Strange Scaffold has announced Gods With Badges, a narrative tactics game that puts players in the role of a disgraced police officer navigating a dystopian city where every decision can have consequences. Revealed at the Triple-I Initiative showcase, the game combines police investigations, dialogue choices, and isometric turn-based combat, with players deciding how far they are willing to go when exercising their authority. Gods With Badges is scheduled to arrive on PC via Steam in 2027.
Players take control of Harrow McClellan, an officer transferred back to her original post after a scandal turns her into a familiar name within law enforcement. Her reputation follows her throughout the campaign, and players must decide whether to embrace it or attempt to change how colleagues and citizens see her.
The game takes place in Scarhelm, a decaying city set in the future. Players will patrol its streets, investigate civic complaints and criminal activity, seize contraband, and search back alleys for evidence. Dialogue choices, arrests, and the use of force will influence Harrow’s relationships with the public, fellow officers, and the institutions around her.
When encounters turn violent, Gods With Badges switches to isometric, turn-based combat. Players can take cover, rescue hostages, and choose between arresting suspects and using lethal force. Officer loadouts and equipment also affect how encounters play out, giving players different tactical options.
One of the game’s central mechanics revolves around Harrow’s body camera. Switching it off temporarily unlocks additional tactical options and special dialogue choices, but it also removes the public record of subsequent events. The mechanic ties directly into the game’s exploration of accountability, authority, and the consequences of decisions made away from public scrutiny.
The project has an unusual development history. It began as Hard Justice, a strategy game conceived by developer Artificer that was never released. Strange Scaffold is now reviving the project using its original foundations and development materials, reinterpreting the concept through its own creative approach.
The game also forms part of Strange Scaffold’s Project Share initiative, which encourages developers to exchange technology and reuse development resources to support more sustainable game production. The initiative previously resulted in Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 1: Re-Raptored.
Strange Scaffold studio head Xalavier Nelson Jr. explained the team’s ambitions for the project.
“With its unique production circumstances and desire for cultural impact, Gods with Badges is among the most ambitious things Strange Scaffold has ever undertaken,” Nelson said. “I’m deeply grateful to the original developers at Artificer for trusting us with their project, and can’t wait for people to see what we’ve built on this complex, exciting foundation. We’re taking it seriously – and doing something that is both intentional and striking.”
The game will also feature a noir soundtrack composed by Kris Kirk, known for Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator. Strange Scaffold has yet to announce an exact release date, pricing, or a more specific launch window beyond 2027. Gods With Badges is currently planned for PC via Steam, with further details expected through the developer’s official channels.
