Hello!
Let’s be honest with you: having two separate test versions on Steam ended up being more confusing than helpful for most players. That’s why we’ve decided to shut down the Playtest and merge its content with the Abyss into a single, unified Demo.

In addition to that :
• Added a new Gauntlet Mode, where you earn points to unlock new Ranks. Dying in that mode sends you to the Abyss. Dying in the Abyss deletes your current character and you lose all your progress in Gauntlet Mode.
• In Free Mode you can play all the Ranks (just like in Playtest) except the final one, the new Barron tier.
• Abyss has been updated with new physics, combat, armors and weapons. We are aware of performance issues and we're already working on them as we speak.
• You can also access Abyss from the main menu by killing your character in main menu.

Now, yesterday, we decided to shadow drop an early version of this update as an April 1st joke, without explanation or patch notes. We genuinely thought it would be a fun surprise and something you'd enjoy.

Clearly, some of you didn’t see it that way. If we annoyed or frustrated you, we’re genuinely sorry.

Making a game is tough, bugs happen, things break, and sometimes we misjudge how something will land. That said, part of this update was also a way for us to test how players respond to different experiences: the intensity and challenge of Gauntlet, the chill, rewarding flow of Free Mode, and the strange, unsettling charm of Abyss, which has always been part of our DNA.

We’re still fully committed to delivering a compelling, satisfying game for everyone, and your feedback always helps us get there.

Half Sword is an ongoing experiment, and you're a vital part of it. We're incredibly grateful for your presence, your playtesting, and your support. We'll keep working hard to earn your trust, your time, and your attention, every step of the way.

Half Sword Games & Game Seer

For further details and more join our Discord community[discord.gg]!

Dear friends, Dear Willies,

As Christmas approaches, we thought to reflect on everything that has happened this year and also to shed a bit of light on what you can expect from us in 2025.

2024 has been a pivotal year for both Half Sword Games and Game Seer. What started with a mere business meeting in Stockholm in February has blossomed into a real studio, strong friendship and unwavering support for the arduous task that is making a video game.

We hope that Half Sword feels as special to you as it feels to us, because it is made by an extremely tight-knit & independent team of game developers, many not yet 30 years old whose sole aim is to up the ante as far as what players can expect from a physics-based experience.

We humbly submit the goal of making something that feels as fun to play as it is to make while we relentlessly keep an eye on what to improve. We constantly throw new ideas to each other in the team and abide by an open-minded approach to constructive criticism, be it from within, or from our now over 3 million Willies.

As far as timeline, Half Sword will release into early access towards the end of 2025 on PC on Steam. Along the way we will provide you with a progress presentation towards the second quarter of 2025, we will celebrate the game with you with a strong on-site presence at Gamescom 2025 (18+ booth) and we will showcase a compelling early-access version for Steam Next Fest shortly before commercially releasing the game.

We plan to obsessively build, expand, fix & polish the experimentation with Half Sword upon and after its release and cannot wait to show you elements that are not yet public. While combats are central, we are hard at work to build deep systems on top and around of them.

We are a discreet bunch, our studio is around 10 people and Game Seer’s publishing team is 2 persons and one crazy jester. However trust us when we say that if you like what you have now, you will definitely love what we prepare for you.

If we do things well with Early Access, we will potentially have the strength to keep the game alive for the years to come as we will move into other platforms, formats & will seek the technical ability for players to challenge each other with high stakes consequences.

2025 will be a crucial year where we put our fate in your hands. In Half Sword, yours will always be decided by the blade.

''When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you''

Merry Christmas,

Half Sword Games & Game Seer

We have reach 3 million downloads of HS, from the dev team we wanna say thank you all so much!

Hello Half Sworders,

Soon has finally come! And with it we bring you the first major update for the Half Sword Playtest!

This update has more small and big changes than we can remember but here is a rough list:

• Added Kicking! (Space Bar)
  
• Tweaked Parrying! Now you have more control over it
  
• Nerfed blunt damage and boosted armor defense against it
  
• Improved grip switching! Now you will not do One Punch Man punch every time you grab your weapon... not every time...

• Added practice dummy! Perfect for sharpening your skills before you face human opponents (when ingame, hold the G key to skip this part).
  
• Tweaked physics, as we always do.

• Added new juicy slashing and crushing sounds!

and as the pinnacle of this update...

• Added new blood particles (WIP)
  
• Added new blood effects including blood running down from the wounds
  
• Blood pooling is back!
  
• Armor and clothing damage!
  
• Bruises!
  
• Internal organs!
  
• And finally.. first time since 2013 (might be untrue)... DYNAMIC SLICING!!!

Yes Yes! You can split em wide open wherever you slice ! And As many times as you want!
Please note: this is very WIP!!!!

This system is still very much work in progress and is not stable yet. You WILL encounter lots of bugs with it.. duplicated bodies, slices not appearing, etc...
We are actively working on this system to bring the best slicing since Metal Gear Rising to our game and we promise that eventually, it will work properly (:

We will be adding gore and blood settings soon - now you are free to enjoy a default brutality (:

We are aware of numerous bugs and issues you may experience in this update and we will be releasing fixes for them constantly in nearest future...
If you encounter any... abnormalities... please report them on our official Discord - you can find the link in-game.

Thanks for your continued support!

LOWER THE GATES!

Update with Blood: D-1.

New Playtest Build. With lots of Blood. Nov 22, 2024

New Playtest Build. With Blood. Nov 22, 2024

This is where you can learn more about us!

Hey Half Sworders,

We’re immensely grateful for your participation in our playtests! Your efforts and dedication have been invaluable in helping us improve our game. We're excited to present our first playtest update!

New Features and Improvements:

• DirectX 11 and 12 Switching: You can now switch between DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 in the settings. Some players find DX11 provides a more stable experience and better performance, while others find DX12 smoother and better looking. If you're not experiencing crashes and low FPS on DX12, we recommend sticking with it. Otherwise, try DX11. Please note that the default option is DX11, and you’ll need to restart the game after making changes.
  
  
• Weapon Handling: You can now switch hands with all two-handed weapons using the “X” key.
  
  
• Physics Adjustments: We've made changes to the physics system, impacting all aspects of gameplay. While this update should make wielding weapons feel better, especially long and heavy ones, it might need some fine-tuning. We welcome your feedback! (We apologize if some things end up more broken than before.)
  
  
• Historical Accuracy: We've returned some weapons to their historically accurate weight and size thanks to the physics update. Additionally, flags on the playtest map are now historically accurate.
  
  
• Windows now have interiors :)
  
  
• Factions: Choosing a tier will randomly assign you to one of four factions. Enemies will belong to one of the other factions, indicated by the coat of arms on shields and clothing colors.
  
  
• Play Card Option: Before every fight, you now have the "Play Card" option. Choosing the left card will send you into single combat (as before), while choosing the right card will start a group fight.
  
  
• We’re still working on optimization, with updates planned in the coming weeks.

That’s it for this update!

Thank you so much for your support. We’re truly grateful to have you on this journey with us.

Don’t hesitate to leave your feedback on the Steam forum or join our Discord to discuss directly with us! <3