The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island

FREE DEMO BELOW!

Available for Nintendo Switch™ on the Nintendo eShop!

Also available for iOS on the Apple App Store, for Windows, Mac, and Linux on Steam, and for Android on Google Play!

The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island is a short, top-down adventure game inspired by several 16-bit games you know and love. It features a small island overworld, a large non-linear dungeon, countless monsters to battle, classic art that takes you back through time, and a nostalgic soundtrack. In the game, you venture on a quest to find the hidden Vanguard Relic.

Use bombs wisely! There are several paths that can be opened with them, both visible and hidden. We absolutely want to encourage exploration and multiple play-throughs.

We're currently in the planning stages of a new, larger game called The Rusty Sword: Runelock Island. It will use our work on The Rusty Sword: Vanguard Island as a foundation and feature a much larger overworld, towns, and several dungeons!

 

CONTROLS

Although The Rusty Sword can be played with a keyboard, we recommend that you do play with an official Xbox controller. Any XInput controller should work, but we don't currently have button re-mapping in-game and can't guarantee buttons on other controllers will map the same. However, using another software, like JoyToKey (https://joytokey.net/en/), to map the buttons on a controller of your choice to the keyboard assignments below works great!  

Move

• Xbox Controller: Dpad or Left Stick
• Keyboard: Arrow Keys or WASD                

Attack with Sword

• Xbox Controller: A
• Keyboard: Spacebar or Z

Lift/Throw Objects (bombs, bushes, jars, signs, certain rocks) or Read Sign (make sure to face front of sign)

• Xbox Controller: B
• Keyboard: X          

Use or Equip/Unequip Item 1

• Xbox Controller: X
• Keyboard: C 

Use or Equip/Unequip Item 2

• Xbox Controller: Y
• Keyboard: V 

Inventory Menu

• Xbox Controller: Start
• Keyboard: 1 

Settings Menu (in-game)

• Xbox Controller: Back
• Keyboard: 2 

UI Confirm

• Xbox Controller: A
• Keyboard: Spacebar or Z 

UI Cancel

• Xbox Controller: B
• Keyboard: X  

 

FEATURES

• Non-linear adventure structure with multiple ways to get to most places.
• Designed around single-player, but fully playable with two-player co-op.
• Awesome graphics and music inspired by many 16-bit classics.
• Several display options, including widescreen and classic aspect ratios.
• Language support for English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS

Windows

1. Download and unzip
2.  Run "The Rusty Sword Vanguard Island.exe"
3. Trust exe if prompted

macOS

1. Download and unzip
2. Open "The Rusty Sword Vanguard Island.app"
3. If the app cannot open...
4. Open "Settings"
5. Click "Security & Privacy"
6. Make sure to be on the "General" tab
7. If "Anywhere" is under "Allow apps downloaded from:", select it and close "Settings".
8. Try to open "The Rusty Sword Vanguard Island.app"
9. If the app still cannot open...
10. Open "Terminal"
11. Navigate to the app location using the command line (you may need online instructions)
12. Type: chmod -R 755 "The Rusty Sword Vanguard Island.app"
13. Open "The Rusty Sword Vanguard Island.app"

Linux

1. Download and unzip
2. Run "The Rusty Sword Vanguard Island.x86_64"

Android

1. Download apk
2. Install with File Manager or preferred app
3. Trust app if prompted

   

NOTES  

• Any feedback on the game is very much appreciated!
• You will need two connected/paired, compatible controllers to play co-op on Android (or any platform).
• We are charging to download the versions with multiplayer to maintain our trademark for "The Rusty Sword" and fund the development of "The Rusty Sword: Runelock Island."

Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo.