Fights In Tight Spaces Is a Tactical Combat Game About Brawling

Like most good things in life, Fights in Tight Spaces is something I didn’t know I needed. It’s a tactical combat game about biffing in really small spaces, as the name so clearly states. I’ve never given much thought to turn-based face-punching, but then again, I’ve always felt that everything’s better when it’s turn-based. It’s being developed by Ground Shatter Games and published by Mode 7, and it’s coming later this year. There’s a trailer and everything, so if any of this sounds interesting, there’s more after the break.

You can watch the video here. It’s really the kind of game best represented by a video, so I definitely recommend watching it. If you don’t have the time or inclination to do so, you’re going to put me in the difficult position of having to explain it with words, a.k.a. do my job. Thanks for that.

You play as an agent of Section Eleven, an intelligence service that deals with criminal organizations that are outside of the remit data analysts. There’s very little of those nowadays, but there’s still enough work for an honest face-puncher.

In practice, this means you’ll be thrown into a small arena with several enemies, with the task of punching them all into submission. However, there’s a deck-building element at play here, kind of like that thing Slay The Spire does. You’ll add different moves to your deck, things like Headbutt, Push, Heavy Strike and Jump Kick, and you’ll draw them randomly each turn. It’s not all in the cards, though – you’ll also have to position yourself carefully in order to make the moves work. You are one and they are many. But you have a swanky suit, 150+ moves to pick from, and a bunch of possible upgrades (and injuries).

There’s a fancy action cam that sometimes gives you a closer look at what you’ve just done to that poor man’s face, and I’m hoping there’s going to be a cinematic replay option which would allow you to watch the recently-ended skirmish through the lens of said action cam.