How to Play TextFight: A Beginner's Guide
Everything you need to know to start battling in TextFight's AI-powered arena.
Getting Started
TextFight is an AI-powered text battle arena where creativity is your greatest weapon. Unlike traditional fighting games that rely on reflexes or grinding, TextFight rewards clever writing, original fighter concepts, and genuine personality. Every battle is judged by advanced AI that evaluates creativity, humor, and specificity rather than raw power.
You can jump into TextFight immediately without creating an account. Guest mode gives you instant access to the full battle experience, letting you create fighters and fight other players right away. Guest accounts last for 24 hours, so if you enjoy the game, you can sign up with Google to save your progress permanently.
To get started, visit textfight.io and either play as a guest or sign in with your Google account. Registered players receive bonus coins, access to the full leaderboard, and the ability to track their battle history over time. Once you are in, you are ready to create your first fighter and step into the arena.
Creating Your First Fighter
Fighter creation is the heart of TextFight. You have up to 300 characters of text to describe your fighter. This might sound limited, but that constraint is what makes the game interesting. You need to distill your fighter concept down to its most creative and compelling essence.
Give your fighter a memorable name (up to 30 characters) and then write a description that captures who they are, what makes them unique, and why they would be fun in a fight. The AI judges reward originality and specificity, so a "sentient pizza who gained consciousness in a microwave and now fights with burning cheese rage" will outperform "the strongest warrior in the universe" every single time.
Do not worry about getting it perfect on your first try. You can create multiple fighters and experiment with different concepts. As a registered player, you start with five fighter slots, giving you plenty of room to explore what works and what does not.
Understanding the Arena
The arena is where your fighters come to life. When you hit the battle button, TextFight matches your fighter against another player's creation. The matchmaking system pairs fighters with similar ELO ratings to ensure fair and competitive fights. Every player starts at 1200 ELO, and your rating goes up or down based on your wins and losses.
Battles are not just about winning or losing. Each fight generates a unique AI-written narrative that tells the story of the encounter between the two fighters. These narratives are often funny, surprising, and genuinely entertaining to read. Many players find that the stories are as enjoyable as the competitive aspect of the game.
There is a cooldown period between battles to keep the pace manageable and prevent spam. Use this time to review your battle results, think about new fighter concepts, or check the leaderboard to see how you stack up against other players.
Your First Battle
Once you have created a fighter, battling is simple. Select your fighter and press the battle button. The system will find an opponent and the AI will generate a complete battle narrative in seconds. You will see the full story of the fight unfold, including dramatic moments, clever interactions between the fighters, and a final verdict.
The AI evaluates each fighter based on four key criteria: comedy (30% weight), specificity (25%), creativity (25%), and narrative potential (20%). Fighters that are funny, detailed, creative, and tell a good story have the best chance of winning. A generic "all-powerful god" description will almost always lose to a more specific and creative concept.
After the battle, you will see your updated ELO rating, whether you won or lost, and any traits your fighter may have discovered. Trait discovery happens through battle, and discovered traits evolve over time as you continue fighting. Read the battle narrative carefully, as it often reveals what the AI valued about each fighter.
Reading Battle Results
Battle results in TextFight contain several important pieces of information. The narrative itself tells the story of the fight, and reading it carefully helps you understand what the AI found compelling about each fighter. Pay attention to which elements the AI highlighted, as this gives you insight into what makes a strong fighter description.
Your ELO change is shown after each battle. New players have a higher K-factor of 32, meaning your rating changes more dramatically in your first 20 battles. After that, the K-factor drops to 16, making your rating more stable. Beating a higher-rated opponent gives you more points than beating a lower-rated one, following standard ELO mechanics.
You may also discover traits after battles. Traits are special attributes that the AI identifies in your fighter, and they evolve from Bronze to Silver to Gold tier as you accumulate wins. Traits influence future battles and add depth to your fighter over time.
Tips for Beginners
The single most important tip for new players is this: be specific and creative. The AI does not care about power levels, so describing your fighter as "invincible" or "the strongest ever" actually hurts you. Instead, give your fighter quirks, personality traits, a backstory, or an unusual fighting style. A retired accountant who fights with weaponized spreadsheets is far more interesting than a generic super soldier.
Experiment freely with your early fighters. Your first 20 battles have a higher K-factor, which means your rating is volatile. Use this period to test different fighter concepts and see what resonates with the AI. Some players find success with humor, others with elaborate backstories, and others with absurd fighter concepts. There is no single formula for winning.
Finally, read the battle narratives carefully. They are not just entertainment; they are feedback. The AI's story tells you what it found interesting, funny, or compelling about each fighter. Use that information to refine your descriptions and create even better fighters for future battles.