Strange Scaffold Announced Gods With Badges
The narrative tactics game features isometric combat set in the city of Scarhelm.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Board Games
Live Poll
Do you prefer video games to tackle complex social issues or provide pure escapism?
Strange Scaffold has announced the development of Gods With Badges, a narrative tactics game that reinterprets a previously cancelled project from Artificer. Players control officer Harrow McClellan in the fictional city of Scarhelm.
Why it matters
The game aims to explore the complex power dynamics, institutional pressures, and social responsibilities inherent in law enforcement. It provides a platform to examine these themes through the lens of a tactical, turn-based experience.
Gods With Badges is a narrative tactics game featuring isometric turn-based combat. The title is being developed as part of the Project Share initiative.
The players
Strange Scaffold
Strange Scaffold is an independent game development studio known for unique narrative-driven titles.
Artificer
Artificer is a game development studio that previously began work on the project before its cancellation.
Harrow McClellan
Harrow McClellan is the protagonist and primary character players control throughout the game.
The details
Players navigate open hubs to investigate complaints and gather evidence while controlling Harrow McClellan. During encounters, users must choose whether to use force or disable the character's body camera, impacting how events unfold.
Timeline
The game is scheduled for launch on PC via Steam in 2027.
Culture Shift
The development of this title directly follows the collaborative framework established by the Project Share initiative. This signals a growing industry trend of resurrecting cancelled projects through collaborative, multi-studio partnership models.
Players can anticipate the release of the title on PC via Steam in 2027. Fans of tactical narrative games should prepare for the unique mechanics involving evidence gathering and the moral implications of body camera usage.
The takeaway
Gods With Badges encourages players to reflect on the institutional role of law enforcement through direct, choice-based gameplay. Engaging with such narratives can offer new perspectives on the balance between authority and social impact.
Further reading
Explore more developments in the world of Board Games.
Live Poll
Do you prefer video games to tackle complex social issues or provide pure escapism?
