This is an early prototype for a fighting game I'm working on. I'm not sure if the final game will be a PICO-8 title, but prototyping in PICO-8 is fast and responsive, so I'm using it to work out the mechanics. I'm opening this cart up to the public in order to get feedback on how it plays, and I'll add more to it as development continues.

At the moment only stages 0 through 2 are available. Each fighter has two meters: (G)rit [in red] and (B)reath [in yellow]. Grit is your health; run out and the stage is over. Breath is like stamina; it recharges over time. Both taking action and getting hit costs breath, and if it gets low, getting hit hurts more.

Controls

Z: Punch
X: Brace for pain (hold it down)

If you're low on breath, punching won't do as much damage.
Bracing costs breath as you hold it, but getting hit while bracing halves incoming damage.

Controls (Stage 2+)

X+< or X+>: Dodge

Dodging takes a small step left or right, which can dodge an incoming attack (negating all damage) and keep other enemies away at the same time. However, you can't dodge if you don't have enough breath, and dodging can't be done consecutively: There's a 1 second cooldown before you can dodge again.

Notes

In total, seven stages are planned, and later stages will get more complicated.

Stages 0 and 2 should be winnable; Stage 1 should not. If you can beat Stage 1 let me know; that means my code isn't working!

Thank you for playing!