A ground-based fighter with one job
FOOTSIES Rollback Edition is a 2D fighting game played entirely on a single horizontal line. Both characters walk, jump, and attack on the ground, and the whole match comes down to spacing, hit confirming, and whiff punishing. The controls and mechanics are simple enough to pick up right away, but the fundamentals of the fighting game genre are still what decide the winner. The presentation is minimal and pixel-based, so nothing on screen distracts from the spacing game itself.
Playing together
Offline versus mode lets two players share the same screen against each other, and it also works against the CPU. Online versus mode runs on rollback netcode built with the open-source GGPO code, which is the mode to use when your group is spread across different places. The online lobby holds up to 10 players and includes chat plus spectators, so a group can hang out in one room, take turns fighting, and watch the rest of the matches without dropping out. Remote Play Together is available if someone wants to join a session from a distance.
Modes to dig into
Arcade Mode covers solo play, and Training mode is there for drilling the basics. The command list includes frame data, and a hitbox viewer shows exactly where attacks connect, which is useful when you want to understand why a poke whiffed or why a punish worked. Two minigames focus specifically on hit confirming and whiff punishing, the two skills the game keeps circling back to.
Before you start
Expect a game that looks sparse and plays tight. There is no complex combo system to learn first; the work is in movement, timing, and reading the opponent's spacing. New players can get a match going immediately, while experienced fighting game players will find the same depth they are used to in the neutral game. The official FOOTSIES Discord is the place the developer points to for finding matches and community play.