Skip to main content

Hammerfight

Hammerfight Game Cover
71%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, grinding
74% User Score Based on 1,276 reviews
Critic Score 60%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

LinuxPCMac OSWindows
Buy Nowfrom $0.77
Buy NowGet on Steam
Hammerfight Game Cover

About

Hammerfight is a single player arcade hack and slash game with fantasy and historical themes. It was developed by Konstantin Koshutin and was released on October 28, 2009. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"Hammerfight" is a single-player historical hack and slash game with an interesting plot and outstanding game mechanics, centered around realistic physics simulation in its 2D battles of flying machines. The game features high-quality art, breakable objects, and over 5

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Hammerfight screenshot
Hammerfight screenshot
Hammerfight screenshot
Hammerfight screenshot
Hammerfight screenshot
Hammerfight screenshot
Hammerfight screenshot
Hammerfight screenshot
Hammerfight screenshot
Hammerfight screenshot
Hammerfight screenshot
+7
Skip User Reviews

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,276 reviews
story91 positive mentions
stability38 negative mentions
  • Unique and innovative gameplay that combines physics-based combat with mouse controls.
  • Satisfying combat mechanics that provide a rewarding experience when landing hits on enemies.
  • Engaging story with branching paths and a variety of weapons to customize your flying machine.
  • Very buggy with frequent crashes and issues that can make the game unplayable.
  • Controls can be frustrating and difficult to master, leading to a steep learning curve.
  • Poor UI design that obscures gameplay and makes it hard to track your character and enemies.
  • story
    341 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is described as unique and engaging, featuring a convoluted narrative set in a fantastical world with elements of political intrigue and cosmic horror. While some players find the plot immersive and appreciate its depth, others criticize it for being difficult to follow due to poor translation and overwhelming text. Overall, the story offers multiple paths and endings, enhancing replayability, but its execution can be hampered by gameplay mechanics and technical issues.

    • “Come for the wacky mouse spinning physics-based combat, stay for the really cool story about the strange oriental pepelatz-flying warrior tribes, Shakespearean dialogues (so much better in Russian), political intrigue, [spoiler]unspeakable horrors from beyond[/spoiler], honor and glory.”
    • “The story is way deeper than I ever expected some old flash game to ever be, real unique and great.”
    • “Years later and I still keep coming back to this incredibly fun, story-rich, immersive game.”
    • “The story (or at least the parts I managed to struggle through) was fired at you in moving speech bubbles in a font that made my eyes want to bleed, sometimes during a fight.”
    • “The story is convoluted and confusing, and is presented like the player is meant to know exactly what the hell everyone is jabbering about even though they do not - this is not necessarily a bad thing though.”
    • “The plot appears to be involved, but ends up being a disorganized and fuddled mess, leaving the player with not much care as to what is actually happening.”
  • gameplay
    261 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by its unique and innovative mechanics, often described as satisfying and addictive, with a blend of physics-based combat and mouse control that offers a steep learning curve. While many players appreciate the originality and engaging core mechanics, some express frustration with control issues, camera problems, and a lack of clear tutorials, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the gameplay remains a standout feature, with a mix of chaotic fun and challenging elements that keep players coming back.

    • “The gameplay is super original and refreshing.”
    • “Unique aesthetics, unique gameplay, easy to learn, hard to master.”
    • “The core gameplay is quite simple, but the story, the physics, and a bit of randomness prevent it from being flat or monotonous.”
    • “The idea is not bad, but execution is disappointing and gameplay gets boring very quickly.”
    • “Gameplay loop is 'shake your mouse like it owes you money'.”
    • “The gameplay was just overly frustrating and tedious.”
  • graphics
    100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising its unique art style and aesthetic appeal, while others criticize the low resolution, blurriness, and cluttered visuals that can obscure gameplay. Many players appreciate the retro charm and creativity in the design, but note that the graphical quality feels outdated and lacks modern polish. Overall, the visuals are seen as a hit or miss, with a distinct style that may not appeal to everyone.

    • “Hammerfight uses a gorgeous, pre-rendered graphical aesthetic with multiple parallax background layers and subtle lighting that, much like Highfleet, gives the game a unique and oddly realistic appearance.”
    • “The amazing setting, crisp visuals, and above all, the unconventional gameplay makes this a one-of-a-kind experience not to be missed.”
    • “The graphics, especially the particle effects, are quite nice, and there's a surprising amount of destructibility to the environments.”
    • “Firstly, the graphics are awful (and I don't mean fidelity or the quality of the art): the levels and visual effects are cluttered with unnecessary detail that only makes it more difficult to see what's going on, with no benefit to overall aesthetic appeal.”
    • “The graphics were also atrocious at fullscreen resolution and only looked semi-clear during windowed mode, something that any modern-day title should be ashamed of!”
    • “Horrible graphics, worse than many flash games.”
  • stability
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with numerous users reporting a wide range of bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences. While some players find the bugs add a humorous element to the game, many express that the issues significantly hinder enjoyment, particularly in campaign mode and during critical gameplay moments. Overall, the game is described as "very buggy," with inconsistent controls and game-breaking glitches, though some still recommend it for its fun mechanics.

    • “Inconsistent, buggy, frustrating - don't even bother playing the campaign after you unlock arena.”
    • “I say frustration because without a shadow of a doubt, this is one of the most buggy and janky games I have ever played, filled with small and large annoyances and questionable design decisions that plague me even after I have become familiar with each and every eccentricity.”
    • “It's hard to remain civil and composed having paid for what is, effectively, a worthless piece of shit because you can't win the game without playing the same mission 10x or more... simply because of the random glitches, terrible mouse control (your slider works backwards and doesn't make any sense), and crashing... as well as the severely mentally handicapped AI.”
  • music
    29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and fitting atmosphere, enhancing the unique gameplay and visuals. While some reviewers noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive, many found it engaging and well-integrated into the overall experience. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's immersive world and emotional impact, making it a standout feature despite some minor criticisms.

    • “Stylish presentation, compelling worldbuilding, high quality music, gripping plot, and unique gameplay make this game stand out for me even 15 years later.”
    • “The gameplay is phenomenal with an excellent soundtrack to boot.”
    • “The art and music are beautiful, the world is a steampunk middle-eastern environment that is unique and to me personally a great joy in the face of endless medieval European environments.”
    • “The music was lame and unexciting, the enemies could be annoying and unpredictable at times, and there is little variety in the gameplay.”
    • “Look, this game came out in 2009, doesn't have adjustable resolutions or 16:9 support even, but what it does have is, at its core, is possibly the best physics based combat system I've ever seen in terms of raw satisfaction, there's like a bajillion different weapons and each of them have a distinct feel to use, as well as a bopping soundtrack if you can get past the jank there is a gold nugget buried in here.”
    • “The music/effects work well.”
  • replayability
    17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its high replayability, featuring unique mechanics, branching storylines, and various modes that encourage multiple playthroughs. Players appreciate the depth of gameplay, including physics-based combat and a diverse armory, which contribute to an engaging experience that remains fresh even after several completions. Overall, it offers a compelling mix of challenge and exploration that keeps players coming back for more.

    • “Mad respect for the developer creating such unique games, that while extremely challenging, have so much depth and replayability.”
    • “Easily one of the most underrated games on Steam, with pretty much endless replayability and a great story to begin with (even has branching plot points!). The gameplay is very innovative, and the potential for this system is really big.”
    • “With the quite sizable armory you build up, missable weapons and armor, and alternate endings and mission choices, the game has quite a huge amount of replay value.”
    • “For $5, it's okay, just don't expect a whole lot of replayability.”
    • “The story is fairly cliché, but it does offer branching paths that not only change the overall difficulty of the game but give it replay value and a feel that the player is somewhat in control.”
    • “Adding to the replayability.”
  • atmosphere
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its vibrant worldbuilding and immersive diesel-punk aesthetic, enhanced by striking visual effects and detailed mechanics. While the narrative can be disjointed and difficult to follow, the overall setting and mood contribute to a unique and engaging experience. Players appreciate the combination of atmospheric art, a moody soundtrack, and dynamic gameplay, making it a standout feature despite some challenges in gameplay difficulty.

    • “It has incredible atmosphere, such vibrant worldbuilding with such little dialog and exposition.”
    • “The art and atmosphere are fantastic, very satisfying yet somewhat sluggish physics-based combat, but don't try to make sense of the plot.”
    • “Putting aside the personal dislike of the game's overall atmosphere, I find that the gameplay itself is rather hard and very unforgiving.”
    • “The atmosphere, setting, and central mechanics are very good though; this game really deserves to be fixed.”
    • “Smoke and spark effects and plenty of gears and mechanical details sell the diesel-punk atmosphere.”
  • humor
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in Hammerfight is characterized by its clever and absurd physics-based mechanics, leading to hilarious moments such as outrageous enemy interactions and amusing glitches. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke laughter through its chaotic gameplay and quirky design, despite acknowledging its clumsy controls and technical issues. Overall, the game is seen as a source of fun and laughter, making it an entertaining experience.

    • “The game has hilarious moments, a requisite for all good games.”
    • “It's also quite hilarious to ram enemies with 100,000,000 sharpness shields, get free hammer coins, or have the arena announcer call you absurd names.”
    • “Hammerfight is fun and funny - I literally laughed out loud when first playing this game.”
  • grinding
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly frustrating and tedious, often requiring excessive repetition and convoluted methods for item management. Many recommend avoiding traditional gem farming in favor of editing, as the game's design choices lead to a challenging experience that feels more punishing than rewarding. Overall, the grinding mechanics detract from the enjoyment and flow of gameplay.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I'd recommend not farming them and just editing them onto your weapons once you finish the main story.”
    • “However, the gameplay was just overly frustrating and tedious.”
    • “It's full of perplexing design choices: really hard at the beginning, need 2 mice to trade items between profiles, can't un-equip gems without editing the game files, gem farming is really tedious, can't manually select levels in the arena, runs at 50 fps (why?), need to play through multiple times to unlock every game mode and weapon, and the giant HUD gets in the way a lot because the game is locked at 800x600.”
    • “I enjoy a good challenge, but to go from levels that were challenging but possible to achieve in, at most, two or three repeats to something that a full day of cursing, teeth-grinding toil couldn't conquer isn't so much challenging as it is frustrating... and, of course, due to the game's linear nature, it makes it impossible to continue the game.”
  • emotional
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a mix of frustration and emotional engagement with the game, highlighting a compelling story that evokes strong feelings, particularly towards the end. However, the challenging gameplay and control issues can lead to feelings of anger and punishment, detracting from the overall emotional experience.

    • “It has a good story; the end almost made me cry.”
    • “Not only was this rather rage-inducing, but it made me feel like I was being punished by the game for simply playing it.”
    • “The controls made me cry.”
Skip Critic Reviews

60%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy Hammerfight

2h Median play time
2h Average play time
1-2h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Hammerfight

Games Like Hammerfight

Cortex Command Image
66%3.4kreviews

Cortex Command

2012Shooter
PCMac OSWindows
Overgrowth Image
70%7.1kreviews

Overgrowth

2017Tactical Hack and Slash
LinuxPCMac OS+3
Forced Image
73%2.3kreviews

Forced

2013Hack and Slash
LinuxPCWii U+8
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Image
90%48.6kreviews

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

2023Action
PCWindows
LUFTRAUSERS Image
89%3.4kreviews

LUFTRAUSERS

2014Arcade Simulation
Playstation 3LinuxPC+8
More games like Hammerfight
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Hammerfight is a arcade hack and slash game with fantasy and historical themes.

Hammerfight is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 2 hours playing Hammerfight.

Hammerfight was released on October 28, 2009.

Hammerfight was developed by Konstantin Koshutin.

Hammerfight has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Hammerfight is a single player game.

Similar games include Cortex Command, Overgrowth, Forced, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, LUFTRAUSERS and others.