Strange Scaffold Announces Gods With Badges, a 2027 Tactical RPG
Strange Scaffold has officially unveiled Gods With Badges, a narrative tactics game built around law enforcement systems, power dynamics, and institutional pressure. The project originally began at strategy studio Artificer under the name Hard Justice before being cancelled. Strange Scaffold has since rebuilt the concept from the ground up and folded it into its “Project Share” initiative. It marks the second title to emerge from that program, following Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 1: Re-Raptored. Studio head Xalavier Nelson Jr. described the game as one of Strange Scaffold’s most ambitious projects to date.
Players step into the role of Harrow McClellan, an officer who has been reassigned to her original post following a scandal. Set in the dystopian city of Scarhelm, the game has her patrol open areas, search for evidence, and field both civil and criminal complaints. Dialogue choices, arrest decisions, and the use of force all feed directly into her standing with colleagues, the public, and the institution itself, making every encounter a test of judgment.
When tensions escalate, the game transitions into isometric turn-based combat. Encounters require players to make use of cover, rescue hostages, and weigh whether to employ lethal force against suspects. These skirmishes are framed as consequences of the decisions made during patrol and investigation, tying the tactical layer back to the relationship system that tracks McClellan’s behavior and reputation over time.
Among the game’s most debated features is the option to temporarily switch off Harrow’s bodycam, which unlocks new tactical and dialogue options. The catch is that anything she does afterward is not publicly recorded. Composer Kris Kirk is handling the soundtrack, and the title is expected to launch in 2027 on PC platforms. Whether the bodycam mechanic lands as a bold design choice or as needless provocation will likely shape the conversation around it; for now, it is a project worth watching.
