Knight Game

Knight Game is a cartoon side-scrolling platformer starring a little knight with a sword, a shield and a quick dash. Run and jump through 12 levels across three worlds, the Castle, the Forest and the Dragon’s Keep, collect gems, and finish with a boss fight against a friendly dragon who just wants to play. It’s family friendly: there is no blood, and defeated enemies pop into a burst of stars. Play Knight Game online free in your browser, on a keyboard or a touch screen.

How to play

Reach the castle door at the end of each level to clear it and unlock the next one on the world map.

• Move and jump: use the arrow keys or A and D to run, and Space, W or Up to jump. Tap jump for a short hop or hold it for a full jump. Jumps are forgiving: you can still jump just after running off a ledge, and a jump pressed just before landing still counts.
• Sword: press J or X to swing. Keep pressing to chain three swings. The third swing reaches further and hits twice as hard.
• Shield: hold K or C to raise the shield. It blocks attacks from the front but slows you. Raise it just as a hit lands and you parry instead: the shield flashes yellow, the attacker is stunned, and fireballs pop harmlessly.
• Dash: press L or Shift for a quick burst forward. You can’t be hit during a dash, and you get one dash per jump while in the air.
• Checkpoints and hearts: touch the flag halfway through a level to set a checkpoint. Falling into a pit costs a heart and puts you back at the checkpoint. If you run out of hearts you are knocked out and try again from the checkpoint, keeping the gems you had when you reached it.

Press P or Esc to pause. The game also pauses by itself when you switch tabs.

Enemies and their tells

• Slimes squish and wobble for a moment, then hop toward you. Two normal hits pop them.
• Bats hang in the air until you come close, then flash red eyes and a “!” before they swoop straight at the spot where you were standing. One hit pops them, or parry the swoop to stun them in midair.
• Armored beetles rear up with a “!” and then charge. Their armored face shrugs off sword hits with a clank, so you need another way in. Parry the charge to flip a beetle onto its back, where it takes double damage, or hit it from behind or while it’s dizzy after a charge.

Beetles first show up in the Forest, where the gaps also get wider, and they are the most common enemy in the Dragon’s Keep.

The dragon

The last level of the Dragon’s Keep is a single arena with Sparky the dragon. Sparky repeats three moves, each with a tell:

• Fireballs: its mouth glows, then it lobs three fireballs in arcs. Block them with the shield or parry them.
• Swoop: it flaps its wings and lifts off, then flies low across the arena. Block it or dash through it.
• Tail sweep: its tail rises and glows red, then a sweep runs along the ground toward you. Jump over it.

After all three moves Sparky gets tired, lies down and dozes off for a few seconds with its tail flat on the ground. That glowing tail tip is the only place your sword counts, since hits to its body just bounce off. Each round Sparky gets a little faster. Empty the bar at the top of the screen and the dragon flies away happy.

Gems and upgrades

Gems you pick up are banked when you clear a level, and you can replay any unlocked level for more. On the world map, spend them on an extra heart (25 gems, then 45, up to five hearts) or a stronger sword (40 gems) that doubles your damage. Progress and upgrades are saved in your browser.

Tips

• Practice the parry on beetles. A parried beetle is flipped for a couple of seconds and takes double damage, which is the fastest way past them.
• Buy hearts first. An extra heart makes the Dragon’s Keep far more forgiving.

FAQ

Is Knight Game free to play?

Yes. It’s completely free with no account and no install.

How many levels are there?

There are 12 levels in three worlds of four: the Castle (1-1 to 1-4), the Forest (2-1 to 2-4) and the Dragon’s Keep (3-1 to 3-3 plus the dragon arena).

Does it work on a phone or Chromebook?

Yes. Phones get on-screen arrows plus Jump, Sword, Shield and Dash buttons, and touching the game never scrolls the page.

Want more running and jumping? Try the Platformer, or race the classic Dino Run.