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Nidhogg
81 Score
Action · Sports · Indie

Nidhogg

Messhof  /  January 13, 2014  /  Rated Teen

Data last updated July 24, 2026

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Released

2014

Publisher

Messhof

Time to beat

~3 hrs

Community

2,097

The experiment

Experimental side-scrolling fighting game for two players developed and published by the Messhof studio. Players compete in fencing in the pixelated game world. Despite the simplicity of the concept and of the controls, the game is very competitive, and many media called the game one of the best multiplayer experience of 2014. The name is consonant with serpent from the Norse mythology Níðhöggr, the snake appears in the game, eating the winner of the duel. The game draws inspiration from the game, which was released in 1984 - Great Swordsman, and for development used software GameMaker: Studio, which is available on Steam. Who wouldn’t want to create a game where you impale a friend, eh?

Key features

Players get control over two game models that differ only in color. Controls are standard: jump, move, slide and throw the sword at your opponent. You can attack at three different heights: high, medium and low. Hit the opponent's sword to disarm the latter, and he will have to raise the sword again. The main task is to reach the end of the enemy territory. The first player who accomplished this wins. There are four different levels available for solo, local and online multiplayer. Later, the developers added new modes, like a tournament and the ability to use weapons differently.

Nidhogg is a side-scrolling two-player fighting video game developed and published by Messhof. Players duel with swords in a pixelated environment. The game was commissioned for the New York University Game Center's annual multiplayer show, and was revised and demoed at private events over the next four years before its final release. It won Indiecade 2013's Game Design award and the 2011 Independent Games Festival's Nuovo Award. It was released for Microsoft Windows on January 13, 2014, and later ported to OS X, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita. Critics praised the feel of the gameplay and its balance, but considered its single-player mode unsatisfying. Messhof released a sequel in 2017 with a higher resolution art style and additional weapons and arenas.

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recommended
66.12%
exceptional
21.31%
meh
8.74%
skip
3.83%

Available on PlayStation Store · Steam

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