I keep hitting play on Glass Cannon — it’s a fresh and exciting shoot-’em-up that breathes new life into the genre, making it incredibly easy to get hooked.
(Full disclosure: I purchased this game myself.)
The gameplay plunges you into a tiny arena inhabited by enemies you need to clear out. The twist? You only have a few shots before the enemies swarm you, and if they catch you, it’s over. Don’t fret about frantic, twitchy action, however — this is a turn-based, strategic roguelike where you build up slowly a deck of arms and release preposterous combos to overwhelm enemies.
For every round you live through, you receive credits according to your kills, shots fired, and any money orbs you can shoot. You use these credits to buy weapon mods with game-breaking powers, and spin a weapon wheel to improve your current equipment or grab new guns.
Glass Cannon sort of reminds me of Balatro in terms of UI design and how it repurposes a genre, and bears resemblance to the chaotic energy of Nubby’s Number Factory, particularly with its insane upgrade and shopping system.
The actual star of the show is the shop and upgrade system. Each gun has slots for modules that bring incredible powers — such as shocking enemies near you, making bullets bigger, shooting spikes when you get hit, or even creating duplicates of projectiles. My favorite? The Brawler module, which calls out a small fighter that pounces on enemies when your projectile is destroyed.
You may pile these modules for comedic and devastating combinations, allowing your arsenal to be truly distinctive.
Movement is also a twist: you can’t move around normally — you only get to move when being pushed by a weapon or object. Weapons range from a grappling hook which drags you to enemies, to slashing discs that cut through enemies (and potentially you), grenades that detonate, and rockets which push you away as they travel slowly forward. The diversity means you get to try out loads of fun mix-and-match strategies.
The challenge is real, thanks to your limited shots each round. Different enemies require multiple hits and have special effects you’ll need to learn to counter. Mastering the bounce mechanics is key since bullets ricochet off walls and enemies, making it feel a bit like cue sports in shoot-’em-up form.
Even when you fail a round, it’s not a direct loss unless the combined damage of the enemies reduces your HP to zero. Otherwise, you’re automatically healed before the next round — a welcome buffer that keeps you in the game.
The developer is also still continuing development, with new start cannons and new arena types coming soon, which I’m really looking forward to seeing.
I’m totally addicted. It’s such a good, innovative concept and surprisingly low-key. Developer LisiSoft is on to something amazing here, and this should be your next game for sure. It’s going to be all I play for the foreseeable future.
Glass Cannon is now available with native Linux support and plays beautifully on Desktop Linux (Kubuntu 25.04) and Steam Deck. It doesn’t have official controller support, but the controls are so basic that Steam Input makes it easy on Steam Deck — ideal for gaming on the move.