[@Spiffy]

The games aren't necessarily to the death (though accidents do happen), and are more than just tests of fighting skill. Though battle skills will be tested, there will other things such as speed, critical thinking, wits with technology, and things like that tested as well. 

The basic layout of the whole thing could kind of be likened to a puzzle game. All the members from each species are placed in the arena (controlled kind of like the area in The Hunger Games), and it becomes a race to see who can get to the finish line first. Only thing is, no one know where the finish line is, and you have to search for clues. Sometimes another team will have a clue that you need, that would be when there would be a battle, and whoever loses the battle would be disqualified. They try to keep anyone from actually dying, but again, accidents happen.