Bloodless is a fast-paced retro brawler about a samurai who ditches swords in favour of fists
- Bloodless is a new retro brawler coming soon to Android
- Play as Tomoe, a samurai turned ronin who's sworn off killing
- Instead, you'll be breaking bones with just your fists and powerful ki techniques
Looking for a fast-paced retro brawler on mobile? Then you're in luck, because something passed across my desk earlier today that meets all those criteria. And Bloodless, set to arrive in early September on Google Play, also offers an intriguing twist on the usual revenge story.
Set in the fictional world of Bakugawa, you play as the renegade samurai Tomoe, who used to loyally serve Shogun Akechi. Naturally, things have turned sour, and Tomoe has sworn to defeat him and his army. Notice I said 'defeat' and not 'kill', because Tomoe has pledged not to take another life; although it's a bit less specific about breaking kneecaps.
Everyone has a plan until they're punched in the face
Yes, believe it or not, this is a samurai story that eschews the use of a blade entirely. Instead, you'll make use of rhythmic combos and ki techniques, as well as various upgrades and power-ups to beat your foes black and blue as you work your way through Shogun Akechi's forces.Bloodless also boasts a surprising depth of content to explore, with an entire roguelike mode called Namazu's Wrath to explore. It all presents a pretty compelling package that's been optimised specifically for mobile.
Personally, the art style of Bloodless really stood out to me. We all know by now how much I love retro graphics and pixels, but the colours are what really sets Bloodless apart. It's one game I'll definitely have my eye on when it's set to arrive on September 2nd for Android.
In the meantime, if you find yourself wanting to get a bit more gaming in your life, then we've got you covered. Because our constantly growing list of the best mobile games of 2026 (so far) features some of the most popular and interesting launches from the past year, with more added each month!
