JOUST! - Speed is Power

What is JOUST! - Speed is Power?

JOUST! - Speed is Power is a free HTML5 arcade sports game built around rhythm and jousting. A tournament opens on a standard-looking field, then travels through six worlds and six opponents. Sir Roland is the rookie opener. Sir Buzzwick rides a giant bumblebee through a meadow where the grass is taller than the rider.

Sir Gorm holds a castle courtyard during a thunderstorm. The Ghost Knight waits in a moonlit graveyard. Lord Barnaby jousts on the Moon with fishbowl helmets and a lunar lander nearby. The Black Knight guards the edge of a black hole. On the Moon, low gravity means a hard enough hit can send Lord Barnaby upward, and the flight counter reaches 384,400 km. The last pass against the Black Knight happens at an event horizon, where the loser is spaghettified.

Wins lead to a choice of three gear pieces. The pool includes a crackling Lightning Lance that hits much harder, a Flame Lance that burns through shields, a Rocket Horse with two rockets and a higher top speed, a Unicorn with a rainbow stride, a comically Giant Lance, and cosmetic pieces for armour, shield, plume, helm and favour. Every chosen piece appears on the knight and horse.

How to play

Every match is a best-of-three series of passes. The gallop is a rhythm action: tap in time with the horse's hoofbeats, and PERFECT strides build speed. That speed feeds the impact, so a faster ride hits harder and sends the opponent farther. Just before contact, time slows for the strike. Drag the lance onto an exposed area: the chest is a clean hit, the helm scores x1.5, and the shield blocks. Unhorsing an opponent wins the match immediately, while flight distance is tracked as a record to beat.

After the third knight comes the Cavalry Charge, a bonus round with no rival and no barrier. Ten ranks of straw dummies, foot soldiers and shield walls stand in the lane; ride fast enough and the charge goes straight through. The opening knight is a gentle warm-up, with the spur to tap lighting up to show when. The game is set in portrait, uses one finger, and runs about five minutes per tournament.

Controls

On a phone, gallop by tapping the left or right half of the screen in rhythm with the hoofbeats. A closing ring shows the timing for PERFECT strides. On desktop, use the left or right mouse button, or A, D and arrow keys. Mashing can work, but rhythm works much better. Tap timing calibrates itself during play, so laggy or Bluetooth headphones are fine; a TAP SYNC slider on the title screen allows a manual nudge.

During the slow-motion strike, drag the lance onto a spot the shield is not covering. Desktop input is mouse drag or arrow keys, and open spots glow. Chest is a clean hit, helm is x1.5, and shield blocks. Menus accept tap, Space or Enter. Choose a gear reward with 1, 2 or 3.

Tips for your first run

The first opponent is the safest place to learn the rhythm. Sir Roland forgets to raise his shield, so watch the glowing spur and aim for the chest while the closing ring trains PERFECT strides. Speed matters more than frantic tapping: a faster horse makes the lance hit harder and throws the rival farther.

On later passes, use the slow-motion window to line up the lance. The helm pays x1.5, but only take that target when the shield is clearly elsewhere. Gear choices appear after wins; a Rocket Horse raises top speed, a Lightning Lance hits much harder, and a Flame Lance burns through shields. In the Cavalry Charge, build speed before contact and aim to break through all ten ranks.

• Watch the spur on the first knight; it shows when to tap.
• Chase PERFECT strides instead of mashing for speed.
• Aim for the chest first; the helm is the x1.5 target.
• Use slow motion to drag, not to rush the strike.
• Build speed in the Cavalry Charge to break ten ranks.

Content and replayability

Six knights and six worlds give the tournament its shape. Each opponent changes the arena as well as the target: a bumblebee in a towering meadow, a thunderstorm courtyard, a moonlit graveyard, lunar lists with Earth overhead, and a final lane that bends upward at a black hole. The Ghost Knight adds a rhythm condition because the lance passes through him unless timed hoofbeats make him solid. Unhorsing him sends him through headstones and back into his grave.

Replay value comes from short runs and small decisions. A tournament lasts about five minutes, and every win offers a choice of three gear pieces. The best-of-three pass structure, the immediate unhorse win, the flight-distance record and the Cavalry Charge after the third knight all give reasons to take another run. A late build can pair golden armour with a rocket-powered unicorn and a lightning lance.

Presentation and performance

The game is a 3D HTML5 title made in Godot 4.7. Its six arenas are procedural, including the tournament field, the storm castle, the graveyard, the Moon and the black-hole lane. Visual details carry the jokes: lightning lights the castle walls, the Moon has Earth hanging over the lists, and the final lane bends into the dark. Gear is visible on both knight and horse, so a build can read at a glance.

Sound supports the rhythm. There are eleven music tracks: a title theme, one per world, three charge themes and a champion's anthem. Hoofbeats, thunder, the ghost's wail, the churchyard bell, the black hole's rumble and pull, lance impacts and gear sounds are layered into the action.

Tap timing calibrates during play, which helps with laggy or Bluetooth headphones, and the TAP SYNC slider offers a manual adjustment. The game runs in portrait with one-finger input on phones and desktop controls on computer.

Who should play it

JOUST! - Speed is Power suits players who want a short arcade session with a timing hook. The appeal is in reading a closing ring, building speed through PERFECT strides, then using slow motion to place a lance on an exposed chest or helm. The six-world joke escalates from a rookie knight to a bumblebee rider, a ghost, a lunar lord and a black-hole champion, so players who like absurd medieval comedy have a clear reason to continue.

It is also a natural fit for one-finger play on a phone or a quick browser break on desktop. A tournament takes about five minutes, and the best-of-three pass format keeps each match compact. Rewards arrive one pick at a time, with three gear options after a win. Anyone chasing a flight-distance record or a clean unhorse win has a repeatable target.