ABOUT THIS GAME
Glyph Gambit is a turn-based tactical roguelite inspired by chess, Dark Souls, and grid-based dungeon crawlers. Each run challenges you to navigate dangerous tactical arenas where every move matters and every decision can end your journey. Your objective is clear:
Destroy the enemy King before they destroy yours.
You control multiple upgradable pieces on compact battle grids, facing distinct enemy factions with their own movement patterns and threats. Equip offensive Edges, defensive Shields, and powerful Gems and Items to shape your build and survive deeper into the gauntlet.
At the heart of the game are Glyphs—the soul of your run. Glyphs empower your piece, unlock new abilities, and fuel long-term progression. But they are fragile. If you fall in battle, your Glyphs drop on that level. To reclaim them, you must return to that same encounter and clear it. Fail again before recovery, and those Glyphs are lost forever.
Tactical Combat on Compact Grids
Fight on small, focused encounter boards where positioning is everything. Predict enemy intent, manage danger zones, and outmaneuver rival Kings. Every run presents new tactical puzzles that reward smart planning and bold plays.
A Souls-Inspired Challenge Loop
Death resets the run—but permanent upgrades, unlocked items, and new Glyphs progressively expand your options. Each attempt pushes you further as you refine your strategy and piece loadout.
Distinct Enemy Factions & Bosses
Face Goblin raiders, Sage spellcasters, Usurpers, Plague creatures, Warlords, and ancient Tyrant bosses—each with unique attack shapes and movement patterns that challenge you to adapt and survive.
Build Your Piece With Permanent Items
Equip a wide range of upgrades including:
Edges – Offensive stat boosts
Shields – Defensive enhancements
Gems – For upgrading edges and shields
Glyphs – The soul of the game for leveling up and purchasing items
Permanent Items - Items that can be used across all runs
Run Items - Items that can be used for one run
Level Items - Items that can be used for one level in a run
Consumables - Items that are applied and consumed immediately
Designed for Controllers & Steam Deck
Featuring full controller support and clean UI navigation, Glyph Gambit plays naturally on both desktop and Steam Deck.
FEATURES
Turn-based tactical battles on compact grid arenas
Roguelite runs with permanent progression and unlocks
Core objective: destroy their King before they destroy yours
Glyphs that drop on death and can be lost forever
Dozens of Edges, Shields, and Gems to shape your build
Procedural encounters and branching run paths
Distinct factions with unique patterns and bosses
Souls-like atmosphere and challenge
Full controller support and Steam Deck compatible
Highly replayable with deep strategic choices
Three new boss kings, including a final Dragon King boss. Defeat him to unlock New Game+ with infinite run scaling.
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Promote your pieces! Units can now promote to gain increased stats. But bewarethe enemy can promote too, so careful defense is key.
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A new bonfire hub brings a souls-like feel to your runs. Upgrade equipment at the blacksmith using your gem drops, or plan your loadout at the bonfire.
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Traps, chests, and barricades now add even more strategic depth to every battle.
[/*]Steam Deck support continues for all updates!
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[p align=\"start\"]The latest update focuses on readability, controller/Steam Deck comfort, and adding more tactical depth to combat.[/p]
Bigger, cleaner battlefield:The grid and pieces are scaled up to better use screen space and improve clarity during fights.
[/*]Attack menu improvements:The attack menu is larger, fits cleanly beside the grid without overlapping other UI, and text wraps properly so nothing gets cut off on Steam Deck.
[/*]Controller navigation fixed up:D-pad/analog navigation through attack options is more reliable and consistent again.
[/*]Run HUD layout tuned for handhelds:Level + Glyphs info is positioned to stay readable on smaller screens, with better wrapping where needed.
[/*]Equipped item visibility:Player pieces now show equipped item-type icons near the health bar so you can read loadouts at a glance.
[/*]New enemy barricades:Enemies can deploy barricades to block lanes and force smarter positioningno more mindless straight-line trades. Barricades have their own damage feedback and a destruction sequence (VFX + SFX).
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Glyph Gambit has just released on Steam. There is a limited-time launch discount available.
I am actively planning continual updates and improvements to the game, and I want those updates to be guided by real player feedback. Early reviews and comments are extremely helpful at this stage, both for visibility and for shaping the direction of future content.
Thank you for taking the time to check it out, and I hope youll share your thoughts on what should come next.
Got a small but important update today focused on Steam Deck compatibility!
Ive been doing some handheld testing and noticed a few things that needed tightening up before launch. This update includes:
Improved UI scaling for Steam Decks screen
[/*]Adjusted readability and spacing on smaller resolutions
[/*]A few small layout fixes to make the game feel smoother in handheld mode
[/*]
Nothing huge, but it makes the experience on the Deck noticeably cleaner and more comfortable.
More polish updates coming soon as we get closer to release. Thanks again for the support it really helps a solo dev keep pushing out improvements quickly!
Glyph Gambit is a tactical gridbased roguelite built around one core idea: What if Dark Souls had a baby with Chess?
Every encounter is a tense kingvsking showdown. On each run, you fight across increasingly dangerous boards, using items like Edges, Shields, and Gems to adapt your strategy. Beginning at level 5, these items can drop as powerful rewards, offering new build opportunities and tactical depth. The catch? Your glyphsthe core progression systemare fragile. If your King falls on a level before you destroy the enemy King, the glyphs youve earned up to that point are shattered.
But theres hope. Return to that same level on your next run. If you defeat that levels King, your glyphs return to youfully restored. If you fail again, theyre gone forever. This loop creates a thrilling riskreward structure where every decision matters, and every board becomes a personal grudge match.
Adding to the tension is a runending shop: a merchant that only appears if you voluntarily end your run. Cashing out early lets you safely spend your preserved glyphs on rare items, but doing so forfeits your push toward the next boss. Its a constant dilemmabail out now for guaranteed upgrades, or press deeper and risk losing everything.
Between levels, you also have the freedom to evolve your strategy. You can level up individual pieces, refine your build, and adjust your loadout to prepare for the challenges ahead. If you dont want to risk your glyphs midrun, you can instead invest them between runs to permanently strengthen your roster. This creates a flexible progression system where each player chooses howand whento power up their team.
Minimum Setup
- OS: Ubuntu 20.04+ (or equivalent distro)
- Processor: Intel Core i3 or equivalentMemory: 2 GB RAM
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: OpenGL 3.0+ compatible GPU (Mesa drivers supported)
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