If the twenty person wait to play Nidhogg was indicative of anything, it was that the competitive nature of Messhof’s Nidhogg is both a crowd pleaser and a genuinely compelling game.

What looks like the simple button mashing of two players is actually a complex mix of fencing, running, jumping and outsmarting your opponent. Played with NES controllers, the game is fantastic for two players. You subtly adjust the height of your blade with a tap of up and down, and from a distance you can even toss your blade to impale your opponent from afar.

The goal in the game is to reach the end of the level, in your assigned direction. One player is bright yellow and the other bright orange. Each player runs to either the right or left, and the opponent is tasked with stopping them. So whoever gains the upper hand in the starting battle gets the chance to run towards their goal. But the opposing player will always respawn in their way and try to regain the advantage and move the playing field in the opposite direction.

This tug-of-war is fantastic. From clever stabs to lucky tosses, every lethal action in Nidhogg is overflowing with excellent gameplay. When one player finally reaches the end of the game world, they’re devoured by a giant worm and declared the winner. But the game is balanced well enough that this is generally no easy feat and the back and forth slash fest can linger on and on.

The entire experience is painted in a simplistic style that ranges from hallucinogenic clouds racing across the sky to a giant chandelier dangling over the players. And the stark contrast of the bright character sprites makes the tasks all memorable.

Nidhogg took home the IGF Award in the Nuovo category and was also nominated for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize and the award for Excellence in Design.

The game is scheduled for release on PC and Mac…someday. I for one want to start stabbing my friends immediately.