How to play › ADVENTURE
THORNBACK
The village pays in salt and the beasts pay in blood. Thornback is a monster-hunting action game: six beasts across six hunting grounds, three weapons, and a village that grows with every beast that falls.
PLAY NOW ▶The goal
Slay the beast and carve it for parts. Parts feed the forge and the armoury, which make you stronger for the next, tougher hunt. Beat all six beasts, and then take on the long hunts.
How a hunt plays
From the village QUEST BOARD pick a beast and a weapon. The beasts open one at a time, starting with THORNBACK, then GLOOMWING and IRONMAW, and on past the marsh, the ice and the burning mountain. You carry a blade that chains three cuts and leaves a bleed, a maul that breaks a windup, or a bow that reaches what flies (hold to draw, release to loose). Every beast is weak to one weapon, and the quest board tells you which.
In the fight, read the beast's tells. Roll into an attack at the last instant for a PERFECT. Landing hits builds FOCUS, and when it is full you can unleash your weapon's focus art. Beasts take double damage while STUNNED or VULNERABLE, and a beast that steps on your snare is stunned. You also carry potions and whetstones. If you run out of hearts you are carted back to the village, with no parts for the hunt.
Between hunts, spend parts at the FORGE and craft armour at the ARMOURY; each piece of armour, made from one beast's parts, has its own effect.
Controls
| Keyboard | Pad | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Arrows | Stick / d-pad | Move |
| Z | A | Attack (bow: hold to draw, release to loose) |
| X | B | Roll |
| Space | START | Use the selected item |
| Q / E | L / R | Pick an item: potion, snare, whetstone |
| C | C | Focus art, when FOCUS is full |
On a phone or tablet, a see-through joystick and A, B, C, L, R and SPACE buttons appear over the game and do the same as the keys above.
Gamepad: the stick or d-pad moves and the buttons follow the Pad column (Start is START). Esc, P or Back pauses, and the HOW TO PLAY button over the game shows the basics any time.
Modes
- Hunts: the six beasts, one after another. Once you have slain a beast you can take its ELDER hunt: more health, more parts and a trophy with a lasting perk.
- THE LONG NIGHT and THE ASH VIGIL: three beasts in a row, with hearts carrying over between them. They open as you slay the beasts.
- THE ENDLESS SEASON: beast after beast, each tougher than the last.
- DAILY HUNT: see below.
Mastery stars
Each star pays tickets the first time you earn it.
- Bronze: First Carve: slay and carve any beast.
- Silver: Six for the Salt Road: slay all six beasts.
- Gold: Keeper of the Ash Vigil: finish the Ash Vigil.
Daily challenge
Yes. The DAILY HUNT opens after your first Thornback kill. It is one beast plus a twist, on a fixed kit with no forge, armour or trophies, so everyone starts equal. A quick kill with hearts and potions left scores best.
Beginner tips
- Check the quest board for the beast's weakness and bring that weapon. The wrong one can glance off.
- Roll into attacks, not away from them. A last-instant roll through the hit is a PERFECT, and the roll makes you untouchable for a moment.
- Be patient with slams: wait for the beast to land, then cut.
- Lay the snare where the beast is about to charge. A stunned beast takes double damage, which is the best time for your focus art.
- Pick the next item with Q / E before the fight gets busy, so a potion is ready when you need it.