New Tactical RPG Stardust brings Pixel-Art Battles and Fresh Mechanics

Here’s a really interesting title that just popped up on my radar and has just opened its Steam page. It’s called STARDUST, a pixel-art tactical RPG that I think you’ll love, featuring a combat system built around mechanics that let you chain together devastating combos.

For many, this will be the first time hearing about it. It’s an independent project out of South Korea that mixes the familiar grid-based tactics of classic SRPGs with some new twists, all wrapped in a detailed pixel-art style.

The premise centers on a wish-granting star and the characters drawn into its mystery. You’ll travel with a group of companions, each with their own background and personality, and piece together the larger story through their interactions.

The combat system tries to strike a balance between tradition and experimentation. Movement and positioning follow the classic turn-based structure, but Kniv Studio has layered a card system on top to change how battles unfold.

Cards introduce options beyond the usual attacks, while counters and skill combos encourage players to think a step ahead. The goal seems to be more variety and less predictability in how encounters play out.

Visually, Stardust leans heavily on animation. Every sprite is fully drawn and animated frame by frame, and special attacks are punctuated with anime-inspired cutscenes.

It’s not just about style for style’s sake; the presentation is meant to give weight to big moments in combat, turning decisive moves into something more dramatic. The art direction sticks closely to a retro look but aims to make it feel alive.

Kniv Studio itself is still a relatively new team. Founded in 2022, it ran a successful crowdfunding campaign for Stardust in 2023, later earning recognition at events like IndieCraft and securing investment earlier this year.

STARDUST has a timeline for release already set out. A domestic demo is planned for December 2025, with a global demo following in February 2026. Full release is targeted for June 2026 on PC via Steam, below the announcement trailer.