When was the last time you saw a game launch an entirely new genre? Australia Did It, the latest project from acclaimed designer Rami Ismail (Nuclear Throne, Luftrausers) and co-developed by Aesthetician Labs, is looking to do exactly that. Announced today with publisher Mystic Forge, the game introduces what Ismail calls a Tactical Reverse Bullet Hell—a fusion of turn-based tower defense strategy and on-rails bullet-spewing chaos.
Launching on Steam later this year, Australia Did It puts players in charge of defending a cargo train hauling precious goods across a monster-infested Atlantic seabed. At each stop, you’ll carefully deploy and merge units to withstand relentless waves of attackers. But once the train rolls out, the game flips on its head—you take direct control and become the bullet hell, unleashing dazzling firepower against thousands of enemies.
Features that Break the Mold:
-
Strategic station defense – Position and deploy your crew before the train departs, making every move count.
-
Unit fusion system – Over 1,500 possible combinations across 30+ unit types, letting you experiment wildly.
-
Reverse bullet hell combat – Take control and mow down endless enemy swarms in sensory-overload shootouts.
-
Reward cards & upgrades – Customize strategies between stations with unique perks and powerful boosts.
-
A hostile new world – Survive a post-catastrophe Atlantic basin crawling with monsters while protecting the cargo at all costs.
The game began as an odd prototype before Mystic Forge—a new indie label from veterans behind Monster Train, John Wick Hex, and Transport Fever—stepped in to support the vision with no guardrails. The result? A small-team project that dares to be risky, loud, and unlike anything else on Steam’s crowded strategy shelves.
Or, as Ismail himself puts it:
“Games need new ideas, and it is worth chasing that.”
Australia Did It is set to release on PC later this year. You can wishlist it on Steam now.