BetGo

Paper walls glow with lantern light. You stand on the boards of the Village Hall, racket low, while Hana the Apprentice bows at the far end of the court. The shuttle climbs, hangs for a heartbeat at chest height, and you strike. A black ink slash tears across the screen, Hana reacts a moment too late, and the point is yours.

Q: What kind of game is this?
A: A side-on badminton duel set in a woodblock-print world. You climb a ladder of eight rivals, one at a time, each with a style of their own: Kenji the steady River Ferryman, Goro the heavy-hitting Mountain, Yuki the swift Snow Fox, and finally Master Sora, Keeper of the Sky.

Q: How do I play?
A: Drag anywhere on the floor and your duellist runs to your finger. A red ink ring shows where the shuttle will land. Three keys do the rest: Strike sends it deep, Feint drops it short, and Smash drives a high shuttle down.

Q: What is critical?
A: The heart of every duel. Hold your strike until the shuttle is at chest height and right at your racket; the ring on the Strike key glows gold. Hit it there and your rival is stunned for a breath, which is often all you need.

Q: How long does a duel last?
A: First to 7, win by two, with sudden death at 9.

Q: What is there beside the ladder?
A: The Training Floor, where a wooden dummy that never misses feeds you return after return. New dojos open as you win: Bamboo Grove after two rivals, Snow Temple after four, Castle Keep after six. Koban from your duels buy robes such as Vermilion, Sakura and Golden Crane, plus brush inks that color the shuttle's trail. Twelve scrolls record your feats, from First Bow to Five Blossoms.

Q: Is there anything to pay for?
A: No. Koban are earned only in duels, and there are no adverts, accounts or in-app purchases. Everything works offline and fits phones and tablets.

The dojo hands out no daily task list, and that is rather the point. Set yourself one duel a day: today, get past Aiko the Crane; tomorrow, chase the Untouched scroll with a 7-0 win; the day after, return thirty in a row on the Training Floor. Your blossoms and your path up the mountain are kept safe, and the next rival will still be bowing at the end of the court when you come back tomorrow.