Nidhogg turns fencing into a tug-of-war: two opponents fight across an arena that stretches in both directions, and defeating the other player earns ground rather than an immediate match victory. The objective is to make it through the arena to your goal-zone, while staying alert to the next opponent in your path.
Its combat mixes precise swordplay with improvised movement. Players can lunge, parry, or throw a sword, then switch to punches, sweep kicks, dive kicks, rolls, and wall jumps when unarmed. Arena layouts add strategic formations and chokepoints, while the shifting advantage keeps a successful strike from guaranteeing safe passage. A match is decided by a run of kills that grants right-of-way, not by a single elimination.
Listed as both single-player and multiplayer, Nidhogg also supports PvP, online PvP, and shared-screen play.
