To meet the king's contract, upgrade the sword to +29, then land five successful strikes in a row to reach +30. Failed upgrades only stall early on, cost a level in the middle, and destroy the blade in the late game. Plan around the success percentage shown on screen rather than treating every swing alike.
Start here
Open the free browser build and select Run game. You begin with a sword and a hammer budget of 300 strikes. Space upgrades the blade; the current success rate tells you how risky the next attempt is. A lucky first few swings do not make later upgrades safe.
Full progression route
- +0 through +9 — training. A failed strike does not lower the sword's level. Learn to read the odds while preserving your limited hammer uses.
- At +5 — choose an Engraving. Pick one of three. Depending on the options, consider higher upgrade odds, more gold, or better protection against a break. You choose again at +10, +15, +20 and +25.
- +10 through +19 — trial. A failure drops the sword one level. Budget extra swings to regain lost progress; watch the hammer counter.
- +20 through +29 — danger. A failed upgrade shatters the sword. Prepare Wards, which block a break, and Lucky Dust, which improves the next upgrade, before risking expensive levels.
- +29 to +30 — the final test. Five successes in succession are required. Treat it as five risky checks, not a single victory click.
- After a break. Review your gold and Shards, use the Shop or Workshop, and consider Reforge from your last checkpoint when available. Your next attempt can use a different Engraving build.
Quick-reference strategy
| Situation | What to do | Outcome | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miss at +0–9 | Retry after checking the displayed chance | No level loss | Official game |
| Miss at +10–19 | Regain the lost level | One-level setback | Official game |
| Attempt +20–29 | Consider break protection first | An unprotected miss destroys the sword | Official game |
| Reach +29 | Prepare for five consecutive hits | One hit alone is insufficient | Official game |
| Heat increases | Reassess the displayed success rate | Heat improves success odds | Official game |
| Need gold | Sell with S and reinvest | Repeated sales at one level exhaust that market | Official game |
| Hammer budget is tight | Review Repair Kits and Reforge | More swings or a checkpoint restart may help | Official game |
Mistakes that waste a run
Playing +20 like +10: the penalty changes from a setback to a shattered sword. Selling the same level repeatedly: the market dries up, so a routine farming level is not guaranteed to keep paying equally. Ignoring Engravings: choices at five milestones can alter the build; stacking a type may unlock set bonuses. Expecting guaranteed success: the developer documents probability, not a deterministic button sequence.
Controls, version and limits
Mouse works throughout. Keyboard: Space upgrade; S sell; B new sword; E shop; C workshop; P ward; Q quench; R reforge; M market; F game speed; Esc back. The official description lists Quench but does not explain its exact effect, so do not assume one. This guide covers the October 23, 2026 early browser build (v0.16.0). Exact upgrade probabilities, all 45 Engravings, the optimal build and a personally verified +30 clear remain untested.
Bottom line
Build resources before +20, protect your sword in the shatter range, and save enough margin for the five-hit finish. The king ordered a +30 sword, not a pile of very expensive fragments.
References (2)
- Official game and controls: https://owenpark.itch.io/sword-upgrade
- Developer release note, October 23, 2026: https://owenpark.itch.io/sword-upgrade/devlog/1724113/sword-upgrade-the-forge-contract-free-browser-build-is-live
