You've seen them, we've all seen them – those viral AI-generated posts showing pixel-style "art" within RPGs that will never actually exist… but Project Shadowglass proves making a real game with that very aesthetic isn't truly impossible after all.
Project Shadowglass, which indie developer Dominick John of Starhelm Studios assures is not AI-generated in any capacity, is being produced in the Godot engine – and it's stunning. It takes those circulating AI "game" scenes, like this one that recently made rounds online, and expands on them tenfold. John's post history shows various clips from the work-in-progress, described as a "stealth-focused immersive sim set within a dark fantasy kingdom."
Think villages on the outskirts of a kingdom, glow-y evening lighting, starry skies, bright red moons, and more. The Steam page for Project Shadowglass provides more information on the upcoming game, and it sounds even more fun than it looks: "Plan daring heists, infiltrate forbidden locales, and escape with priceless artifacts. Features revolutionary 3D pixel art graphics and lasting consequences, where every action could leave a trail back to you."
Starhelm Studios also compares the project to past genre gems, writing that it's "a love letter to classic immersive FPS stealth sims such as Thief, Deus Ex, and System Shock, built with unique 3D pixel art technology." I myself can't help but see Daggerfall within its charming visuals – but what's more, I (and other fans) love that Project Shadowglass popped up just weeks after people dubbed similar AI-generated settings "impossible" to develop.
Comments under a thread highlighting Project Shadowglass prove as much, with one person amusingly asking, "Who was the person who made a tweet saying a game like this is impossible?" Another user adds, "I heard A LOOOT of artists claim the AI video's concept was 'impossible' for a real game." Thankfully, it very much looks like that's not the case, and Starhelm Studios is setting out to show it isn't.
If you're just as thrilled to see such a concept coming to fruition as I am, be sure to wishlist Project Shadowglass and follow John online to keep up to date with any news on the olden RPG-esque indie game.
Searching for something else to wishlist? Here are some of the biggest new games this year and beyond to keep an eye on.
