Hello flatmates!
Yesterday, during the Galaxies Spring Showcase, we released a brand-new trailer focused on GLASSHOUSE’s turn-based combat, which you can watch below:
We’ve been listening to your feedback: after 3 playtests and around 700 completed Google Forms, it became clear that the combat system’s user interface needed a complete redesign—and that’s exactly what we’ve been working on tirelessly over the past few months.
Today’s devblog is a deep dive into Combat System 1.5.
FAREWELL, BATTLE COMMAND MENU
Let’s start with the most noticeable change: after hours and hours spent analyzing gameplay walkthroughs on YouTube and Twitch, we decided to move away from the iconic JRPG-style Command Menu.
We know—it’s a shame. However, GLASSHOUSE features a combat system that is significantly more complex to explain (and understand), and it requires a different approach—one that doesn’t rely solely on massive amounts of text in tutorial popups.
The combat framing is now cleaner, more readable, and more expansive -- the additional 45% of space allows us to use the camera more effectively, leveraging cinematic language to immediately convey the cause-and-effect relationship behind each action.
Our guiding principles here are clarity and dynamism: every action is supported by a distinct camera shot and a dedicated section that displays only the relevant information for that specific moment.
Talk / Attack / Use – Wide Shot
“TALK” ACTION
Among all available combat actions, “Talk” was the one that most needed a redesign. Many of you pointed out how overwhelming the mechanic felt at first, with multiple tutorial pages and poorly positioned on-screen information.
Now, rhetorical approaches are presented in a more structured way and provide a clearer correlation between required and owned ideological skills.
Talk - Dedicated Shot
Another previously unclear element was the visualization of the enemy’s Political Compass. In the current build, as soon as you enter “Talk” mode, the opponent’s Political Compass appears directly behind them, aligned with the player’s approaches, which scale according to your own Political Compass.
Not only that -- whenever an approach is selected, a smooth animation expands the opponent’s information, guiding the player’s eye toward the potential consequences of that choice.
Ideological Approach / Enemy Political Compass Correlation
The dice roll visualization has been completely redesigned and rebuilt from scratch. To better communicate build scaling and the effects of the enemy’s Political Compass, a calculation formula now appears on screen.
Ideological symbols, maluses, bonuses, and dice damage are displayed in a dynamic and sequential way; you strongly requested this feature, and now you’ll be able to plan your strategy with much greater awareness.
The Approach label indicates whether the selected approach is effective, ineffective, or unknown
“ATTACK” ACTION
The “Attack” action has also undergone several changes, starting with the item selector. We’ve introduced a dynamic scrolling list that simultaneously conveys multiple pieces of information, such as Weapon Name, Attack Die Type, and (in the future) Special Die Type.
Attack - Dedicated Shot
The attack planning camera now shifts behind the player’s shoulder, focusing on the enemy ahead. This closer perspective also allows you to observe the opponent’s equipment—something that will become crucial in the future for identifying weaknesses.
Moreover, with the full screen now available, we can better leverage our background in the film industry to craft more complex and cinematic camera movements during attack actions.
"USE" ACTION
Like Attack, the “Use” action now features a vertically scrollable list of all usable items in your inventory.
Unlike before, each item now includes a detailed description of its effects, removing the need for additional tooltips.
Graphic design is not final yet—there’s still a lot of work to be done on the art and juice side.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is Combat v1.5 -- an essential step toward the next (and final) iteration. Version 2.0 will mark the completion of the combat system and introduce new features such as Casting, Special Dices, Weapon Durability, and a deeper Threat Management system.
We truly can’t put into words how grateful we are for the incredible amount of feedback we’ve received. If GLASSHOUSE’s turn-based combat is what it is today, it’s entirely thanks to you.
That’s all for today. We’ll be back in May with a new devlog on YouTube. Thank you, once again, for being here with us and helping shape GLASSHOUSE.
See you soon! – Giacomo Montagnoli, Creative Director, FLAT28 Collective