SENSE SHARE has launched the Steam store page for “Blade Smith,” a hardcore simulation that faithfully recreates the 11 traditional stages of Japanese sword forging.
Set in Kyoto during the Bakumatsu period, *Katana Smith* is a simulation game in which players forge a Japanese sword from tamahagane with their own hands. The game faithfully recreates all real-world traditional sword-making processes—including charcoal cutting, water quenching, folding forging, tempering, and sharpening—as core gameplay mechanics.Each step is more than just a mini-game; precise control over factors such as the steel’s temperature, the timing of strikes, and the thickness of the clay coating directly affects the beauty of the hamon and the jigane, requiring the intuition and skill of a true craftsman.Players must discern the color of the heated steel, adjust the force and direction of their hammer strikes, manually draw the hamon pattern with clay, and take a decisive gamble at the moment of quenching. If they fail, the sword will break or become warped. The completed sword is not merely a weapon, but a work of art imbued with the craftsman’s soul.
Experience the 11-Step Sword-Making Process
The defining feature of *Blade Smith* is its faithful recreation of the actual Japanese sword-making process. The Steam store page details the following 11 stages:
Charcoal Trimming: Manually trimming and shaping the charcoal that supports the forge
Water-Quarry and Small-Cut: Heating and hammering tamahagane, then rapidly cooling it to select high-quality fragments
Stacking and Heating: Stacking the selected fragments and fusing them into a single piece of steel through heat and hammering
Folding Forging: Folding and hammering the steel to improve its quality
Assembly: Layering the outer and inner steel to form the blade’s core
Heating and Stretching / Initial Stretching: Stretching the steel to the sword’s dimensions and shaping the tip
Fire-forging: Finishing the shape of the blade, including the edge, spine, and curvature
Applying the “Doko”: Precisely applying the “doko” lines by hand, which form the basis of the hamon
Quenching: Rapidly cooling the heated blade to set the hamon (a one-shot process with no room for error)
Polishing: Removing the clay with a whetstone to reveal the base metal and hamon
Assembly: Assembling the handle, tsuba, and scabbard to complete the sword
These processes are not merely a matter of following steps; they require making optimal judgments based on the condition of the steel and changes in the environment.For example, during the clay application stage, the thickness and shape of the clay layer directly affect the beauty of the hamon after quenching. For this reason, players are not merely operators but “artisans” who nurture the soul of the sword, gaining experience through their daily work in the forge.
Design the Forge to Suit Your Style
“Blade Smith” is appealing not only for its recreation of the sword-making process but also for the freedom to customize the layout of your forge. You can place numerous objects—such as furnaces, hammers, whetstones, tamahagane, workbenches, and furniture—in any position you like, choosing whether to prioritize work efficiency or aesthetic appeal and atmosphere.By building your forge in your own style, your individuality is reflected in the game’s world. This freedom makes the game more than just a simulation; it serves as a space for players to express their own “philosophy as a craftsman.”
“Blade Smith” is scheduled for release on PC (Steam). You can add it to your wishlist now.
