DinoBlade is a Soulslike action game with a simple hook that sets it apart. You do not play a knight or a hollowed warrior. You play a dinosaur that fights with a sword clenched in its mouth, dodging and slashing through other armed prehistoric beasts.
Quick answer: DinoBlade is a Soulslike where you control a sword-wielding dinosaur. It released on Steam on July 23, and a free demo is available to try before buying.
What DinoBlade is
The playable character is a Spinosaurus-like creature that carries a large, flaming black greatsword in its jaws. It moves through sandy canyons, misty caves, and foggy valleys, fighting groups of smaller raptor-type enemies and large armed bosses along the way.
The combat follows familiar Soulslike rules. You manage a health bar and a mana bar, dodge incoming attacks, and land sword strikes to whittle down enemy health. Checkpoints anchor your progress, and you can hold a teleport input to return to the last checkpoint.
Note: DinoBlade should not be confused with Dinosword, a separate retro-style 2D platformer about a green dinosaur named Chompy. They share a theme but are different games.
How combat works
Basic fights center on quick slashing combos that leave a fire trail from the sword. Enemies stagger and bleed as you hit them, with damage numbers popping on screen. Against packs of smaller foes, a spinning slash clears several at once.
You also have skill slots tied to mana. One of these is a fire area-of-effect attack that creates a large explosion, useful for wiping out grouped enemies. Dodging is essential during boss fights, since heavy attacks create shockwaves and blast zones across the ground.
When a boss health bar empties, the action slows and a “FINISH HIM” prompt appears, letting you perform a finishing move to end the fight.
Bosses you fight
Boss encounters are the core challenge. Each one is a large dinosaur wielding its own weapon and a distinct set of attacks.
| Boss | What it uses |
|---|---|
| Axe | A Carnotaurus-like dinosaur with a double-headed battle axe. Summons fireballs, spins to create ground shockwaves, and lands a ground-slam that bursts into a white explosion. |
| Kasei the Tyrant | A massive feathered white Tyrannosaurus Rex that swings a spiked club made from an Ankylosaurus tail. Its tail-club slam sends out a fiery shockwave. |
| Kira | A named boss battle encountered later in the run. |
Skill tree, attributes, and skill points
Progression runs through two menus. Press TAB to open the Skill Tree, then switch to the Attributes tab to spend points on your core stats.
Attributes cover Health, Damage, Mana, and Stamina. You raise them by spending attribute points earned as you level up, so a fresh set of points can push all four numbers higher at once.
The Skill Tree holds four active abilities. Each is locked behind a level requirement before you can unlock it.
| Skill | Unlock requirement |
|---|---|
| MeteorSlice | Level 10 |
| MeteorDash | Level 10 |
| AlphaRoar | Level 10 |
| MeteorZone | Level 10 |
Beyond normal XP, you gather skill points (SP) out in the world. Giant dinosaur skeletons glow with green wisps, and interacting with them adds skill points to your total. Bosses also award a separate Boss SP that feeds the same tree.
Where to play DinoBlade
DinoBlade is on Steam, where the full game released on July 23. A free demo is also available, so you can test the combat and fight the early bosses before deciding to buy the full version.
If you want the shortest path in, start with the demo to learn the dodge-and-slash rhythm and the finishing-move timing. Those fundamentals carry directly into the full release, where the skill tree and attribute upgrades open up as you level past the early bosses.
