Double Edged: Free 2-Player Spartan Beat ‘Em Up Game Online

Double Edged is a side-scrolling beat ’em up adventure game where two Spartan soldiers fight their way through enemy territory to rescue a kidnapped princess. Released on June 22, 2009 by Nitrome, the game pulls heavy inspiration from the classic arcade brawlers of the 1980s and drops the action into a setting packed with ancient Greek myths and monsters.

Players can tackle the campaign solo or grab a friend for co-op. The two-player option is really where Double Edged shines—coordinating attacks against waves of soldiers feels different from grinding through them alone.

Storyline and Setting

The plot is simple. A maiden has been kidnapped by a giant behemoth, and two Spartans—one with a red crest, one with a black crest—set out to bring her home. The journey takes players through enemy lines, ruins, and eventually a confrontation with the beast itself.

The world borrows freely from Greek mythology. Expect to run into names like Midas, Hercules, Medusa, and the Minotaur as bosses along the way.

Level Structure

Stages follow a clear rhythm: a normal level, then a half-boss level, then another normal level, then a hard boss. That pattern loops through the whole game, which keeps the pacing predictable without feeling stale.

The first set of stages drops players in a forest clearing as the Spartans push into enemy land. Soldiers swarm in, and a mythical king with a golden touch causes problems before a massive bronze automaton wakes up for the area’s finale. The second batch shifts to a field of Roman ruins, where lizard men soldiers take over as the main threat.

Combat and Weapons

Swords are the default weapon and the one players will use most. They’re standard double-edged blades with a straight edge and a light brown grip, and almost every enemy in the game—soldiers, commanders, skeletons—can swing one too.

Other weapons show up as players progress. Hammers hit hard and knock enemies clean off their feet, sometimes bouncing them off the edge of the screen. The hammer first appears in stage 2-2 during the Hercules fight. Bows and arrows give players range, and daggers and axes round out the lineup.

Rocks are worth mentioning separately. A thrown rock instantly knocks an enemy out cold, but it has to be picked back up afterward. Holding a rock doesn’t force the player to drop their main weapon either—a small detail, but a useful one when the hammer or bow isn’t around.

Bosses

Six bosses fill out the game across three themed areas. Midas, Hercules, Medusa, the Minotaur, and the Behemoth all make appearances, each one tied to a specific stage in the rotation. The half-boss and full-boss split means players are constantly being eased up to bigger fights instead of getting blindsided.

Game Controls

• Arrow keys – Move the Spartan
• Z – Attack with equipped weapon
• X – Pick up or throw items
• Player 2 uses WASD to move, with separate attack and action keys

As always, remember to have fun!