Fletchbound.

How to play Fletchbound

1. Press Play Survival to begin. The Arena button offers Lantern Grove, Tidal Harbour and Copper Canyon. Co-op and Versus show their shared-device controls before the fight.
2. Drag back from anywhere in your control area. Pull down to shoot higher or up to shoot lower. A longer pull gives more speed. Release to fire, then draw again when the bow is ready.
3. Watch incoming arrows and press Space or Jump to evade them. Keep an eye on the energy bar so that a rapid burst does not leave you unable to jump.
4. Shoot a supply charm to restore health or energy. Try heads against armoured enemies, and cut a rope when the suspended crate can fall onto an opponent.
5. Pick an unlocked arrow from the quiver or use keys 1–6. After the run, open the Workshop to choose ammunition and spend tokens on training for the next run.
6. Try local Co-op or Versus with a friend. Open More modes for the turn-based ladder, Daily Duel, pass-and-play matches and practice Range.

Make your move

About Fletchbound

Fletchbound is an original real-time bow and arrow game with carved wooden archers and a little mischief in every shot. Pull back, watch the bow bend, and release an arrow across a painted grove, harbour or canyon. You can start drawing again before the first arrow lands. The other archer is doing the same, so choosing when to jump matters as much as choosing where to aim. Arrows strike the moving head, torso and limbs rather than an invisible box at the starting position. A hard hit loosens the joints, and a defeated rival tumbles from its perch with the arrows still attached.

Survival starts with one CPU opponent and builds into busier waves with changing heights. Scouts move and jump when a shaft approaches. Guards protect their bodies with armour, making an accurate head shot especially useful. Every fifth wave brings a larger Warden with more health. Later waves place several enemies at different elevations, asking you to choose who to finish first. Defeated opponents are replaced without a turn screen. Health carries into the next wave, so an easy victory and a costly victory lead to different situations. Computer-controlled opponents are labelled CPU, Scout, Armoured or Warden.

Every shot draws from the mint energy bar, which recovers steadily while you play. A jump costs twelve energy. Reed arrows cost ten, while more elaborate ammunition costs up to twenty-four. Floating supply charms make resource management part of the aiming game: a warm plus restores up to thirty health, a mint lightning charm restores up to forty-five energy, and a gold charm gives both. The arrow continues after collecting a charm, so a good line can recover resources and hit a rival. A hanging crate offers another target. Cut its rope and it drops onto any archer underneath, including your own.

The Workshop turns earned knockouts into a choice of equipment. Ember unlocks after one total knockout and adds a short burn. Frost unlocks after three and slows an enemy’s movement and drawing. Threefold unlocks after six and sends three weaker arrows in a narrow fan. Storm unlocks after ten and arcs an impact to another nearby opponent. Ironleaf unlocks after fifteen, ignores armour and continues through its first target. Choose unlocked ammunition from the quiver during a run. Tokens also buy up to five levels of health, maximum energy, arrow damage and energy recovery. Training takes effect on the next Survival or Co-op run; no purchase or advert is required.

Local multiplayer happens at the same time. In Co-op, two players face the waves together, their arrows pass through each other, and a fallen partner returns with partial health if the other player clears the wave. Versus is a direct first-knockout duel with equal health, standard Reed arrows and no training advantage. Both modes work with separate keyboard controls or touch drags on opposite halves of the screen. Each touch player has a Jump button. Upright phones keep both camps in view, while a sideways phone or fullscreen gives the archers more room. There are no online rooms or remote opponents.

The quieter original collection remains under More modes. It includes a twelve-rival turn-based ladder, an untimed nine-arrow Range with undo, a seeded Daily Duel, and pass-and-play matches. These challenges retain their original wind, rope, shot-clock and scoring rules. Their saved ladder stars and medals remain separate from Survival progress. The new Workshop, unlocked arrows, tokens, settings and best runs are stored in this browser. Leaving the tab pauses the fight and waits for an explicit resume. Reduced-motion settings remove screen shake, particle bursts and moving trails while keeping the game readable.

A little help for your next high score

• Start with moderate power and adjust the angle after the first shot. A short dotted guide shows the beginning of the path while drawing, without concealing the target.
• Jump when the returning arrow approaches, rather than immediately after every release. A jump moves your body; it does not make you invulnerable.
• Armour protects the torso most strongly. Aim at the head or switch to Ironleaf after earning it. Threefold helps cover a moving scout, but costs more energy.
• Shoot a mint supply charm before the energy bar empties. Gold charms recover health and energy together, and your arrow can continue through to a rival.
• Use Co-op to cover different threats. If your partner falls, concentrate on clearing the remaining enemies so they can return at the next wave.

Good questions