There’s an enemy standing right in front of you, a sword in your hand, and no reason to get close enough to stab them. Why risk getting your face rearranged when you can throw the thing across the room, bounce it off a wall, and watch it ricochet through several unlucky monsters instead? Whoever said swords were strictly for swinging clearly lacked imagination.
SWORD FLINGER is available from today, bringing a chaotic weapon-throwing roguelite from Japanese developer TOM CREATE CO., LTD. Rather than relying on traditional melee combat, you’ll fling swords, spears, axes, and other weapons around increasingly dangerous dungeons, using clever angles and bouncing attacks to turn a single throw into an impressive chain of destruction.
The more enemies your weapon hits, the nastier things get.
One Sword, Several Very Unlucky Monsters
The big attraction here is the chain-action combat system, which rewards players for making the most of every throw. Weapons can bounce off walls, ceilings, and enemies, allowing you to line up attacks that strike several targets before the weapon finally comes to a stop.
Each successful chain builds additional damage bonuses, so a carefully planned throw can become much more devastating than simply aiming directly at the nearest monster. You will need to think about what you’re throwing. Swords travel in arcs, spears fly straight, axes hit hard but carry more weight, and scythes spin through the air. Each weapon also has its own abilities, giving you different ways to approach the enemies blocking your path.
Finding your favorite weapon may be easy, but learning how to bounce it around a room effectively is a little more difficult.
It’s All in the Wrist
There’s more to throwing a sword than pointing it in roughly the right direction and hoping somebody gets stabbed. SWORD FLINGER gives you control over your weapon’s trajectory, with even small adjustments to the angle potentially changing where it lands.
You’ll also need to master the Shot Gauge, stopping it at the right moment to squeeze additional damage out of your attack. Get everything lined up correctly, and you could send your weapon bouncing through several enemies in one glorious chain.
There’s a puzzle-like quality to the combat, encouraging you to examine enemy positions, use the environment, and work out how to squeeze the maximum amount of damage from each throw. After all, why settle for hitting one enemy when the wall behind them could help you hit three?
Catch It, Throw It, Do It All Again
Enemies aren’t going to just stand around while you practice your sword-throwing technique. Every time you throw a weapon, their action counters decrease. Once a counter reaches zero, that enemy gets to attack.
This creates an interesting little dilemma. You want to keep throwing weapons to deal damage, but every attack brings your opponents closer to retaliating. You do, however, have a trick up your sleeve.
If your weapon returns to you, you’ll activate a mechanic called ONE MORE CHANCE, allowing you to throw that same weapon again without advancing the enemy’s turn. It’s a generous reward for a well-executed throw, potentially letting you squeeze in another devastating attack before your opponents can do anything about it.
You’ll also have active skills, items, and a shield to help deal with incoming trouble, giving you options beyond repeatedly hurling sharp objects at everything that moves.
A Mysterious Gauntlet and a Missing Memory
There’s also a mystery lurking beneath all the flying weaponry. Your character awakens with no memories and a strange gauntlet attached to their right arm. Who you are, where you came from, and why you’re wearing this mysterious piece of equipment are questions you’ll uncover as you explore the labyrinth.
Along the way, you’ll collect Memory Fragments that permanently improve your starting abilities, giving you a better chance of surviving future attempts. Clearing stages and leveling up also rewards you with additional ways to strengthen your build, encouraging experimentation with different weapons, skills, and items.
As the dungeons change between runs, you’ll need to adapt your approach rather than relying on the same perfect throw every time.
SWORD FLINGER is available from today and its combination of ricocheting weapons, timing-based attacks, and turn-management mechanics provide a unique twist to traditional roguelite combat.