Narwhale.io is an online multiplayer 2D arena game released in 2016, inspired by other ..io games
The player plays as a narwhal pitted against other narwhals - either as an individual (deathmatch) or in a team (Narwhale Ball).
The objective is to slice the fins off of other narwhals using the narwhal's sharp tusk, and avoid having the same fate thrust upon you. For each enemy narwhal slain, a player upgrades at least one of their attributes like dash speed or stamina regeneration. Be warned though, all Narwhals can die with one slice...
This game can be played for free here.
Narwhale.io provides examples of:
- Anyone Can Die: Every narwhal, regardless of level, can die instantly with just one lucky thrust from an enemy.
- And Your Reward Is Clothes: If a player attains a high enough level, their narwhal's tusk will become more decorated.
- Dash Attack: Any narwhal can dash forward as long as they have at least one block of stamina remaining. When dashing, they can cut off the fins of enemy narwhals. They can also dash backwards for a quick retreat.
- Endless Game: A player's game will go on until either they're killed by another narwhal, or they quit. Averted with the Narwhale Ball game-mode, where a round ends when one team gets 15 goals.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: Like most other .io games, players are allowed to name their narwhals.
- King Mook: The current highest-level player in the round is granted a crown. The crown itself doesn't confer any special bonuses. But, it does indicate that the player has a bunch of upgrades and is therefore harder to slay.
-
Nintendo Hard:- Dashing can take some time to get used to, before a player can reliably rack up kills.
- Having to deal with several narwhals at a time is quite dangerous, and requires careful timing, reflexes, and luck. The same applies to battling higher-leveled narwhals.
- One-Hit-Point Wonder: All narwhals, regardless of level, can be killed with one fin slice. Even a minor cut will do one in. Thankfully, the tusk can be used as a shield of sorts.
- Properly Paranoid: At any moment, a nearby player can be planning to attack you. This threat is amplified by the amount of distance any player can cover while dash attacking, and this value grows while leveling.
- Sprint Meter: Next to a narwhal's tusk is a sprint meter measured with squares. The number of squares indicates the number of times a player can Dash Attack. The number, regeneration, and strength of each dash depends on the player's current level.
- A Winner Is You: The only reward for obtaining the highest level and a crown, is being displayed on the in-game leaderboard. Even then, it's only for that particular round.
