Longbow League A free archery game at a medieval tournament
Draw the bow, read the wind, hold your breath and loose: an archery tournament at a medieval fair, from 30 to 70 metres.
About Longbow League
Longbow League is a quick archery game for your phone or browser. You stand at the shooting line of a sunny medieval fair, the target waits far down the lane, and you have a few seconds to draw, aim, steady yourself and let go. Every arrow is scored from ten rings plus a golden bullseye, and every arrow is a small decision: shoot now, or wait one more heartbeat for the sight to settle?
Drawing and aiming
Press anywhere on the screen and drag down to draw the string. A click tells you when the bow is at full draw. Then slide sideways to aim: the sight wanders slowly on its own, and the longer you hold the bow at full draw, the more your arms tire and the wider it wanders. Hold the breath button with a second finger (or Shift on a keyboard) and the sight steadies, but you only have about three seconds of air. Run out and you gasp, the sight shakes, and you cannot hold again until you have recovered. Let go to loose the arrow, and the camera follows the good ones in slow motion.
Wind and distance
Every arrow starts with a look at the flag. The pole shows which way the wind blows, a big arrow and a speed show how hard, and in the Meadow Cup the game even tells you how many rings to aim off. Far targets suffer much more from the wind than near ones, so the same breeze that is nothing at 30 metres pushes your arrow several rings off at 70. In the later cups the wind gusts, and a target slides sideways or swings on a rope, so you learn to lead it and to loose the arrow when it turns.
The tournament
A cup is a bracket of eight archers. You shoot the quarter-final at 30 metres, the semi-final at 50 and the final at 70. Each match is two ends of three arrows against a rival who shoots their own ends on their own target; the higher total goes through, ties go to the most bullseyes, and a last tie is settled with one shoot-off arrow. Win all three and you stand on the podium with a trophy. There are three cups, Meadow, Harvest and Grand, and finishing on the podium opens the next one. The rivals get better from cup to cup, but never superhuman: a steady hand always has a chance.
Practice and goals
Practice lets you pick any distance and shoot six arrows for a bronze, silver or gold medal. Look for a hat-trick of three tens in a row, a first bullseye, and the Grand Cup. Your best placements and scores are saved on this device, and your tournament score goes to the leaderboard when you are signed in.
How to play
Press anywhere and drag down to draw the bow. At full draw you hear a click; then slide your finger sideways to aim. The sight sways, and it sways more the longer you hold. Hold the breath button (or touch with a second finger) to steady it for about three seconds. Release to shoot.
Check the wind before every shot: the flag and arrow show the direction and the speed (and in the Meadow Cup how many rings to aim off). Aim against the wind, not at the centre. Far targets are pushed much harder than near ones.
Keyboard: hold Space (or Down, or S) to draw, Left and Right (or A and D) to aim, Shift to hold your breath, and let go of Space to shoot. P or Esc pauses, M mutes.
Tips: wait for the sight to cross the middle rather than chasing it. Hold your breath late, once you are aimed, so it lasts. A shorter draw drops the arrow low, so always pull to the click. On sliding and swinging targets, aim at the blue marker, which shows where the target will be when your arrow arrives.
Controls and devices
- Controls: Touch, Mouse, Keyboard
- Works on: phones, tablets and computers
- Screen: portrait orientation
- Price: free, no download or sign-up
FAQ
- How do I aim in the wind?
- Look at the flag and the wind readout before you draw. The wind pushes the arrow the way it blows, so aim the opposite way. In the Meadow Cup the readout also says how many rings to aim off, and your very first match marks the spot with a blue ring. From the Harvest Cup on you only get the direction and the speed, so you learn to judge it.
- What does holding my breath do?
- It steadies the sight for about three seconds. When the air runs out you gasp, the sight shakes and you cannot hold again until you have recovered. Hold it only once you are lined up, and shoot while it lasts.
- Why did my arrow land low?
- You released before the bow reached full draw. Pull until you hear the click. A short draw makes a slow arrow that drops, especially at 70 metres.
- How does a tournament work?
- Eight archers, three rounds at 30, 50 and 70 metres. Each match is six arrows each in two ends of three. The higher total wins, then more bullseyes, then one shoot-off arrow. Finish on the podium to open the next cup.
- Does my progress save?
- Yes. Your best placement in each cup, practice scores and achievements are saved on this device, and to your account when you are signed in.
Credits
- Game design, code, art and sound: Playora Games