What Duels of Fortune is
Duels of Fortune is a 2D fighter from Cosmic Hat Games, currently in Early Access, with a cartoony look and a roster of 20+ fighters that includes superhumans, skeletons, aliens, engineers, and stick figures. The control scheme is simple enough for newcomers, while the combo system stays open-ended for players who want to dig in. Attacks cancel into each other freely, so you can build combos your own way rather than memorizing fixed strings. You build a Super Meter during a match and spend it on cinematic Super Moves, or on invincible Reversal attacks to escape pressure. Break Burst shuts down an opponent's combo, while Blast Burst commits you to extending your own. Movement includes dashes, long jumps, airdashes, free air drifting, and character-specific options, and each fighter has distinct attributes that give them a genuinely different feel.
Playing it with friends
Versus Mode is where a group sits down together: traditional 1-on-1 duels against local friends or CPUs. Remote Play Together is supported, so friends can join in over a connection rather than sharing one couch. Beyond playing against each other, the group can work through Arcade Mode, a gauntlet of increasingly difficult opponents ending in a boss fight against the tournament organizer, and Mission Mode, which contains over 75 hand-crafted challenge battles with special conditions and obstacles. Stage Hazards can be toggled on to shake matches up with ring-out zones, throwable items, and giant skeletons attacking from the background.
Before you start
Training Mode gives you a customizable dummy to practice against, and Combo Trials walk through increasingly tricky pre-made combos for each character, which is the quickest route to understanding what a fighter can do. Boss Fights let you rematch any boss whenever you want. The Lore Journal covers each character's backstory and motivations, and the Jukebox plays the soundtrack by Jack7. Characters differ sharply: Clyde is a fast, fire-punching boxer built on rushdown; Annie uses projectiles, traps, and rocket boots for zoning and midair control; Rattlebone plays honest fundamentals with sword, shield, and a thrown skull; Shoto is quick and precise but has a low health pool; Red is a brute-force attacker who prefers power over speed. Pick one that matches how you like to play and spend some time in Training Mode first.