Hi all! I just made my game public, and this is the first time I’ve shared it outside friends and family.
▶ Play free in your browser: https://melzworld.itch.io/empty-fist-taro
Empty Fist Taro is a side-scrolling beat ’em up with a full fighting-game moveset. Think River City Ransom meets Street Fighter: one road, no lanes to hide in, and enemies coming from both sides. You get two attack buttons, guard and grab, plus quarter-circle specials, throws, dive kicks and juggles. And the heart of it all: parry everything. Time it right and a knife attack becomes your opening, or an arrow flies back at the archer who shot it.
It’s a roguelite (roguelike?) at heart. Every death reveals a new technique in the Dojo, and the Jade you earn on each run buys permanent upgrades: extra hearts, new specials, Ki upgrades. Nothing makes you hit harder*, though. You get better by learning, not grinding.
- 3 levels, 6 day-and-night stages, bosses, and the Dojo Destroyer waiting at the end
- 20+ techniques on the Dojo Jade tree
- The Jade Challenge: clear it on 3 hearts or fewer for a huge payout
- Keyboard and mouse, gamepad, or touch on phones and tablets
A bit about me: I’m one person making this on nights and weekends, alongside a full-time job and a family. It started with “could I make the beat ’em up I always wanted?” I built it with AI tools (the art, the music and the code); the design, the story and every system are mine. There’s a full write-up on the game page if you’re curious. My hope is to replace EVERY SINGLE instance of AI art and music with human artists piece by piece as the game grows. IF the game grows.
It’s still in development: enemies that block, a real boss, a deeper final boss and the true ending are on the way as updates. There's a TON of stuff I want to add but it's at a great point where people can play it. I’d really love to hear what you think, especially how the parry feels and where you get stuck. Comments here, on the page, or in the Discord: https://discord.gg/enNwAyeHpR
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the game!