En Garde

En Garde! is a third-person PC swordplay action-adventure from Fireplace Games, built around fast fencing, comic timing, and improvised environmental combat. The current Steam and GOG listings use the same En Garde! name, with no verified rebrand or replacement edition. You play as Adalia de Volador, a flamboyant swashbuckler opposing the cruel Count-Duke through story episodes and replayable arena challenges.

The game is deliberately compact and focused. It does not use character classes, loot tiers, or open-world progression. Instead, its appeal comes from learning how to read enemy attacks, control crowded arenas, and turn everyday objects into part of your combat toolkit.

Fencing, Footwork, and Crowd Control

Combat revolves around a compact set of actions: attack, parry, dodge, and kick. Parrying an incoming strike can create an opening for a riposte, while dodging helps Adalia reposition when several guards attack at once. The system is less about memorizing long combo strings and more about choosing the correct response under pressure.

Enemies are not simply targets waiting to be defeated one at a time. Their attacks, positioning, and relationships with nearby guards force you to manage the whole encounter. A clean duel can become chaotic when another opponent joins in, so spacing and awareness matter as much as sword timing.

Adalia's Panache Meter rewards stylish play and unlocks special skills. This gives successful parries, attacks, and creative combat decisions a direct purpose beyond survival. The result is a combat loop that encourages you to fight with flair rather than repeatedly using the safest basic strike.

Players who enjoy precision-focused action such as environmental beat 'em ups like SIFU will recognize the importance of timing and positioning, although En Garde! uses a lighter, more theatrical tone and places greater emphasis on improvising with the arena.

The Arena Is Part of the Moveset

The defining feature of En Garde! is its interactive combat design. Barrels, crates, furniture, chandeliers, stairs, and other objects can create openings, interrupt attacks, stun guards, or help Adalia escape an unfavorable position. The environment is not decorative background scenery; it is a second moveset that expands what the protagonist can do.

Kicks are especially important because they can affect both enemies and objects. You might kick a barrel into a guard, send an opponent into a hazard, or use a prop to disrupt a group before returning to direct fencing. These interactions make crowd control feel physical and immediate.

Some encounters also ask you to understand enemy-specific behavior rather than relying on one universal defense. Certain attacks are better answered with a parry, while others demand a dodge or a change in position. The game communicates these moments through readable combat cues and contextual feedback.

That structure separates En Garde! from a conventional hack-and-slash game. Winning is often about creating a temporary advantage, using it to isolate a dangerous opponent, and then moving before the surrounding guards can close in.

Four Story Episodes and Arena Mode

The main campaign is organized into four story episodes. Each episode presents a self-contained adventure with its own locations, combat situations, characters, enemies, secrets, and challenges. The setting moves through spaces such as marketplaces, dungeons, and palaces while following Adalia's conflict with the Count-Duke.

Between fights, players can search for points of interest and hidden secrets. These discoveries add context to the world and give exploration a purpose without turning the game into a large collectible hunt.

Arena Mode provides the main replay-focused activity. It uses randomized combat scenarios, changing environmental setups, enemy waves, and unlockable modifiers. Between encounters, negative effects can make the next fight harder while positive modifiers offer new ways to build an advantage.

The campaign and arena serve different player needs. Story Episodes provide authored set pieces and character-driven progression, while Arena Mode turns the combat system into a repeatable challenge built around adaptation and experimentation.

A Swashbuckling Comedy With a Fixed Hero

Adalia de Volador is the only playable protagonist. There is no character creator or alternate hero selection, because the game is built around her established identity, movement style, dialogue, and personal story.

The tone is closer to a theatrical swashbuckling comedy than a grim historical drama. Battle banter continues during fights, and characters react to what happens around them with jokes and one-liners. The presentation treats combat as a staged spectacle without removing the need for careful reactions.

Players looking for a serious historical simulation or a deep role-playing system may find the approach too light and focused. Those who prefer a colorful single-player adventure with a strong central character, clear objectives, and expressive melee combat are more likely to appreciate its design.

The game also avoids the long-term grind common in many action titles. There are no equipment screens to manage and no broad skill-tree build to maintain. Progress comes from learning the mechanics, completing challenges, finding secrets, and becoming more efficient in the arenas.

PC Features, Controls, and Storefront Options

On Steam, full controller support, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, and Family Sharing are listed features. Fireplace Games has also confirmed official Steam Deck Verified support and display support extending from traditional aspect ratios to ultrawide screens.

Keyboard and mouse play is available on PC, while gamepad input suits the timing-sensitive combat particularly well. The fixed action set also makes the game easier to approach than a combat system built around dozens of contextual commands.

The Steam version uses the Steam client ecosystem. The GOG version is listed as DRM-free and can be installed without requiring GOG Galaxy, while Galaxy remains optional for platform features such as synchronization.

Steam lists English full audio with interface and subtitle support in English, French, German, Spanish from Spain, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Ukrainian. The storefronts identify Fireplace Games as the developer, with publishing credits involving Fireplace Games and Kepler Ghost.

Content and Editions

The standard purchase is centered on the complete single-player game, including the Story Episodes, challenges, secrets, and Arena Mode. Steam lists the game as single-player only, so there is no verified online multiplayer, local co-op, or split-screen mode.

The only separately listed game content is the En Garde! Soundtrack. Storefront bundles may package the base game with the soundtrack, but the soundtrack is an audio add-on rather than a gameplay expansion.

This makes the buying decision straightforward. Choose the Standard Edition for the game itself, or the Soundtrack Edition if you also want the accompanying music in downloadable audio form.

There is no verified alternate current title, definitive edition, free-to-play transition, or season-pass structure attached to the PC storefront listings checked for this guide.

Similar Swordplay Games on PC

En Garde! shares some combat DNA with stylized third-person sword adventures such as Trek to Yomi, particularly in its focus on reading attacks, managing distance, and making each duel feel like a deliberate exchange rather than a damage race.

It is also a useful alternative for players who like the crowd-control pressure of beat 'em ups but want a more playful setting. Unlike SIFU, En Garde! does not revolve around aging, shrine bonuses, or a martial-arts progression system. Its distinctive hook is the combination of fencing reactions and physical stage props.

For players comparing action games, the key distinction is structure. En Garde! is a focused story-and-arena experience, not an open-world adventure, a conventional Souls-like, or a loot-driven action RPG.

En Garde! FAQ

Is En Garde! still called En Garde! on PC?

Yes. The current Steam and GOG listings use En Garde! as the product name. No verified rebrand or successor storefront title was found during the current check.

Who developed and published En Garde!?

Fireplace Games developed the game. Steam credits Fireplace Games and Kepler Ghost in the publisher field, while GOG identifies the same companies in its product details.

Does En Garde! have multiplayer or co-op?

No. The PC storefront feature list identifies the game as single-player. There is no verified online multiplayer, local co-op, or split-screen mode.

What is Arena Mode in En Garde!?

Arena Mode is a replayable combat mode with randomized scenarios, enemy waves, environmental setups, and modifiers. It is designed for testing combat skill after or alongside the authored Story Episodes.

Does En Garde! support controllers and ultrawide displays?

Yes. Steam lists full controller support, and the developers confirmed Steam Deck Verified support and improvements for ultrawide displays.

Which languages are supported?

English includes full audio, interface, and subtitles. French, German, Spanish from Spain, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Ukrainian are supported for interface and subtitles.