Halfway (v1.2.15)

A colonial starship becomes a claustrophobic battlefield when an unknown hostile force tears through its crew. Halfway is a turn-based tactical RPG built around a small band of survivors trying to reclaim the Goliath, deck by dangerous deck, while uncovering why the mission goes catastrophically wrong. Its sci-fi tone leans into isolation and paranoia rather than grand space opera: every dark corridor, sealed room, and wounded ally reinforces the sense that safety is temporary. The pixel-art presentation gives the ship a distinctive retro-futurist look, while its restrained soundtrack keeps the tension simmering between fights.

Combat plays out on compact, grid-based maps where cover, line of sight, positioning, and action economy matter far more than brute force. Squad members bring different specialties, weapons, and active abilities, so success often comes from setting up overwatch, flanking entrenched enemies, healing at the right moment, or using the environment intelligently. New recruits join over the campaign, each carrying personal skills and bits of story that make roster choices meaningful; losing control of a fight can be costly when resources are limited. Between encounters, players search rooms for gear, read logs, make dialogue decisions, and push deeper into the vessel’s increasingly unsettling mystery. The campaign runs roughly a dozen hours, with challenge coming from tactical mistakes rather than twitch reflexes.

Halfway stands out through its focused scale: it feels like a compact XCOM-style campaign set entirely inside one doomed ship, without the sprawling base management or lengthy strategic layer. That narrower scope makes encounters quick to read and keeps the narrative moving, though players expecting endless character customization may find it deliberately lean. A map editor and campaign creation support add extra life for anyone interested in community scenarios and custom missions. Fans of XCOM, Shadowrun Returns, or old-school squad RPGs should find plenty to enjoy, while newcomers can appreciate the clear rules and gradual introduction of its systems.