About Dusk Duel 2
Dusk Duel 2 is a free 2D fighting game that runs in the browser, the sequel to Dusk Duel. The silhouettes are back in the courtyard at the end of the day, and this time there are eight of them: Raven the rushdown blade, Onyx the all-rounder, Ember the slow heavy hitter, Vale with a staff and the longest reach, Kestrel who lives in the air, Mire the trickster who vanishes and grabs from a distance, Brand the grappler, and Lumen, the boss you unlock by clearing arcade. Every fighter shares sixteen moves (jabs, kicks, a sweep, an overhead, air attacks, a lunge, two throws and a taunt) and brings three specials, three EX versions and a super of their own.
The rules are the ones real fighting games are built on. Hold back to block, down-back for lows, standing for overheads; throws beat blocks and can be teched. A fresh tap toward the attacker just before a hit parries it and leaves them open. Blocking drains a guard gauge that crushes when it runs out. Chains cancel into specials and supers on hit, launchers lift a rival for juggles, later hits in a combo do less, and a hit during a rival's wind-up is a counter for extra damage. Meter builds as you land, take and block hits: half of it pays for an EX move, all of it for the super.
Arcade sends you up a seven-fight ladder that ends with Lumen and posts your score to the Top 10. Versus puts two people on one keyboard or two gamepads. Versus computer has four levels, from one that drops its guard to one that parries and punishes. Training shows hitboxes, inputs and frame advantage with a dummy that stands, crouches, blocks, jumps or fights back, and Survival carries your health from one rival to the next. Five stages, from the courtyard of the first game to a rooftop in the rain, synthesised sound, and nothing to install.
How to play
- Pick a mode: Arcade, Versus computer, Versus for two, Training or Survival, then a fighter and, where it asks, a rival.
- Walk with A and D, crouch with S, jump with W. Hold back to block, down-back for lows. Double-tap a direction to dash.
- J punches and K kicks. J twice is Jab then Cross, add J again for Strong; forward + J is the overhead, down + J a low jab, down-forward + J the launcher, down-forward + K the sweep.
- U is the special: neutral, forward or down give three different moves. O is the EX version once the meter is half full; Space is the super when it is full.
- I throws, back + I throws behind. Press I the instant you are grabbed to tech. Tap toward an attack at the last moment to parry it.
- On a phone the pad and buttons appear on screen; turn the phone sideways for the biggest arena. Gamepads work automatically.
Controls
| A / D | Walk; hold back to block |
|---|---|
| W / S | Jump, crouch (down-back blocks low) |
| J | Punch: Jab, Cross, Strong; forward + J overhead; down-forward + J Rising Palm |
| K | Kick: Front kick, Roundhouse; down + K low kick; down-forward + K sweep |
| U | Special (neutral, forward or down) |
| O | EX special (half the meter) |
| I | Throw; back + I back throw; press when grabbed to tech |
| Space | Super (full meter) |
| L / ; | Dash, backdash (or double-tap a direction) |
| T | Taunt |
| Esc or P | Pause |
| Player 2 | Arrows, N M , . / Enter and right Shift (or the numpad) |
| Gamepad | Pad or stick, A punch, B kick, X special, Y throw, LB EX, RB dash, RT super |
| Touch | On-screen pad and buttons on phones |
Tips
- Learn one chain first: Jab, Jab, Strong, cancelled into the forward special. It is every fighter's bread and butter.
- Blocking is free until it is not. Watch the thin guard bar under your health; when it runs low, backdash or parry instead of holding back.
- Parry with a tap, not a hold: a fresh tap toward the attacker in the last six frames before the hit, or a tap down for lows.
- Throws beat blocks, techs beat throws: press the throw button the instant you are grabbed. Brand's Vice and Mire's Snare cannot be teched, so jump or backdash when you see them start.
- Rising Palm (down-forward + J) launches. Cancel it into a special to juggle, and spend EX on the last hit, before scaling takes the damage away.
Questions
Is Dusk Duel 2 a 2 player game?
Yes. Versus puts two players on one keyboard (WASD with J K U I O and Space for player 1, the arrows with N M , . / and Enter for player 2) or on two gamepads. Online rooms are not part of this release; the first Dusk Duel keeps its room links.
What is different from the first Dusk Duel?
Eight fighters instead of three, each with three specials, EX versions and a super; a full set of normals with target chains and special cancels; high and low blocking, a parry, a guard gauge, counter-hits, throws and throw techs, juggles with damage scaling; arcade with a boss, training with hitboxes and frame advantage, survival; five stages.
How do I unlock Lumen?
Clear Arcade once with any fighter. Lumen is the boss at the top of the ladder and becomes playable after that.
How does the parry work?
Tap toward the attacker within six frames, a tenth of a second, before the hit lands while standing, or tap down for a low attack while crouching. Holding the direction does not count; it has to be a fresh tap. A parry takes no damage, gives you meter and leaves the attacker frozen for a moment.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. A pad and seven buttons appear on screen, and the phone held sideways gives the biggest arena. A gamepad connected to a phone or tablet works too.
Is there a leaderboard?
Arcade and Survival scores go to a public Top 10 under the player name you choose. Versus and Training do not post scores.