One night, the ghosts of Robert E. Howard, football, and Bushido Blade got really drunk and went home together. Nine months later, Slayers was born.

Venus Patrol and White Whale Games have partnered to release Slayers -- a two-player (or one-player vs. AI) version of the pulp-fantasy action game God of Blades -- as a free download for Windows & Mac.

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Want to know more about Slayers? Watch a full match of the game above, and read on...

Previously only been playable at a meetup of Austin's JUEGOS RANCHEROS, and later as a tournament at this year's Fantastic Arcade, Slayers sees two players taking on the roles of the enemies from the main campaign mode of God of Blades, to duel one another on a desolate bridge for the favor of their blasphemous gods.

The match begins with each player selecting their champion. In addition to the champion, each player begins with a bank of 25 foot-soldiers, and every time one of these soldiers is cut down, another rushes to join the fray.

Champions are far stronger than foot-soldiers and enter the struggle when a player's reinforcements are depleted, or when one player successfully battles their way to their opponents end of the bridge. Players gain ground by defeating their opponents without losing their soldier. Victory is achieved when one player bests the other's champion.

Matches of Slayers are fast, brutal, and gorgeous, and end with a dynamically-generated, period-specific issue of 'Slayers magazine' showcasing the match's acclaimed victor.

If you enjoy Slayers, the full single-player version of God of Blades is available on the App Store at a new discounted price of just 99 cents, and has just been updated with new player customization tools and its own brand new asynchronous multiplayer mode, where players can challenge each others' records & take on your opponent's champion.

You can also read more about the pulp fantasy past that inspired White Whale here, to learn more about the art and fiction behind God of Blades.

If you're a fan of unique independent games like Slayers and want to see more released through the site, you can support Venus Patrol with a yearly membership and receive two more games only available here:

Capsule, an amazingly atmospheric and haunting space-survival horror from Adam Saltsman, creator of Canabalt

... plus Gun Godz, a lo-fi, tongue-in-cheek, hip-hop-inspired shooter from Vlambeer, creators of Super Crate Box & the upcoming Luftrausers.

You'll also receive a number of other thank you gifts including music and art from people like Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward and Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi. Visit Venus Patrol to find out more information and become a member.

Hope you enjoy Slayers -- find White Whale Games & Venus Patrol on Twitter and let us know what you think!