Win the space before you swing
Sixteen answers to one question: how will you control the space between two fighters?
Play Riftbound →- Modes
- AI, championship, one keyboard, or connected phones
- Roster
- 16 champions and 4 arenas
- Rules
- First to two rounds; shared starting health
- Progress
- Current session only
Start with one reliable punish
Use a light attack after an opponent misses, then learn how far your heavy reaches. Pressing a new attack too early can leave you committed during their recovery. A short input buffer helps actions pressed just before your own recovery ends, but holding an attack does not repeatedly fire it.
High, low, and throw are different threats
Stand and guard against overheads. Crouch and guard against low attacks. A throw defeats a stationary guard, so create distance or jump instead. Guarding just before impact creates a parry window; watch the attack rather than tapping guard constantly.
Spend meter with a plan
Specials cost 35 meter and ultimates cost 100. Ranged attacks can make an opponent jump; a rising or long-reaching attack can punish that approach. A counter needs the opponent to commit, while a grappler needs to close the distance. Equal starting health does not mean identical range, damage, or speed.
Choose how to practise
Four AI difficulties change decisions and reaction speed without increasing starting health or damage. Championship mode gives your chosen fighter five opponents and an epilogue. If you lose, retry that opponent. On one keyboard, use the separate Player 1 and Player 2 layouts shown below; some keyboards cannot register many simultaneous keys.
Connect two phones
For a shared display, host on the computer and choose phone controllers. For separate displays, host on phone 1 and choose individual screens. Create the room and send each player their own invite. The host selects the characters and begins. Keep the host tab open and both phones on the same Wi-Fi where possible. A relay is used when direct connections fail and can add delay; this is local play, not public matchmaking.
| Champion | Style | Special |
|---|---|---|
| Kael | Ember duelist | Cinder Rush |
| Mira | Spear specialist | Lunar Reach |
| Bront | Ground control | Faultline |
| Nyx | Mobile trickster | Shadow Step |
| Sora | Aerial specialist | Rising Gale |
| Vex | Close pressure | Redline Combo |
| Iona | Ranged control | Winterglass |
| Rook | Grappler | Iron Embrace |
| Asha | Diving offense | Sunfall |
| Talon | Precision zoning | Thornflight |
| Selene | Counter duelist | Astral Reversal |
| Oren | Armored approach | Oathbreaker |
| Zuri | Spacing specialist | Resonance |
| Kade | Midrange burst | Stormline |
| Eira | Delayed pressure | Echo Lantern |
| Dax | Trap specialist | Salvage Mine |
Controls
Player 1: WASD · Move/jump/crouch, F/G/H/R · Light/heavy/special/ultimate, Q · Guard, E · Dash. Player 2: Arrows · Move/jump/crouch, J/K/L/O · Attacks, U · Guard, I · Dash. Escape · Pause. Phone touch controls and private room links in game setup.
What is saved?
Championship position, rounds, and character endings are kept only in the current session. Reloading or closing the host loses the match. Phone rooms expire after inactivity; create a new room if an invite no longer connects.
Are all fighters exactly balanced?
They share starting health and resource rules, but have different attack properties. There is no claim of tournament-tested balance. Use the contact page to report a repeatable matchup problem.
Why did the match pause?
The game pauses when the host is hidden or a connected player stops responding. Return to the host before resuming.
Something does not work as described? Send a report to the owner.