Knowledge is survival
Choose your approach.
This page will help players understand the game mechanics and choose the best approach to survive the dangerous lands. It will also explain the different builds that players can follow.
Although Horns features some souls-like elements, it is not a souls-like game. Instead, it focuses on exploration, organization, and mastering the precise timing of your abilities, especially during combat.
01 / Field guide
The main HUD is all you need
The player has two core attributes: Health (red bar) and Energy (green bar). The main HUD displays collected treasure (yellow icon) and seeds (blue icon). Equipping a weapon reveals a blue durability bar, while equipping a shield displays a yellow durability bar. After you gather one of the main skills in the game, Nyxar, a black bar will appear bellow the blue bar.
02 / Field guide
Take Care of Your Equipment
Weapons and shields degrade with every strike, as shown by the blue bar for weapons and the yellow bar for shields. When durability drops to around 20%, a warning will appear, giving players time to react and either switch equipment or repair it using a Repair Kit.
At low durability, weapons become less effective and deal reduced damage, making maintenance essential for survival.
03 / Field guide
Melee Combat
Melee attacks can be performed both while moving and while standing still. When attacking from a stationary position, players can chain up to four consecutive strikes into a combo, with each successive hit dealing slightly more damage than the last.
Holding the attack button allows players to charge their strikes through two levels, increasing their damage. Fully charging an attack unleashes a powerful heavy strike capable of knocking down enemies.
Each swing consumes Energy, but when attacks are chained into a combo, only the first strike consumes Energy, while the following connected strikes do not. To execute a combo, initiate the next attack just as the previous swing is about to finish.
A jump attack can be performed when an opponent is not locked on. Simply run toward the enemy and press the attack button at the right moment. Jump attacks will knock down most enemies.
04 / Field guide
Heavy Attack
Lyssandra can perform a charged heavy attack with any weapon. This attack consumes more Energy than basic strikes and requires a short charge time before execution.
By holding the left mouse button, the player begins charging the attack. A visual indicator appears in Lyssandra’s hand, accompanied by a subtle camera shake and sound cue, signaling that the charge has started. Once fully charged, she unleashes a powerful strike that deals significantly more damage than regular attacks.
Some enemies can be knocked down by heavy attacks, making them especially effective in controlling the flow of combat.
05 / Field guide
Magic and Spellcasting
Lyssandra is not an Arcanist, but she can still wield magic through the use of magical staffs. To cast spells, she must possess both a magic staff and a compatible Magical Seed. Each staff is attuned to specific types of seeds, such as fire, ice, blood, or light, determining which spells it can unleash.
Casting spells consumes Energy and gradually wears down the staff, making it important to choose carefully when to use magic during combat. Some spells take longer to cast, leaving Lyssandra vulnerable to enemy attacks. These spells are best used before engaging enemies in close combat, allowing her to gain an advantage before the fight begins.
Obtaining a Magical Seed also grants Lyssandra one or two additional boosting spells. These spells require no equipment and are best used before entering combat to strengthen her abilities and prepare for the battle ahead.
06 / Field guide
Magical Weapons
Certain weapons possess magical properties, recognizable by the visual effects surrounding them. In addition to their regular melee attacks, these weapons offer one or more magical abilities that can be used without requiring a Magical Seed or any additional equipment.
However, spells unleashed through magical weapons are less powerful than those cast using a staff and a compatible seed. Unlike staff-based magic, these abilities cannot be strengthened through character upgrades.
To activate a magical weapon’s special ability, hold the Block command and press the Attack command while keeping Block held.
07 / Field guide
Rewards for Slaying Enemies
Most enemies leave behind seeds upon death, each carrying a certain value. Players collect these seeds as currency to upgrade their character. Some enemies may drop items instead, while others can reward both seeds and items.
Upon death, the player permanently loses 50% of their collected seeds and treasure. For this reason, it is wise to spend your resources as soon as you have enough to progress. The inventory is always accessible, allowing you to upgrade at any time.
08 / Field guide
Defending Yourself
Enemies vary in speed and behavior, so it is important to learn how to avoid their attacks as efficiently as possible. Lyssandra can perform a step back to evade incoming strikes. This action does not consume Energy, but it covers only a short distance and requires precise timing.
For greater mobility, Lyssandra can perform a roll, although this consumes Energy. Another defensive option is to use a shield. A shield absorbs incoming damage, with each hit reducing its durability. However, not all shields block 100% of incoming damage. Some will absorb only part of the damage, allowing the rest to pass through to Lyssandra.
Lyssandra can also block attacks using her equipped weapon, but this provides far less protection than a shield, as most of the damage is still transferred to her.
It is up to you to choose the most effective defensive approach for each enemy you face.
09 / Field guide
Exploring Velharion
Make sure to explore every corner of Velharion. Valuable items and weapons are often hidden in dark or unusual places, waiting to be discovered.
The land is filled with chests. Some are unlocked and ready to be opened, while others require keys that must be found throughout the world. You will also encounter breakable objects such as pots and crates, which often contain small amounts of treasure.
Pay attention to monologues and Lyssandra’s thoughts. They may reveal useful information, hidden paths, or fragments of the world’s deeper story.
10 / Field guide
Upgrade Character
Attributes are straightforward and define Lyssandra’s overall strength and survivability.
Lyssandra has the ability to regenerate Health over time. At the beginning, this regeneration is slow, but increasing the Helarion attribute will significantly improve the speed of recovery.
Increasing Attack boosts the damage dealt by melee weapons, while Defense improves damage absorption when Lyssandra takes a hit. Spellpower enhances the effectiveness and damage of all spells.
The Luck attribute increases the chance of landing deadly hits in combat, while also improving the likelihood of finding higher quality and more valuable items.
11 / Field guide
Items
Players can find several types of items, including consumables, key items, crafting materials, and relics. One of the most valuable items is the Repair Kit, which can be dragged from the inventory onto damaged equipment to restore its durability.
Relics, such as the Wolf’s Paw, occupy a slot but provide passive bonuses. Each collected paw grants +1 Luck, allowing players to gradually strengthen their character through exploration.
Consumable items come in small, medium, and large variants, with identical types stacking into a single slot. The same stacking system applies to certain relics, such as horns or wolf paws, as well as plants used for crafting potions.
Inventory management plays an important role, as the way you organize your bag should reflect the direction in which you want to develop your character.
12 / Field guide
Nyxar, the middle realm
Once Lyssandra obtains the required piece of equipment, she gains access to Nyxar, the Middle Realm. This unique ability opens an alternate dimension, reveals more of the story, and can be used for fast travel, offensive tactics, or defense.
Nyxar usage is represented by the black bar in the main HUD. Lyssandra can remain in the Middle Realm for up to 10 seconds. While she is there, the world moves in slow motion while she continues to move at full speed. Enemies cannot see or harm her, giving players additional tactical options.
Nyxar can be used to bypass stronger enemies or to ambush and eliminate groups of foes. However, attacks performed in Nyxar deal 50% less damage, so using it effectively requires careful planning.
13 / Field guide
Inventory Interface
The Inventory is the central place for managing items, organizing equipment, reviewing quests, crafting and keeping track of the story.
Opening the Inventory pauses the game, giving players time to plan their next move without the pressure of combat. While the game is paused, players can use consumable items to restore Health or Energy, upgrade their character if they have enough Seeds, or rearrange their equipment to prepare for upcoming challenges.
Inventory space is limited, so managing what to carry is an important part of the journey. However, players can increase their carrying capacity by finding or crafting Leather Bags, allowing them to carry more items and equipment.
Throughout the world, players will also discover Storage Boxes where they can safely store excess items and equipment. Stored belongings can be retrieved later whenever needed, whether for personal use or to sell to merchants.
14 / Field guide
Gameplay Hints
The game is designed to encourage players to follow the story while learning about the world of Velharion. Reading road signs, listening to Lyssandra’s thoughts, talking to NPCs, and collecting Story Notes can provide valuable clues about how to progress and where to find important items.
Combat and inventory management require planning and organization. At the beginning of the game, inventory space is limited, so players can use Storage Boxes found throughout the world to store equipment and items for later use in combat or for selling.
Some items grant Lyssandra additional bonuses, but they also occupy valuable inventory space. Choosing which items to carry is an important part of developing your preferred playstyle and improving specific abilities.
Quests are scattered throughout the world, but even without them, exploration remains intuitive. Players are encouraged to explore without fear of getting lost, as exploration is one of the core pillars of Velharion.
At the beginning of the game, Lyssandra will not be strong enough to defeat every type of enemy. Until she becomes stronger and acquires better equipment, avoid unnecessary fights. Not every battle is meant to be won immediately, although your enemies will attack on sight as they seek to wipe humanity from Velharion.
Use Magical Dusts to restore Health, Energy, and Nyxar. They are essential for Lyssandra’s survival.
Look for small campfires where Lyssandra can fully restore her Health and Energy free of charge. However, each campfire can only be used once, so choose carefully when to rest.
Your journey begins here
Enter the world of Horns
Discover the demo and follow Horns on Steam.