In Tactichord: Glam Strategy, indie studio Ichigoichie pays homage to 80s glam metal through a turn-based tactics game, blending strategy with an over-the-top aesthetic. David Ventura, a former rhythm game developer, focuses on storytelling and character development, creating a world in 1990 where players control a band of metal icons. The game’s visuals, including hand-drawn cutscenes and dynamic colour grading, evoke the era's excess. Despite its 80s setting, Tactichord uses modern tech to enhance the low-poly character models, making the game both visually striking and narratively rich.

The team reused the engine from their previous game, Backbeat, but significantly improved the presentation. Character dialogue portraits are 40% larger, and the game features prequel narratives and narrative-driven cutscenes. Ventura explains, 'A lot of the music in the game is paying homage to a lot of those glam metal bands, like our character Joey is kind of a combination of David Lee Roth and Joey Tempest.'

While the game is set in 1990, acknowledging the waning popularity of glam metal, it still unabashedly celebrates the genre. Ventura adds, 'We have different kinds of sky boxes where there’s flames, or a hurricane coming across. The colour grading also changes all the time.' The game also incorporates low-tech solutions, such as texture flip books for facial expressions, similar to techniques used in Gitaroo Man.

Tactichord: Glam Strategy is coming soon to PC, and a demo is available on Steam. With its blend of strategy, music, and over-the-top visuals, it's sure to be a hit with fans of the genre.