This one caught my eye right away. Tactichord: Glam Strategy is an upcoming turn-based tactics game with a unique twist: every battle is also a rock performance. Developed by Ichigoichie (the team behind Hexagroove and Backbeat), this game blends classic grid-based movement with rhythm mechanics and character-driven storytelling rooted in glam metal and 1990s ensemble dramas.
You play as Diane, an awkward teen bassist who finds her place in a struggling suburban metal band. Each encounter is about more than just positioning and action points; it’s also a performance. Attacks are styled as “melee performances” to convert music haters into fans, while each character has a resource-limited power move that turns entire crowds into superfans. What makes the whole thing more interesting is that, by the end of a level, you get to watch a custom glam music video built around the lyrics and riffs you chose during combat.
The game also places a significant emphasis on narrative choices. You can support or push away your bandmates, and those decisions ripple across the story. The setting pulls from pre-Internet suburban America, think diners, dive bars, and high school angst, with clear nods to media like My So-Called Life and Heathers.
Musically, it’s got real weight behind it. The soundtrack is composed by Chris Laney (Pretty Maids, Ronnie Atkins Band), and the game dynamically layers music depending on the riff and lyric choices you make during each mission. There’s even real-time customization with audio effects, instruments, and costumes to personalize your band’s sound and look.
There’s no release date yet, but the game’s already up on Steam and worth adding to your wishlist. More details below alongside the trailer.
About This Game
Aspiring bassist Diane Eason had difficulty making friends and fitting in at high school. That is, until she discovered the power of rock and a joined a ragtag band of metalheads. Can Diane and her new band land a big record deal or will the stress of living the rock and roll lifestyle tear them apart?
- Use melee performances to convert non-believers into heavy metal fans
- Build up your resources to unleash each character’s epic power move
- Create a glam music video of your gameplay, choosing the song’s lyrics
- Experience a character-driven story set in 1990s America with a band you can name
- Support or antagonize bandmates with dialog choices
- Customize musical playback with vanity audio effects, instruments, and costumes
Each character in your band has a limited amount of action points to use each turn. Using melee performances for music haters builds up your heat resource, which when done artfully leads to a massive amount of points and the coveted S+ rank. Convert haters, reach the goal, collect objectives, and survive through increasingly wild encounters.
Each character has his own resource-limited power move to turn your critics into superfans en masse. Camp out and launch a sonic onslaught with your bassist, slide by guards with your guitarist, rock gym bros across the map with your drummer’s hurl, or repel and attract miserly old ladies with your vocalist’s wail and charm. Strategic use of your super moves increase the number of collateral conversions and are the key in gaining a maximum score.
Playing through each encounter in a level queues up a number of lyrics and musical style choices. After clearing all encounters in a level, enjoy a music video highlight reel of your exploits set to the words and riffs you chose.
At key points in the story make decisions on how to deal with your angst, supporting or dumping on your bandmates. Over time, your choices could deepen rare friendships, or drive them apart.
Join Diane as she grows on a musical journey rooted in glam and heavy metal. Wicked solos and hot licks are composed by Chris Laney, guitarist of Pretty Maids, Ronnie Atkins Band, and At The Movies! More than twelve headbanging tracks are recorded by a live group of guitarists and singers for the dynamic music in the game. Unique songs are generated depending on what riff pattern you choose at each sub-level, and lyrical lines at each player turn. Customize your performance with instruments swaps, real time audio effect pedals, and increasingly wild costumes.
Tactichord is a homage to the 16 and 32-bit story-driven games of the 1990s, recreating the challenges and victories of the last days of analog life before the birth of the internet. The suburban Washington D.C. area is reflected in diner parking lots, shopping malls, and dive bars. Reminiscent of media such as The Commitments, Airheads, Heathers, and My So-Called Life.
A colorful cast of supporting characters, both friends and foes join Diane as she struggles with bullying, imperfection, and obsession.
