Overview
Blight: Survival uses a 5-directional melee combat system where the direction of attacks and blocks matters. Players swing from five different angles, and defensive actions must account for the direction of incoming strikes. The system draws from games like Mordhau, Dark Souls, and Mount & Blade, blending their respective strengths: Mordhau's directional depth, Dark Souls' weighty commitment to each action, and Mount & Blade's mounted and infantry combat flow.
Attack directions
Attacks come from five directions: top, upper-left, upper-right, lower-left, and lower-right. Each direction has its own swing arc, speed, and reach characteristics. Overhead strikes tend to deal more damage but are slower and easier to read. Diagonal strikes are faster and harder to predict but may deal less raw damage. The direction you choose to attack from affects not just your damage output but your vulnerability during the swing animation.
This directional variety means that combat is not about spamming a single attack button. Players must read enemy stances, choose attack angles that are harder to block, and vary their swings to avoid becoming predictable. Against human enemies, who use the same directional system, fights become tactical exchanges of reads and counters.
Attack variety
Beyond directional swings, the combat system includes light and heavy attacks, shove kicks, tackles, and charging/knockdown mechanics. Stealth finishers allow for silent takedowns when approaching enemies undetected. Finishing moves with cinematic brutality sequences are available for each weapon type, providing visceral payoffs for skilled play.
Defensive mechanics
Defense in Blight: Survival involves three primary actions:
Parrying: Timing a block to match an incoming strike deflects the attack and creates an opening for a counterattack. Parries are the most rewarding defensive option but require precise timing and directional awareness.
Blocking: Holding a block absorbs damage but drains stamina. Blocking is safer than parrying but less efficient. Extended blocking leaves the player stamina-starved and vulnerable.
Dodging: Moving out of an attack's path avoids damage entirely. Dodging uses stamina and requires spatial awareness. It is the best option against attacks that are difficult to parry, such as heavy overhead strikes or multi-hit combos.
A dedicated stamina bar ties all actions together. Every attack and defensive action costs stamina. A player who blocks too much will run out and become staggered. A player who dodges excessively will be too tired to counterattack. The system forces players to mix defensive techniques based on the situation, making each encounter a stamina economy puzzle as much as a reflexes test.
Weight and commitment
Attacks in Blight: Survival feel heavy and committed. Swings have wind-up animations, follow-through recovery, and impact that communicates the force behind each strike. This is not a game where you can cancel attacks on reaction or instantly switch between offense and defense. Once you commit to a swing, you are locked into it until the animation completes. This commitment gives combat its signature tension: every attack is a calculated risk.
The weight extends to enemy attacks as well. Blight-infected creatures and human opponents telegraph their strikes through distinct animations, giving observant players time to read and react. Learning enemy attack patterns and their directional tells is a core skill that improves with experience.
Movesets and crafting
New movesets are unlocked through crafting and gear progression. Different weapons come with different swing patterns, reach, and directional properties. A longsword plays differently from a mace, which plays differently from a dagger. The Artisan at the camp is the primary source of weapon upgrades and modifications, with modular components that alter both the look and feel of each weapon.
Influences
The developers have cited specific games as influences on the combat design:
Mordhau: The directional attack system and emphasis on reading opponent stances
Dark Souls: The weight of attacks, stamina management, and punishing commitment to each action
Mount & Blade: The flow of infantry combat and the feel of medieval weapons in motion
The result is a combat system the developers describe as "easy to get into, but hard to git good at." A simplified combat mode is also planned for players who prefer not to engage with the full directional complexity. As of December 2025, the team is also working on a dismemberment system and a wounds system that adds "layers of visual and tactical feedback to combat."