Valheim
Valheim
Game
Game2023
En Garde!
Developer Fireplace Games
En Garde! is a 2023 third-person action video game developed by Fireplace Games and published by Kepler Interactive. Players play as Adalia de Volador, a swashbuckler in a 17th-century setting. The game was released for Windows on August 16, 2023. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
400 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
84
LovedLoved
210 positive · 39 negative
95% range 79–88%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 210 | 39 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 38 | 1 | 78 |
| Mastodon * | 12 | 0 | 13 |
| Lemmy * | 3 | 0 | 6 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
2,839 of 3,094 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
85% recommend · 207 yes, 37 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 244 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (4,471 of 4,952 positive).
Players praise the vibrant visuals, fun combat, and lighthearted tone. [1][2][3] Many note the game is short, recommending it on sale. [4][5][6] Some reviewers criticize the simplistic story and repetitive mechanics. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [8]
It's a good amount of content for it's current 1.99 price for the game that you can finish in 2 hours. I want to like this game, but it disappointed me in many ways. The art style and the gameplay are good, but apart from that overall, it is boring. The level design is repetitive and is full of objects that you can toss around, which is the core mechanic, but once you learned all the mechanic, now it gets boring …
- [1]
This was a masterful and incredibly fun game! It always was at least a little light hearted throughout the entire time, and operated within the same level of bright and playful action as you'd expect from a morning cartoon, which was honestly quite refreshing compared to the many more violent games I have seen with similarly in-depth combat systems! The story is playful and fun, and the combat was quite a challenge …
- [5]
En Garde! is a great game with fun combat but the only major downside is how short the main story is. I managed to finish it on normal difficulty in just a handful of hours and was left wanting more once the final cutscene ended. I can easily recommend getting the game on sale due to the short runtime.
- [2]
it’s been ages since I’ve seen a game with colors so vibrant and full of life like En Garde! The visuals instantly grabbed me, but what really kept me hooked were the combat mechanics super fun and satisfying. The story, though, felt a bit too simple compared to how rich and charming the world is. The main character could’ve been a lot more developed, but honestly, the gameplay makes up for it. The dodging, …
- [17]
En Garde! feels very much like an early Xbox 360 title, but in real it's a modern indie action game that has a super inspired concept and decent enough execution. The only things that keep this game from being truly great are the stupidity of the enemy AI, the soulless looking main character model and the occasionally atrocious camera. The camera is really only a problem on "hard" difficulty since you will be …
Summarised from 34 of the 373 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
En Garde! sits at 84% positive across 249 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
En Garde! received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its swashbuckling tone, light-hearted presentation, and emphasis on environmental interaction during combat. The Guardian described the game as "fun, flamboyant, fabulous", calling it an "ultimate swashbuckling fantasy" and highlighting its theatrical combat and comedic style. Premortem Games similarly noted that En Garde! achieved "the right blend of cheesy, slapstick and endearing" elements, citing its use of interactive arenas and exaggerated swordplay as key strengths. Coverage in Gayming Magazine focused on the game's inspirations and characterization, discussing the portrayal of its bisexual protagonist and the…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 400 · most liked firstAND HERE SHE IS & oh boy I think she may be one of the prettiest minis I've ever done 🥹 This lovely Lady is Carmilla the Guardianess of the deep from John Blanche's new game En Garde and she was SO FUN to paint!! Anyways I'm SUPER pleased with her and I hope you love her too 🩵💙💚
positive · AI labelView post →"Why isn't there any musketeer video game?" 🤺 In 2017, as a game design student, I pitched a game inspired by The Three Musketeers. This game turned into En Garde!, which we released in 2023 ✨ Despite that, I'm still asking that same question to this day. Thread 🧵
neutral · AI labelView post →A while ago I learned of this neat little game called En Garde, and due to the main character - Adalia de Volador - her penchant for style and sass, I thought it'd be a fun idea to have Rey dress up like that. So here we have that, painted by @juliathedragoncat.bsky.social! :D
neutral · AI labelView post →Tonight’s game - En Garde!
neutral · AI labelView post →I painted another commission for John Blanche, this time on of the new as yet unreleased figures for his upcoming game, En Garde. John supplied the base. The crystals glow in the dark so I thought it would be a good opportunity to do a photography effect! #engarde #en_garde
neutral · AI labelView post →My latest video is about an upcoming miniatures game with rules by Toumas Pirinen and a world created by a Warhammer legend! John Blanche's En Garde | A Game of Fantasy Duels youtu.be/axFfO_KxAwg
neutral · AI labelView post →Four of @northstarfigs.bsky.social new King's Musketeers figures, finished ready for a game of En Garde on Thursday. Really enjoyable figures to paint.
neutral · AI labelView post →En Garde is flavour of the month at the moment. For tonight's game Jon fielded an elite warband and it made for a very different fight. The musketeers were defeated, but lessons have been learned. We're still really enjoying exploring this new (to us) game.
neutral · AI labelView post →[Prime/GOG] En Garde!. Swashbuckling indie adventure for Windows, free on GOG for Amazon Prime subscribers until 13th November >En Garde! is an action-adventure game that offers players the chance to step into the boots of Adalia de Volador, a legendary swashbuckling hero, in a fantasized vision of the 17th century. Players can embark on daring escapades filled with charm and humor, challenge the treachery of the cruel Count-Duke and oppose tyranny with panache! >Featuring beautifully painted…
neutral · AI labelView post →I love the concept of En Garde! but after playing the game I think I love the concept far more than the game itself does. Letting AAA/Sifu-isms affect the main gimmick of the game by having all items auto target was IMO a huge mistake esp with how insanely strong items are to begin with
negative · AI labelView post →I‘m remaking Assassins Creed II. Theres more bodice ripping and it cross-cuts between the Animus and the present day like it’s a remedy game. gondolas would require singing IRL to move. The combat would be inspired by En Garde. oh, and you’re invisible on rooftops; you’re welcome
neutral · AI labelView post →It's a good amount of content for it's current 1.99 price. There are some issues here and there but overall nothing really overstays it's welcome. Pick it up on sale and just have a nice indie action game for the price of a bean burrito at taco bell.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very rarely a game comes along that feels like it's been made just for you. And in my case that's swashbuckling queer lady adventure En Garde! My review:
positive · AI labelView post →En Garde! - Release date announcement. The demo for this game was pretty lovely, I'll keep an eye on it.
positive · AI labelView post →Extremely proud to present a new character for John Blanche's En Garde, the game of furious duels! It was done by the incredibly talented Thomas Elliott, and he is based one someone you may know from your gaming hobby journey... Links to the game pages below...
neutral · AI labelView post →My advocate is on side. My rheumatologist is on side. My local specialist clinic is on side. It's game on, DWP. EN GARDE.
neutral · AI labelView post →En Garde! - Steamdeck. My Steamdeck didn't really do this one justice, but the game is seriously fun to look at. Definitely not the most demanding game but the art direction is second to none.
positive · AI labelView post →This was a masterful and incredibly fun game! It always was at least a little light hearted throughout the entire time, and operated within the same level of bright and playful action as you'd expect from a morning cartoon, which was honestly quite refreshing compared to the many more violent games I have seen with similarly in-depth combat systems! The story is playful and fun, and the combat was quite a challenge to adapt to for me! I play plenty of games that use different controls for…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is short, but the content is very dense. It's filled with pretty environments, fun mechanics, an amazing combat system, some good replayability and a fun little story to present everything with. Absolutely recommended just to mess around with the combat, especially so if it's on sale.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had a brief chat recently with John Blanche about some of the inspirations on his work over the years and his involvement in the new game John Blanche's En Garde. I found it absolutely fascinating and it is available to watch right now on my patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/john-b...
neutral · AI labelView post →The mighty John Blanche recently joined me to reflect on the inspirations in his career & talk about his latest work: the 54mm duelling game John Blanche's En Garde. Our extended conversation is now available exclusively to my Patreon supporters: www.patreon.com/posts/john-b... #WarhammerCommunity
neutral · AI labelView post →Masterclass in Combat Flow Fascinating to see such a small game understand the concept of combat flow and depth and provide a real challenge rather than a fake or superficial one, better than most big budget games. Not many combat systems allow for this much player expression. Not only are the base mechanics good, but the combat arenas are also designed in such a way that you always have a way to deal with a problem. It's just a matter of how you do it. The question is never "is it possible"…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In 2024, there STILL isn't any musketeer game. Because En Garde! is not a proper "musketeer" game in the end. It doesn't star a crew of french braggart noblemen. We set the action in Spain, and our protagonist is a vigilante, closer to Zorro than to d'Artagnan. 2/24
neutral · AI labelView post →En Garde! - Release date announcement. The demo for this game was pretty lovely, I'll keep an eye on it.
positive · AI labelView post →En Garde! is a great game with fun combat but the only major downside is how short the main story is. I managed to finish it on normal difficulty in just a handful of hours and was left wanting more once the final cutscene ended. I can easily recommend getting the game on sale due to the short runtime.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So, there's still no proper musketeer game then. En Garde! isn't one. Why isn't anyone else doing it? I've been wondering for years. Apart from a bunch of obscure abandonware, it's still an unexplored setting. 16/24
neutral · AI labelView post →I think the two “Learn this or lose” games I’d suggest are probably Nine Sols or Sekiro, with the caveat that they are only useful if “walk away” is not just as doable an option. For something a little more basic, God of War Ragnarok or a recentish indie game called En Garde are good primers.
neutral · AI labelView post →Mechtober 16: @michaelastackpole.bsky.social Might gin up some art, IDK, not feeling great today, off to a slow start. Not my 1st Battletech Novel, the Warrior Trilogy WERE #2-4. Mike has been the definitive Narrative Crafter of the Game & I consider him a friend. Here's my signed 1ed En Garde.
neutral · AI labelView post →En Garde! is a single-player, indie action-adventure game which combines fast-paced swordplay with third person platforming and an engaging, stylised story containing many comedic elements. This is defined by a strong, charismatic female protagonist (Adalia de Volador!) and inspirational themes throughout its campaign. The game is suitable for all ages; you can make it as easy as you want with its curated accessibility options, or you can make it genuinely challenging by selecting Hard mode…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →En Garde is an exciting combat-focused swashbuckling game. Think sword-fighting, acrobatics, taking advantage of the environment, witty banter and comedy slapstick. Or Errol Flynn, Zorro or Pirates of the Caribbean movies. You mostly duel two or more opponents at a time in an enclosed area with lots of interactable props, such as pots, tables and barrels. It's tough to tackle several enemies at once, but your ingenuity and agility can compensate so you can split them up and eliminate them…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Steam Summer Sale 2025 - 15 Hidden Indie Gems. The 15 games mentioned in the video, each with a short description/review segment: - Unbox: Newbie's Adventeure - Utopia Must Fall - Chroma Squad - Shadow Gambit - En Garde! - Tinykin - Our Adventurer Guild - Timespinner - Renowned Explorers - The Brutale - Wintermoor Tactics Club - Unsighted - Wayhaven Chronicles - Demon Turf - Roadwarden
neutral · AI labelView post →In the early 2000's, and despite Antonio Banderas' best efforts as Zorro, classic Swashbuckler films had fallen out of fashion. This was until... 2003, when Pirates of the Caribbean came out! Remember how kids described En Garde! as a "pirate game"? 19/24
neutral · AI labelView post →Weekend PC Game Deals: Freebies from Ubisoft, massive charity bundles, and a lot more. Big Deals - Xenonauts 2 – $29.99 on Steam - Old World – $29.99 on Steam - Terra Invicta – $27.99 on Steam - ICARUS – $23.44 on Steam - Eternights – $20.09 on Steam - Evil West – $19.99 on Humble Store - Jurassic World Evolution 2 – $17.99 on Steam - Terra Nil – $17.49 on Steam - Gunsmith Simulator – $15.79 on Steam - The Planet Crafter – $14.99 on Steam - Volcanoids – $13.99 on Steam - Car Mechanic Simulator…
neutral · AI labelView post →It's a good amount of content for it's current 1.99 price for the game that you can finish in 2 hours. I want to like this game, but it disappointed me in many ways. The art style and the gameplay are good, but apart from that overall, it is boring. The level design is repetitive and is full of objects that you can toss around, which is the core mechanic, but once you learned all the mechanic, now it gets boring because the game has only one attack button and no moves. You can just throw…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →En Garde is a delightful little game, highly recommended
positive · AI labelView post →With En Garde!, we wanted to pay homage to the swashbuckler genre as a whole. We chose to set the game in 17th century Spain, because the genre initially came from here ("comedia de capa y espada" were theater plays from that period). 12/24
neutral · AI labelView post →En Garde! a new slapstick (!) swashbuckling (!!) action game from @FireplaceGames just dropped, and I am doing a sponsored stream of it! Come for the action, stay to see how many attempts it takes me to say "slapstick swashbuckling" without messing up https://www.twitch.tv/the_jenna
neutral · AI labelView post →I got this on sale for $5, and I got (at least!) 9 incredibly solid hours of PS3-era swashbuckling. Granted: there are only four episodes to play, and achievements for beating each in under 30 minutes. A lot of my time was spent intentionally meandering about the exotic maps, reading the tidbits of ongoing lore and rumors, and enjoying the surprisingly fun Arena Mode! If you want to train yourself for parrying (since a hysterical amount of games seem to include those mechanics nowadays)?…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →it’s been ages since I’ve seen a game with colors so vibrant and full of life like En Garde! The visuals instantly grabbed me, but what really kept me hooked were the combat mechanics super fun and satisfying. The story, though, felt a bit too simple compared to how rich and charming the world is. The main character could’ve been a lot more developed, but honestly, the gameplay makes up for it. The dodging, parrying, and overall flow of combat are just spot-on. I loved it so much that I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"functional but easily reconfigured systems with room for improvement" Once again, I must return to En Garde and its house ruling committee. "This game is good, but why is it about 17th century France rather than Glorantha/Lovecraftian students/the Vatican?"
neutral · AI labelView post →EN GARDE! Keep your head in the game, readers, or you might just miss your chance! Today is the final day to pre-order: 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗜 𝗟𝗔𝗬 𝗠𝗬 𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗨𝗣𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗘 𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗘 𝟭 𝗙𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: 𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗦𝗜𝗫𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗘 𝟭 boomstud.io/FOC
neutral · AI labelView post →En Garde is a fun and funny swashbuckling immersive simulator with a lesbian Spaniard. Definitely worth your time. store.steampowered.com/app/1654660/...
positive · AI labelView post →someone put it well, this is NOT a fencing game, its a horde managment game. (imagine CoD zombies but you only have your knife) as much as i want to leave a positive review, as the game first struck me as very fun, it quickly turned into a frustrating experience. the game leanes VERY HEAVILY into using your enviorment to win battles (esp "boss" fights), and takes away most of the need to use your sword for anything but to finish enemies off that have been damaged by enviormental means. one of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is, literally, an interactive homage to classic swashbuckling films and works, and a love letter to Spanish culture; more of an experience than just a game, where comedy abounds, as do challenging fights. And here, the thrill of the fights lies in how well you know how to handle your parries and your surroundings! Starting as a university project in 2017, and later arriving as the final product that many of us know, En Garde! revives the satirical humor of classic literary and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game definitely gave a breath of fresh air because of the emphasis on the enemy stun mechanics using the environmental objects. Other than that, it's just a Ghost of Tsushima style parry dodge focused combat but the visual presentation, funny voice acting and excellent combat encounters carry the game. A must play if you are looking to play short indie action games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love ER and DS but have always wished for a Soulslike that wasn't so dark and depressing. A title with FromSoft depth and a WoW-like palette and storytelling would be dream game for me. En Garde does not have the depth. Your starting sword will carry you through the entire game, and you never upgrade it. There are no equipment or stats. If you come from FromSoft titles, you might find En Garde easy, even on Hard mode. But this game has so many other things going for it: a lively…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New Chibi! This one is to commemorate my 100% on steam for En Garde! It's also a game I used to speedrun so it has a special place in my heart along with Little Kitty Big City and Bioshock.
positive · AI labelView post →Short and fun fencing action game. It's about 2h but there's plenty of secrets, challenges, and a separate arena mode to keep you busy after the story ends. Charming cast of characters and funny dialogues help keep things light even on the hardest challenges.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice little game, that you can finish in just one session. I really liked the fighting mechanics, devs knew what they were doing and how to make the core gameplay fun. The story and characters are fun as well, although you shouldn't expect anything to deep. You are just a bad ass with your sword, making fun of your enemies. I bought it on sale after watching Iron Pineapple's video on the game and would recommend the very same to you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun little game, nice visuals, funny, with some challenge, but, overall quite short. Worth a buy on sale.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ran a very special session of En-Garde x MEATHEADS where i set a randomized timer that would go off and we’d scrambled to switch systems and changed outfits. some of the most fun ive had in ages. #osr #ttrpg
neutral · AI labelView post →Thus we are happy to announce that we’ve opened Pre-Orders for all of the En Garde models on Backerkit so those who want to join the campaign of John's final game. Note that the 1 dollar level comes with no rewards, so ignore it. Art from the forthcoming game by Eva Giunchi! Link next!
neutral · AI labelView post →Joining Wavetale, En Garde! has also decided to hit the "basically free" level of discount. Pretty hard to say no. #blutoid
neutral · AI labelView post →TLDR: I would recommend if it's on sale. Gameplay is fun, everything else is pretty meh. It's very short, which is fine since the gameplay is good. However, the gameplay is pretty much the saving grace of the game. The story is pretty much nonexistent, stuff just kind of happens and you have to assume it had build up somewhere else. The art style is good for the landscape and some of the characters, Adalia looks pretty bad though. The music is fine, it works for the setting but I'm not going…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →En Garde! feels very much like an early Xbox 360 title, but in real it's a modern indie action game that has a super inspired concept and decent enough execution. The only things that keep this game from being truly great are the stupidity of the enemy AI, the soulless looking main character model and the occasionally atrocious camera. The camera is really only a problem on "hard" difficulty since you will be constantly running and the camera will get glued to the wall to where you can't see…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Disappointingly short game. The second you learned the game-mechanics, it's already over. It's really a shame, bacause everything in the game is fine and fun. It's just missing content, more enemies, levels etc. Get this game in a sale and you won't be disappointed.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I found En Garde to be an arcade version of the "repeat until perfected" model of game design. The combat is fast-paced, built for controllers, and a stylish change of pace from the typical fighting game. The art direction, writing, and acting are hilarious and fun! I would ❤️ to see a return to this "student project" provide slightly better tuning on the enemy AI & object pick-up mechanics that Sifu seemed to perfect.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →En Garde! ($4.99) A short but sweet swashbuckler game. The main order of business here is environmental manipulation, using everything around you to throw off groups of enemies & break their defense or take them out. A playground for making cool things happen store.steampowered.com/app/1654660/...
positive · AI labelView post →TLDR: En Garde! features likable characters, a light-hearted, stylistic premise and setting, and gameplay that becomes increasingly frustrating and tedious. GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW: En Garde is a third-person melee fighting game set in a Renaissance-ish Spain. The protagonist, Adalia De Volodor, has made it her mission to bring down the evil Count Duke and his minions, and help the poor. Controls are intuitive and minimal. The game recommends a controller but I had little trouble with Kb/M. As…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Voting Gauntlet: En Garde, Ready... is live! Win battles to increase your army's score, and complete quests to earn in-game rewards like Orbs, Divine Codes (Ephemera 3), Sacred Coins, and Refining Stones! #FEHeroes See Voting Gauntlet progress here: support.fire-emblem-heroes.com/voting_gaunt...
neutral · AI labelView post →
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