Mòdài Xiákè

Mòdài Xiákè is a challenging side-scrolling action game set in the late Southern Song dynasty. You play a reclusive swordsman who leaves his teacher behind and travels north to help the people suffering under Mongol rule and the restrictions on weapons.

Story and setting

After the Battle of Yashan, in which 100,000 soldiers and civilians died, the Song dynasty fell and the Mongols unified China under the Yuan dynasty. The Yuan government imposed a “ban on knives,” initially requiring one registered kitchen knife for every three households. The restriction spread to iron weapons more broadly, bringing turmoil to the martial world. The swordsman sets out to fight the invaders and aid the people, knowing the journey may end in failure.

Combat and exploration

Combat centers on attacking, dodging and blocking. You must read and counter enemy moves while looking for openings to strike; martial arts, hidden weapons and medicine bottles can help you defeat opponents. The large, interconnected maps contain secret areas to discover.

An inner-energy system underpins combat. You spend inner energy to perform powerful martial arts techniques and block attacks, and low reserves can leave you in danger. Martial arts manuals are scattered throughout the world. Each includes techniques that grant powerful skills and a mental cultivation method that provides passive attributes; equipping both unlocks the manual's full strength.

Hand-drawn pixel art

The characters, animations and environments use a hand-drawn pixel-art style. Some environmental assets are modified from freely licensed materials, while the characters and animations are original.