Steampunk is one of those settings you see far more often in art books than in actual games, which is exactly why Glasshouse stands out. The upcoming CRPG from the new studio Flat28 calls itself a feudalpunk RPG, leans on a grimy industrial look and pairs it with a dialogue-heavy structure that will feel familiar to anyone who has played Disco Elysium. The difference is that here, talking is only one of two options – the other is a fully developed turn-based combat system.
A locked-down apartment block on the eve of a world war
Glasshouse puts you in a fictional world where the concept of states and nations came to an end back in 1828. The upside was the end of capitalism; the downside was that innovation across the globe stalled out. By 2028, when the game takes place, that stagnation has pushed the world to the brink of a new world war: the many Sterile Fiefdoms are ready to revolt against the few that still count as Productive.
You play Wealdmear, a deputy with short-term and long-term problems. In the short term, there is a mysterious triple murder in the apartment next door. In the long term, Wealdmear wants to become a leader people actually love – a “righteous” politician. The whole thing plays out inside a locked-down working-class apartment block in the fictional Lundonstoch, full of cramped corridors and exposed piping, while a political conspiracy tightens around you and your flatmates make terrible decisions if you do not make them first.
Everything is political, including the skill system
Glasshouse does not use voices in your head the way Disco Elysium does. Instead, the internal monologue is split between Wealdmear’s inner Ego and a narrator who guides the story as if it were a stage play. The mechanical core is the Political Compass: every character you meet inside the building has their own political identity that you have to work out through conversation, and you build your own Compass across five different ideologies.
Leveling up specific beliefs makes some NPCs easier to deal with and others harder, which opens and closes alternate paths through the story. The studio’s pitch is blunt – everything is political, gameplay included.
What you’ll actually be doing
- Investigating the triple murder next door and fighting a political conspiracy
- Talking or fighting your way out of situations via turn-based combat and dialogue choices
- Building your character through a class system that changes how certain interactions go
- Reading books to gain knowledge and crafting gear in a workshop
- Solving complicated puzzles, hitting quick time events and finding secret hiding places
- Unlocking eight different endings that show various fates of this post-capitalist world
There is also a Cunning mechanic that unlocks exclusive dialogue trees when you carry specific items, so digging through the building pays off. The writing goes far enough that you can make enemies surrender purely by talking – but skipping fights entirely means skipping a combat system the developers clearly put real work into. If you like keeping an eye on smaller upcoming titles, we also covered Mihira: The Eternal Arc.
When is it out?
Glasshouse currently lists only “coming soon” on Steam, which suggests development still has a way to go. For now, the wishlist is the only thing you can do – and it is worth remembering that Disco Elysium was also a debut project from an unknown studio, ZA/UM, before it became a genre landmark.
Where to next
While you wait, check out our roundup of free Steam games, and you’ll find more news and coverage in our gaming articles section.
FAQ
It’s a feudalpunk CRPG with turn-based combat, set in a locked-down apartment block in the year 2028, on the eve of a new world war. You investigate a triple murder and take on a political conspiracy.
The game comes from Flat28, a new studio. Glasshouse is being pitched as a heavily dialogue-driven RPG in the vein of Disco Elysium, but with a full combat system on top.
There is no date yet. The Steam page lists only “coming soon,” which suggests the game may still be in development for some time.
You can talk your way out of a lot of situations, and clever dialogue can even make enemies surrender. Doing so, however, means you’ll see much less of the turn-based combat system.
Eight. Each one shows a different fate for the game’s post-capitalist world.