Only treat "down to one player" as a win once at least one round has actually been
-        // played (round > 0). At round 0 (the very first round after the countdown), a single
-        // player is expected whenever min-players is configured as 1 for solo play/testing.
-        if (round > 0 && EliminationLogic.isMatchOver(players.size())) {
+        // In solo mode the match only ends when the lone player is actually eliminated (see
+        // evaluateEliminations) or leaves (players.isEmpty() above) — "one player remaining"
+        // is the expected steady state, not a win condition, so round count keeps climbing.
+        // In normal multiplayer, only treat "down to one player" as a win once at least one
+        // round has actually been played (round > 0); at round 0 that's just the initial join.
+        if (!soloMode && round > 0 && EliminationLogic.isMatchOver(players.size())) {
             endMatch(players.get(0));
             return;
         }
@@ -379,8 +387,12 @@ public class Arena {
             }
         }
 
-        if (EliminationLogic.isMatchOver(players.size())) {
-            UUID winner = players.isEmpty() ? null : players.get(0);
+        // In solo mode, "1 player left" is the normal steady state — only end when that
+        // player is actually eliminated (players empty). In multiplayer, end as soon as at
+        // most one player remains.
+        boolean over = soloMode ? players.isEmpty() : EliminationLogic.isMatchOver(players.size());
+        if (over) {
+            UUID winner = (soloMode || players.isEmpty()) ? null : players.get(0);
             if (bossBar != null) {
                 for (UUID uuid : spectators) {
                     Player p = plugin.getServer().getPlayer(uuid);
@@ -536,6 +548,23 @@ public class Arena {
         spectators.clear();
     }
 
+    /** The configured spawn, lifted above the floor's top block layer if it would otherwise
+     *  place the player inside/underneath the freshly (re)generated floor. */
+    private Location safeSpawnLocation() {
+        Location spawn = config.getSpawn();
+        if (spawn == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        if (config.hasFloorRegion()) {
+            int floorTopY = Math.max(config.getPos1()[1], config.getPos2()[1]);
+            if (spawn.getBlockY() <= floorTopY) {
+                spawn = spawn.clone();
+                spawn.setY(floorTopY + 1);
+            }
+        }
+        return spawn;
+    }
+
     public BillboardManager getBillboardManager() {
         return billboardManager;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/floor/FloorManager.java b/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/floor/FloorManager.java
index 78c2b15..6587c10 100644
--- a/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/floor/FloorManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/us/tss3/blockparty/floor/FloorManager.java
@@ -121,7 +121,15 @@ public class FloorManager {
         activeTask = runnable.runTaskTimer(plugin, 0L, 1L);
     }
 
-    /** Removes every block that is not the target material, batched across ticks. */
+    /**
+     * Removes every block that is not the target material, all within a single tick so the
+     * non-target floor visibly disappears all at once rather than block-by-block. Unlike
+     * {@link #restoreFull} / {@link #generate}, this is intentionally not spread across ticks:
+     * the "reveal" moment is meant to be instantaneous. Arena floors are expected to stay in
+     * the tens-to-low-thousands of blocks; for a given target color roughly (palette-size - 1)
+     * / palette-size of the floor is removed, which stays comfortably within a single-tick
+     * synchronous block-mutation budget.
+     */
     public void removeNonTarget(Material target, int blocksPerTick, Runnable onComplete) {
         World world = config.getWorld();
         if (world == null) {
@@ -131,31 +139,14 @@ public class FloorManager {
             return;
         }
         cancelActiveTask();
-        Deque<String> queue = new ArrayDeque<>();
         for (Map.Entry<String, Material> entry : layout.entrySet()) {
             if (entry.getValue() != target) {
-                queue.add(entry.getKey());
+                setBlock(world, entry.getKey(), Material.AIR);
             }
         }
-        org.bukkit.scheduler.BukkitRunnable runnable = new org.bukkit.scheduler.BukkitRunnable() {
-            @Override
-            public void run() {
-                int processed = 0;
-                while (processed < blocksPerTick && !queue.isEmpty()) {
-                    String key = queue.poll();
-                    setBlock(world, key, Material.AIR);
-                    processed++;
-                }
-                if (queue.isEmpty()) {
-                    cancel();
-                    activeTask = null;
-                    if (onComplete != null) {
-                        onComplete.run();
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        };
-        activeTask = runnable.runTaskTimer(plugin, 0L, 1L);
+        if (onComplete != null) {
+            onComplete.run();
+        }
     }
 
     /** Clears the entire floor region to air, batched. */