Encased

Encased launched September 2021 with StreamerHouse pulling 403 viewers as this isometric RPG attempted to channel classic Fallout vibes into a retro-futuristic dome setting. The game spent years in early access before its full release, giving developer Dark Crystal Games time to refine the CRPG systems, turn-based combat, and branching narrative paths. Set under a mysterious dome where 1970s technology meets anomalies and corporate factions, Encased appealed to players craving old-school CRPG depth—skill checks, consequences, and reactivity rather than action. The modest critical coverage and Steam reviews suggested competent execution without revolutionary innovation—exactly what fans of the genre wanted. This wasn't trying to reinvent Divinity: Original Sin's success, just deliver solid Fallout-esque gameplay for the CRPG faithful. StreamerHouse covering it in 2021 gave exposure during the game's critical launch window when every streamer impression mattered. The CRPG renaissance of the 2010s-2020s proved an audience existed for these niche games—Encased found its people, shipped its vision, and let the genre fans decide. Sometimes "good enough for the faithful" is sufficient success.