Heartbound has a different combat system to most other role-playing games. Instead of attacking enemies based on a statistics system, the player has to complete minigames, which can either deal damage or cause the player to lose health, depending on the exact minigame. Equipment can also be found around the worlds Lore explores, which will increase attack strength or maximum health. Battles are not random - they are supposed to occur at specific points in the game, although some are avoidable if the player goes down certain gameplay routes.