Dinoblade is out now, and it's exactly as absurdly delightful as it sounds: a game where dinosaurs wield bladed weapons like Cloud Strife's Buster Sword, and you parry and combo as a spinosaurus. It's janky, over-the-top, and genuinely fun. The combat is surprisingly responsive, and the whole thing feels like a lost PS2-era action game that somehow got resurrected in 2025.
From a viral Dwitter to a full game
Four years ago, developer Jean Nguyen posted a short animation on Dwitter showing a spinosaurus pulling off a sick combo with Cloud's Buster Sword. The clip blew up, but it wasn't a game—just a proof of concept. Nguyen eventually decided to make it a real thing, and AI and physics were bent into shape. Today, Dinoblade launches on Steam, complete with a demo for the curious.
Spinosaurus full combo attack animation pic.twitter.com/i1KmyAmtIZ
— Jean Nguyen (@JeanAnimate) August 11, 2022
That original tweet captures the raw energy that made the idea stick. It's rare for a viral animation to evolve into something cohesive, but Dinoblade manages to be more than a meme. It's a full, playable game with a ridiculous premise: a cataclysmic event happened, and now dinosaurs fight each other with bladed weapons. You play as a spinosaurus that forges a pact with a mysterious, possibly evil other dinosaur, and then the slicing begins.
Combat that channels Sekiro's parry, but with dinosaurs
The best mechanical comparison is Alan Wake 2's combat? No, wait—that's not right. Think Sekiro: you can parry attacks, and there's a heavy emphasis on reading enemy tells. But the action is faster, sillier, and built around quick and heavy attacks that chain into flashy combos. Enemy animations are surprisingly readable, and when everything clicks, the combat feels legitimately good. The jank—mostly in the environments—is noticeable but forgivable. You're a giant dinosaur, after all; a little clumsiness makes sense.
My favorite moment came after beating the first boss. Doing so unlocks the ability to summon that dead dinosaur to perform a powerful attack for you. Absurd. Pair it with other powers like an energy beam from your sword or a roar that freezes enemies, and you've got a toolkit that's unexpectedly deep for a game that started as a Dwitter clip.
Why this game matters for the indie scene
Dinoblade is a testament to what a single developer can achieve. Like A Short Hike, it proves that a focused, personality-driven idea can outshine bloated AAA projects. It also fits into a broader trend of games born from viral moments—think Absolum? No, not that. But the pipeline from "cool animation" to "shippable game" is still rare, and Dinoblade nails the landing. It's not a revolution, but it doesn't waste your time. It's exactly what it promises: dinosaur swordplay that's janky, sick, and silly as hell.
Of course, not everything is perfect. The environments are a bit clunky, and I encountered invisible enemies once—the game clearly bears the marks of a solo developer. But that's part of the charm. Aggro Crab's debut game had similar rough edges, and it ended up beloved. Dinoblade earns that same grace.
What's next for Dinoblade
There's a demo available on Steam right now, so you can try before you buy. The full game is already out, and it's the kind of obscure, passionate project that feels like it belongs on a Dreamcast display shelf. If you're tired of polished-but-sterile blockbusters, give Dinoblade a spin. It's rare to see a viral dream turn into something this cohesive, and even rarer to see it be this fun.
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