Glass Cannon is my next indie obsession, a chill turn-based shoot-em-up roguelike with wild weapon combos

I can’t cease myself clicking play on Glass Cannon, it is a correctly nice and distinctive shoot ’em up expertise that twists the style in a enjoyable approach that is too straightforward to get obsessive about. Be aware: private buy.

The sport offers you a small area with a set quantity of enemies it’s essential destroy. The issue is, you solely have a restricted quantity of photographs earlier than the enemies will come at you to doubtlessly destroy you and it is sport over. Fortunately, there is not any urgency right here, because it warps the style right into a turn-based strategic roguelike the place you get to construct up a deck of weapons and over-power them into some ridiculous builds.

After every spherical (in the event you survive) you get credit relying on kills and variety of photographs used. Or any little cash orbs you additionally handle to shoot by and acquire. You then use this to purchase weapon mods that may have severe game-changing talents, together with spinning a weapon wheel to both improve a present weapon or purchase one other.

In a approach, it jogs my memory of video games like Balatro. Particularly with the UI design, and the way it takes a style and refreshes it together with Nubby’s Number Factory, for the sheer craziness of it together with the store system.

The store and improve system is the place the sport actually shines. Every weapon you get has a certain quantity of slots to construct them up with modules. These module upgrades might be fairly superior that add talents to weapons like zapping different enemies close to the bullet, rising the scale of the bullet, sending out spikes in the event you get hit, cloning itself and … you get the thought. My private favorite weapon module is the Brawler, which spawns a brawler that jumps at enemies when the projectile is destroyed.

A few of these modules may even be stacked collectively, so you may actually add as much as some hilarious weapon builds.

What additionally makes it attention-grabbing, is that you just can’t transfer until moved by a weapon or one other object. Add to that the various kinds of weapons like a grappling hook that hits enemies and strikes you to the final place of it, a chopping disc that may slice by many enemies (and also you in the event you’re unfortunate), a grenade that explodes, a rocket that may push you again as you fireplace however it strikes slowly and extra. There’s plenty of methods you may combine and match issues.

Actually a problem to get by it too, principally as a result of restricted quantity of photographs you get on every spherical. Several types of enemies require extra energy and infrequently a number of hits, together with sure enemies having particular results that may mess with you that it’s essential be taught. It is all in regards to the bouncing. Every weapon has a distinct quantity of instances they may bounce off of enemies and the partitions, so it’s essential maximise what you do. In that approach, it additionally finally ends up feeling a bit like taking part in shoot ’em up model of cue sports activities.

Fortunately, even when you do not handle to kill all of the enemies, it is solely sport over if their mixed hits to you cut back your HP to zero, in any other case you simply robotically heal earlier than the subsequent spherical.

The developer is not fairly completed with it, promising some new forms of cannons so that you can begin with, together with different forms of arenas, all of which I am extremely eager to see.

I actually have been fully hooked by it. I can’t consider one other sport like this and I’m stunned to see that it is being so ignored as a result of it is such an excellent thought. Developer LisiSoft is actually onto one thing particular right here and I believe you completely should make this your subsequent sport. That is all I’ll be taking part in for some time. I would like my subsequent hit.

Out now with Native Linux assist. It really works completely on Desktop Linux (Kubuntu 25.04) and on Steam Deck too. There isn’t any controller assist, however the controls are so ridiculously easy that Steam Enter makes it a non-issue for Steam Deck. An ideal one to take with you wherever you go and no matter system you are on.

Highlights:

Gameplay

Clear all enemies in every spherical, get cash and enhance your arsenal.

Purchase new weapons every of which has a novel playstyle – some deal harm, some assist you to transfer round, some knock enemies away and so on.

Mod your weapons with mods that synergize in distinctive methods with one another.

Enemies you fail to destroy will assault you and deal their well being as harm.

Every bullet has a restrict on bounces. Make use of every shot properly so that you optimize harm dealt to the utmost variety of enemies!

Options

Randomly generated enemies and obstacles, making every run distinctive.

8 Enemy varieties with distinctive abilities just like the necromancer, spiker, leaper…

24 rounds of accelerating issue and totally different challenges, together with loops.

16 totally different weapons to select from, every with its personal playstyle.

120+ weapon mods and powerups to enhance your run.