$14.99Nidhogg 2 Duel, laugh, rematch
Fence your way across the screen in fast, silly sword duels where every round ends with someone sprinting for glory.
Is Nidhogg 2 worth it?
Nidhogg 2 is worth it if…
- you want a fighting game that takes a minute to learn and weeks to master
- you play with friends in one room and need short, loud rounds
- you like 1v1 duels where reading your opponent matters more than memorizing combos
- you enjoy games that are violent and silly at the same time
Screenshots
Two blades, one strip of ground
The whole game is a duel on a narrow stage: reach the far end and you win, but your opponent respawns ahead of you, so the fight rolls back and forth like a tug of war. Every point is a scramble. One exchange you are pressing forward with a throw, the next you are backing up, fencing for space. The controls stay simple enough that anyone can pick up a controller and fight within a minute, which is exactly why the trash talk starts so fast. It is fast, twitchy and short by design: rounds end before your pulse does.
Four weapons, four arguments
The sequel adds weapons, and each one fights differently. The broadsword covers a lot of ground and disarms well but swings slow. The dagger is short ranged and quick, with a throw that flies over a raised guard. The rapier stays from the first game for the purists. You can even reorder or switch weapons off in the options, so a group can agree on house rules before the first round. Picking your weapon is picking your whole style.
Built for a crowded couch
This is a party game with blood in it. Rounds last seconds, the rules take a minute to explain, and eight-player tournaments mean everyone in the room gets a bracket seat while the rest jeer from the sofa. More than ten game variables let you bend the rules between rounds, and the fights themselves stay funny: people get kicked across a stage, arrows pin them mid-sprint, and the loser demands an immediate rematch. The art, all lumpy pixel bodies in loud colors by Toby Dixon, divides people. Some find it grotesque in the best way, others just grotesque.
Duels with a friend, online or off
Most of the game is player against player, and that works locally or online, with matchmaking and private games for arranging a standing grudge match. The netcode now uses rollback, so online duels feel close to sitting next to your rival. If you are on your own, there is an arcade mode against the AI that is genuinely challenging, good practice before you face a human who knows your habits. And the soundtrack, with tracks from Mux Mool, Geotic, Doseone, Osborne and Daedelus, carries the whole thing; even the menus are worth leaving on.
Can you play it solo?
Can you play Nidhogg 2 solo?
Yes. There is an arcade mode against the AI, and it is challenging enough to be worth your time on its own. But the game is built around human opponents, so most people treat solo play as training for the couch.
How many people can play together?
Two players duel head to head, and tournaments hold up to eight, so a whole room can fight for the top seat while everyone else watches and heckles. Online, matchmaking and private games cover both duels and groups.
Do you need to know the first Nidhogg?
No. Knowing the first game helps your fencing instincts, but a newcomer with a dagger can upset a veteran on a good night.
How violent is it?
Very, in a cartoonish way. Losers get throats slit, brains stomped and arrows in unfortunate places, and the pixel art makes the gore bright and absurd rather than grim. If cartoon violence puts you off, this is not your game.
