Shattersong is a single-player tactical strategy RPG developed for PC. Players take on the role of Corin, a teenage banner-bearer who builds a found-family army to oppose Savreth, the Hollow Cantor, in the world of Aurendal where magic stems from the shattered Words of the First Speech.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on recruiting and managing a roster of heroes while advancing through a narrative-driven campaign. Combat emphasizes clear, forecast-based decisions with no hidden calculations. Initiative follows hero speed, flanks provide advantages, high ground improves reach, and walls block line of sight. Terrain shapes movement and strategy, with forests slowing units, rivers restricting most movement except for wave-walkers, and elevation offering tactical edges. Each hero moves in unique ways that reward planning around their capabilities.
Heroes progress through three full class tiers, gaining new appearances, skills, and battlefield options at each stage. Players recover lost Words and bind them permanently to chosen heroes at the Anvil of Saying. Each binding requires a Tithe and limits future options, turning every decision into a meaningful trade-off. Fallen heroes retreat rather than perish, allowing the campaign to continue without resets while encouraging careful use of the growing roster.
Game Modes
The primary experience is a single-player campaign structured across 28 chapters in five acts. The story begins in a village lane and builds toward the Unsung Hour, with opportunities to explore towns, establish camps, and uncover off-path secrets. No additional competitive or cooperative modes receive confirmation in available details, keeping focus on the solo tactical campaign and its narrative progression.
Story and Setting
Aurendal came into existence through song, with the Words of the First Speech creating rather than describing reality. After the great Words shattered, Savreth wields the Unword to erase existence piece by piece, framing his actions as mercy. Corin counters this approach by gathering ordinary people whose bound Words resist erasure. The narrative explores why imperfect, collective voices matter against perfect silence, presenting the villain as someone who reached a different conclusion after profound loss rather than a cartoonish threat.
Visuals, Audio, and Development
The game uses a painted storybook aesthetic across battlefields, towns, and a cast of dozens. An original soundtrack supports the warm, illustrated style. As a solo-developed project, it prioritizes personal vision in its systems and presentation.
Is It Worth Playing?
Shattersong targets players who enjoy deliberate tactical RPGs with strong emphasis on character growth and meaningful choices. The transparent combat forecasts, permanent binding decisions, and retreat mechanic reduce frustration while preserving stakes around the recruited heroes. Its campaign structure and focus on a found-family roster suit those drawn to story-driven strategy experiences in the vein of classic tactical titles. With a planned release in March 2027 and no user reviews available yet, interest depends on preference for its described mechanics and themes. The game remains in development, and final details may shift before launch.
