Project Shadowglass wants to prove that you don’t need AI to create exceptional graphics. This is currently attracting a lot of attention to the stealth game.
Anyone who spends a lot of time on X (formerly Twitter) may have seen this video a few weeks ago: a 3D fantasy world, but in beautifully lit pixel graphics, viewed from the first-person perspective of a character with a sword in their hand. “We can build something like this thanks to generative AI” was the message behind it.
Well, developers can create something like this even without generative AI, right now and with proper game mechanics behind it. That’s what Starhelm Studios wants to prove with the game Project Shadowglass. Larian boss Swen Vincke is already excited.
Here you can see the first teaser trailer for the game:
What will it be when it’s finished?
Project Shadowglass (which will surely get a more catchy title as the release date approaches) aims to fuse old-school pixel art with modern, freely explorable 3D environments. This style was previously known mainly from the AI-generated videos mentioned above. Shadowglass will contain no trace of this, as the developers assure us:
Everything you see is 100 percent real and runs in real time on the engine. It may look similar to those pretty pixel art AI videos, but this is the playable real deal. No content or art in Project Shadowglass is AI-generated.
The gameplay is inspired by System Shock, Thief, and Deus Ex: So there will be a lot of sneaking and occasional combat. However, you are not a powerful warrior, so you are better off completing most tasks quietly. Your main goal is to obtain valuable artifacts from various realms… let’s say, procure them.
The exact approach is up to you, but the developers promise a stealth sandbox in which you’ll have to pay attention to things like lighting. Can you create a distraction that opens up a previously guarded path? Will you climb to a hidden hideout? How will you crack a magic lock?
Praise from the top
Swen Vincke, the head of Larian Studios (Divinity: Original Sin 1&2, Baldur’s Gate 3), took notice of the game and shared a tweet praising it – which naturally fueled the wish list numbers.
Didn’t see this one coming but love the way it looks! Best of luck! https://t.co/zFUtzg4b90
— Swen Vincke @where? (@LarAtLarian) October 9, 2025
I didn’t see that coming, but I love how it looks! Good luck!
According to the developer, almost 60,000 Steam users added the game to their wish list within a week. A fixed release date has not yet been set, but a playable demo is expected in early 2026 and early access is scheduled to start in 2027.
Who is developing it? Starhelm Studios is an indie project by “Dom the Space Bard” – the title comes from his YouTube project of the same name, in which he and a partner create satirical videos about games. Do you like the style, or is pixel art always a no-go for you? Feel free to write your thoughts in the comments below.
