Bleak Sword DX is a stripped-down retro fighting game where you take on vicious monsters in precise combat. Each small stage challenges you to use your sword to kill and loot monsters in a mission to end the king's 200-year reign of terror. It looks unusual with a cave-painted look but really stands out for how you must be purposeful and exact with your limited array of attacks.

When the old king is slain by his youngest son Rhael, whose mind has been poisoned by the evil Bleak Sword, the Second Age comes to a close and the Red Age begins, ushering in a period of evil and suffering. You set out on a mission to destroy the Bleak Sword and save the world, by working through the labyrinth of stages, using your sword and shield to defeat monsters.

Unlike other games, your moves are extremely limited. You can swing your sword, block with your shield, and roll out of the way. If you block just as an enemy attacks you, you can temporarily stun them, creating an opening you can use to deal lots of damage. You must defeat all the enemies in each stage, gathering the loot they drop and using it to boost your health, defence, and attack power.

The result is a game about succeeding against the odds by the skin of your teeth. This comes to a head with the huge boss battles that make your character seem even smaller. Perhaps most impressive is that this plays as well on a touch screen as it does on a gamepad. Either way, it's a game that invites learning and experimenting to kill each type of enemy and use the different loot bonuses to discover the best way to progress.