Bowmasters has stuck around for years on the strength of one loop: pull back, let go, watch the arc. Two fighters, one direct hit, over in seconds, and somehow always worth one more round. We wanted that loop playable without an install, so we built Sling Showdown, a free arc-duel game that runs right here on this page. Drag back, release, and see if you can out-aim the rival on the other platform. No download, no signup.
Play Sling Showdown now
Drag back from your fighter and let go to fire. Best played with sound on.
How to play
On touch or with a mouse, drag back from your fighter on the left platform and release to fire a gravity-arc shot at the rival on the right. Pull further for more power, angle the drag to steer where the arc lands. On a keyboard, use the arrow keys to set angle and power and press Space to fire. A direct hit wins the exchange and your streak climbs by one; miss, and the rival gets a turn.
Every day brings a new rival, a fresh wind condition, and a new duel number, all seeded from the date, so everyone plays the same setup today. There’s a free practice mode too, with its own random wind and rival, for whenever you just want to keep firing. The rival gets sharper the longer your streak runs, but it never gets impossible. Your streak and best score are saved on your device, nothing leaves your browser.
How it compares to Bowmasters
Sling Showdown keeps the part of Bowmasters that makes it so easy to pick up: aim with a drag, fire, watch the arc bend under gravity, and win or lose the exchange on a single hit. The daily duel and the difficulty ramp as your streak grows are both inspired by how Bowmasters keeps a run tense without ever feeling unfair.
What we left out is the bulk of what makes Bowmasters worth downloading. There’s no roster of dozens of unlockable characters, no arsenal of ridiculous weapons from crossbows to chainsaws, no cosmetic shop, no local two-player mode passing the phone back and forth, and no comedic ragdoll gore. Our version is one original fighter, one rival, one weapon type per day, and a clean gravity arc. That’s the whole game.
So when should you grab the real thing? If pulling off a clean headshot here makes you want more characters and weapons to unlock, Bowmasters is built for exactly that. Our version is the free sample of the aiming itch; Miniclip’s game is the full arsenal.
Get the full game
Bowmasters is a free download on Android, with in-app purchases for extra characters and weapon skins. It also plays well as a local two-player party game, which our browser version doesn’t attempt to replicate.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play Bowmasters in a browser?
Bowmasters itself is an Android and iOS app with no official browser version. Sling Showdown, the game on this page, is our own original arc-duel game that runs in any modern browser on phone or desktop and captures the same pull-back-and-fire loop. For real Bowmasters you need the app.
Is this the real Bowmasters?
No. Sling Showdown is an original game we built, inspired by the aim-and-fire duel loop that makes Bowmasters fun. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Miniclip in any way. All art and sound in our version are generated by our own code, and the download links above point to the official app.
Does my streak save?
Yes, on your device. Your current streak, your best streak for today’s duel, and your all-time best are all stored in your browser’s local storage and restored when you come back. A new duel arrives at midnight, and your daily play streak grows as long as you show up. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
Is it free?
Completely. No ads, no purchases, no account, no data collection. Bowmasters itself is free to download with optional in-app purchases, so this is a good way to try the exchange-and-aim loop before you commit to the app.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has loaded, the game makes no further network requests, so it keeps running through connection drops. For the full Bowmasters experience offline, including its character roster and local multiplayer, get the app itself.
