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Nidhogg

Nidhogg — Genres, rating & game data

###The experiment Experimental side-scrolling fighting game for two players developed and published by the Messhof studio. Players compete in fencing in the pixelated game world. Despite the simplicity of the concept and of the controls, the game is very competitive, and many media called the game o

Nidhogg is a fighting game developed by Messhof, 2014. It stands out for competitive gameplay and melee combat. Available in offline and multiplayer mode. With an NextGameLike Score of 85/100, it ranks as an exceptional title in our catalog.

About Nidhogg

###The experiment Experimental side-scrolling fighting game for two players developed and published by the Messhof studio. Players compete in fencing in the pixelated game world. Despite the simplicity of the concept and of the controls, the game is very competitive, and many media called the game one of the best multiplayer experience of 2014. The name is consonant with serpent from the Norse mythology Níðhöggr, the snake appears in the game, eating the winner of the duel. The game draws inspiration from the game, which was released in 1984 - Great Swordsman, and for development used software GameMaker: Studio, which is available on Steam. Who wouldn’t want to create a game where you impale a friend, eh?

###Key features Players get control over two game models that differ only in color. Controls are standard: jump, move, slide and throw the sword at your opponent. You can attack at three different heights: high, medium and low. Hit the opponent's sword to disarm the latter, and he will have to raise the sword again. The main task is to reach the end of the enemy territory. The first player who accomplished this wins. There are four different levels available for solo, local and online multiplayer. Later, the developers added new modes, like a tournament and the ability to use weapons differently.

How Nidhogg was received

Of the 7,835 Steam player reviews, 90% are positive. Critics score it 81/100 on Metacritic, reflecting a favourable reception.

Players

  • Steam players7,835 reviews90%Very positive
  • IGDB community110 reviews76/100

Critics

  • Metacritic81/100
  • OpenCritic36 reviews81/100
  • IGDB6 reviews84/100

Aggregated from public ratings on Steam, IGDB, Metacritic and OpenCritic. NextGameLike does not host its own reviews.

NextGameLike Score

85/100 ↗

Rating

👍 87%

361 votes

Type

Fighting, Sports

Released

2014

Updated May 2026

Developer

Messhof

Avg. playtime

~3h

Platforms

PC, PlayStation, Apple Macintosh

Official trailer for Nidhogg

Screenshots of Nidhogg

Nidhogg screenshot 1
Nidhogg screenshot 2
Nidhogg screenshot 3
Nidhogg screenshot 4
Nidhogg screenshot 5

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