Publisher Mystic Forge has unveiled the new game from Rami Ismail (Ridiculous Fishing, Nuclear Throne) called Australia Did It, which is coming to Steam later this year.
Australia Did It will be a turn-based tower defense style game with “a unique unit merging system and explosive on-rails Reverse Bullet Hell Combat”. The publisher adds you will need to “carefully strategize to withstand relentless enemy waves, then unleash sensory overload as you become the Bullet Hell, mowing down thousands in dazzling chaos.”
The reveal trailer (below) shows a lovely, colourful art style, and the pedigree of developer here means this one will be firmly on our radar leading up to release.
“I believe the games industry has been failing at supporting developer innovation and experimentation,” said Ismail. “Publishers, investors, and shareholders fund the same few safe bets, later and later in development – forcing even the most creative developers to make safe games with predictable ideas, and force in the latest flavour-of-the-day. That continues until someone does manage to break the mold and creates something truly new – and then the money chases that until that is replaced again.
I had very low hopes for this odd prototype I’d been playing with, but when I showed it to Mystic Forge, they didn’t even flinch at the experimental genre mix, wrote the check for a small development cycle, and supported us throughout development. No guardrails, no caveats, just a firm belief that games need new ideas, and that it is worth chasing that.”
Randy Greenback, Portfolio Director, explains: “From the very start, I knew that Mystic Forge had to run with Rami going up to bat and taking a big creative swing with this game. Once we chatted about design intent with the focus on high-tension moments, and heard his full pitch with the proposed title name, we were ALL IN,” adding: “Mystic Forge exists to support ideas that deserve to be seen and played, especially if they don’t follow the rules. Australia Did It is experimental, there isn’t anything else like it.”
Here’s some of the key features:
- Defend Your Station: Before the train departs, strategically deploy and position your limited units to hold off relentless waves of enemies. Think chess, but faster and with potentially explosive mistakes.
- Evolve Your Units: Merge units on the fly to unlock 1,500+ combinations across 30+ unit types. Create ridiculously powerful new units or niche specialists. Experimentation is key….. just try not to blow yourself up.
- Survive Reverse Bullet Hell: Once the train’s moving, chaos begins. Engage in intense real-time battles where you become the Bullet Hell, mowing down thousands in sensory-overload shootouts. Remember, only the cargo’s survival is mandatory.
- Customize Your Strategies: After each successful station, choose from special Reward Cards that grant substantial perks and boosts. Craft unique builds by mixing cards with your evolving crew for creative new strategies.
Australia Did It is coming to PC via Steam later this year.
