$24.99Half Sword Swing a sword, lose an arm
Fight your way from penniless commoner to knight in physics-driven tournaments where every duel could be your last.
Is Half Sword worth it?
Half Sword is worth it if…
- you like physics-driven combat where every swing is aimed by hand
- you want to climb from peasant brawls to armored tournaments
- you care about historical arms, armor, and technique
- you find brutal, bloody slapstick funny rather than off-putting
Screenshots
Mouse-driven swordplay
You do not press a button to attack. You move the mouse and the weapon follows, so every cut, thrust, and block is aimed by hand. Early fights feel wobbly, as your fighter trips, overbalances, and drops his guard at the worst moment. Stick with it and the system starts to make sense: distance, timing, and edge alignment decide whether you land a clean hit or get your weapon tangled. Built with input from Historical European Martial Arts practitioners, it rewards careful measure over button-mashing.
From beggar to arena champion
You start as a commoner and fight your way up through brawls and tournaments across 15th-century Europe. Wins earn renown and coin, losses cost you dearly, since death is final. Between fights you spend earnings on new equipment or forge armor and weapons suited to how you fight. Feeling rich, or just lucky, you can bet on your own success to boost the payout. Each rank brings tougher opponents, so progress feels earned one bruise at a time.
Accurate steel and loud gore
The armory is the other star: historically accurate 15th-century arms and armor, from swords and polearms to layered plate. What you and your opponent wear changes what happens when steel meets flesh. Unarmored skin parts easily. Good armor turns aside cuts and forces you to aim for gaps. When blows land, the game does not look away — crushed skulls, severed limbs, blood and entrails included. Armor matters, weapon choice matters, and anatomy keeps the receipt.
Sandbox brawls and company
Beyond the tournament ladder you can set up sandbox scraps and multiplayer bouts, first- or third-person, and test whatever loadout you like. It is a good place to learn grips, practice footwork, and find out which helmet actually stops an axe. Fights stay chaotic because bodies obey physics: trips, slips, dropped weapons, and accidental self-injury are all part of the lesson. Losing here costs pride rather than a career, which makes it the sensible place to get good.
Good to know?
How does the combat actually work?
You control your weapon directly with the mouse, moving it through cuts and thrusts instead of triggering canned attacks. Footwork, range, and timing matter, and the system draws on Historical European Martial Arts. Expect a clumsy start while your fighter learns to stay upright, then sharper, more deliberate duels once you understand leverage and weapon weight.
What do you fight for?
Renown, wealth, and better kit. Winning brawls and tournaments moves your commoner up the ranks toward knighthood. Coin buys arms and armor or funds forging gear matched to your style, and betting on yourself can speed things up. Death ends the run, so every bout is also a risk calculation.
How violent is it really?
Very. Frequent blood, dismemberment, crushed bones, and visible organs are tied to the weapons and armor in each fight. The credits even list a Chief Blood Officer, which tells you the tone. This is central to the game, not an optional filter.
Is there anywhere to practice safely?
Yes. Sandbox fights and multiplayer bouts let you try weapons, armor combinations, and views in first- or third-person without risking tournament progress. Use them to learn grips and spacing before betting coin and neck on the arena.
