Sword Master

How to Play Sword Master

Sword Master is a first-person, one-on-one sword duel played from behind a raised blade and a smaller off-hand dagger. Every fight is against a single named knight, and the core input is a fast swipe across the screen: a clean swipe registers as a slash and knocks a chunk off the opponent's health bar.

The game teaches its full control scheme in a short tutorial on the first stage: swiping fast across the screen slashes, and dragging and holding at the bottom of the screen raises a guard. On-screen hint text also describes timing a slash to land exactly as the enemy strikes as a parry, turning their attack back on them.

The run is 11 stages long, each pitting you against a different named opponent in escalating order: SQUIRE, FOOTMAN, MAN-AT-ARMS, ROGUE, IRON KNIGHT, BLACK KNIGHT, GOLD PALADIN, CRIMSON DUELIST, VALKYRIE, DEATHLORD, and finally ABYSS MONARCH. Each stage raises the enemy's health and attack power, and later opponents block, parry, and counter more often.

Every stage runs on its own countdown, starting at 60 seconds on the first fight and stretching out to 110 seconds by the eleventh. Winning a stage takes the opponent's health to zero, which banks a score built from a speed-and-health bonus plus a time bonus equal to your remaining seconds multiplied by 100; losing happens if your own health reaches zero or the clock runs out.

Beating a stage doesn't move you on automatically — it opens LEVEL and FULLSCREEN buttons so you choose when to continue into the next duel, with the tutorial appearing only on the very first stage.

Controls

Swipe quickly across the screen to slash your opponent.
Drag and hold at the bottom of the screen to raise your guard.
Time a slash to land exactly as the enemy strikes to parry the attack.
The opening tap starts the duel and its stage timer at the same time.

Tips & Strategy

Keep the pressure on early

The opening stage against the SQUIRE goes down fast to a string of clean slashes — it only takes a handful of solid hits to empty an early opponent's health bar. Treat the first few stages as a chance to build a rhythm of quick, repeated swipes before guard and parry become necessary against tougher knights.

A flawless stage pays a real bonus

Clearing a stage without taking damage adds a health bonus on top of your speed score, so a duel you win cleanly is worth noticeably more than one where you traded hits. It's worth favoring a clean guard over a risky trade once you're already close to winning the exchange.

Speed still pays even after the fight looks won

On top of the health bonus, every stage adds a time bonus equal to your remaining seconds multiplied by 100, so finishing a fight quickly is worth chasing even once the outcome looks secure. A four-second win against the SQUIRE, for instance, banked a bonus built from 56 seconds still left on the clock.

Expect guard and parry to matter more as the roster escalates

Eleven named knights stand between the SQUIRE and the ABYSS MONARCH, and the run is built so block rates, parry windows, and weapons all shift as you climb the roster. Slashing alone carries the earliest stages, but treat the drag-to-guard and timed-parry inputs as skills to have ready well before the middle of the run.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sword Master free to play?

Yes. It runs directly in your browser with no download or account required.

How many opponents do I fight?

Eleven, each a named knight fought one-on-one in order, starting with the SQUIRE and ending with the ABYSS MONARCH.

How do I attack and defend?

A fast swipe across the screen slashes. Dragging and holding at the bottom of the screen raises a guard, and timing a slash to match the enemy's strike lands a parry.