Ben Rowan

Happy birthday @player2au.bsky.social 🥳

Having a blast with this one. Beyond Sunset is a cyberpunk boomer shooter built on GZDoom with aggressive combat, punchy guns, and a katana that reflects bullets Jedi-style. With RPG layers and sprawling levels, it’s like Duke 3D meets Deus Ex. #indiegame #FPS #boomershooter @superjumpmagazine.com

Hidden Gems of Game Design Vol 43 Unearthing the Gemcraft series, Beyond Sunset, and Zoo Tycoon

Back with another Hidden Gem for SuperJump, this time it's Beyond Sunset. Newish boomer shooter with cheeky humour, 2D sprites, huge levels and RPG elements. Shout-out to @gwbycer.bsky.social for championing the GemCraft series, and to Anonymous for the heartfelt Zoo Tycoon piece. #indiegame #FPS

Been playing #NeonInferno lately and it’s genuinely awesome.
@zenoviainteractive.bsky.social (who also made Steel Asssault) is back with big, bold pixel-art again, but this one also has some slick lighting effects that look great, and the two-layer combat is unique & engaging. #indiedev #indiegame

Now Playing at SUPERJUMP: Issue 37 What are you playing?

New piece is up for Now Playing at @superjumpmagazine.com Issue 37! Lately I've been loving Neon Inferno on Switch. It's a cyberpunk run ’n’ gun side-scroller with gorgeous pixel art, and some surprisingly smart mechanics. #neoninferno #indiedev #indiegame

BallisticNG hits me right in the Wipeout obsession zone. It’s fast, brutal, and perfect on headphones with the right soundtrack. Makes me wish Sony would revive the Wipeout franchise already. Plus I’ve been spending way too long grabbing screenshots in replay mode. #BallisticNG #Wipeout #RacingGames

Meet the Dark Souls of Racing Games: BallisticNG A love letter to Wipeout, with a skill check from Hell

Just sharing a new feature I wrote for @superjumpmagazine.com. BallisticNG is high-speed anti-gravity racing with a brutal learning curve and flow-state gameplay that’s hard to beat. As a huge Wipeout fan, this was an unreal find. Still having a blast playing it. #BallisticNG #Wipeout #RacingGames

Rytmos (2023) is a cozy, laid-back puzzle game on Steam that pairs chilled line-drawing gameplay with genre-hopping music. It plays like a tour through various musical traditions, and it’s absolutely worth checking out. Especially on good headphones or speakers. #IndieGames #PuzzleGames #SteamDeck

Hidden Gems of Game Design Vol 42 Unearthing Kokoro Clover Season 1, Rytmos, and the original Grand Theft Auto

Found a lovely little hidden gem this month for @superjumpmagazine.com: Rytmos (Steam). I expected a rhythm game, but it’s a chill line-drawing puzzler where each cube builds a unique track. Here’s the link to the article:

Not surprised really. Every COD for the past few years has felt like a cut n paste.

Spent so many hours on this as a kid. The music and sound were so good and pulled me straight into the world, but the real magic was the map editor. I’d spend hours building custom maps and my best mate would come over to play them. Great memories.

I had Teknopathetic in my head for like a month after writing this

Beautiful artwork guys!

Can confirm this is accurate. BallisticNG offers some of the purest anti-gravity racing highs you can get. Modern classic. Essential for any Wipeout purist.

So cool! Will this come to the Switch version?

Sharing some #DeadCells screenshots, a game I've kept coming back to for years. The combat is addictive, the pixel art is fluid, and the gameplay still surprises me with new routes, weapons, and secrets every time I jump back in. Such a solid release. @superjumpmagazine.com #IndieGames #Roguelite

Now Playing at SUPERJUMP: Issue 36 What are you playing?

My pick for this month's Now Playing at SuperJump is an all time classic: Dead Cells. Still playing this after many years, and still one of the best action roguelites ever made: fast, gorgeous, and endlessly replayable. @superjumpmagazine.com #IndieGames #Roguelite #DeadCells

Big explosions and scores.

Avoiding dangerous asteroids.

Deploying the special weapon.

Lots of projectiles and obstacles.

Schildmaid MX by @hitpstudio.bsky.social and @eastasiasoft.bsky.social is now available on all major platforms! Here is your chance to win a key for this incredible indie shmup.

Rules:
👉 Reply with "Weapon ready!"
👉 Share this post with your followers

My favourite open-back cans are the Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 80ohm. These days though I prefer the DT770s for their closed-back design.

Weapon ready!

I've been blasting and grappling my way through Flinthook lately and it rules. It's a fast action roguelite with a satisfying grappling hook mechanic. Swinging through ships, slowing down time, looting everything in sight. An underrated gem that deserves a look. From @tributegames.com. #indiegame

Hidden Gems of Game Design Vol 41 Unearthing Tactical Nexus, Flinthook, Tiny Terrors, Tyranny, and Tarzan: Return to the Jungle

My hidden gem this month is Flinthook, a grappling, blasting space-pirate indie roguelite that more people should know about. Sharing the @superjumpmagazine.com article here for a deeper dive. #IndieGames #Roguelite #HiddenGems

Donkey Kong Bananza Review: The Platformer Reinvented Our in-depth review of the base game and DLC

This was a great read from @superjumpmagazine.com. Shows how Bananza pushes Donkey Kong forward instead of playing it safe. I love all the new ideas the game brings to the table, although it's a shame to hear the DLC is a little under-baked, albeit still fun. A solid reason to buy a Switch 2.

OMG that Wipeout book looks so cool.

Next time I’m in Melbourne I’ll drop by!

Wizordum Screenshot Gameplay

Wizordum Screenshot Gameplay

Wizordum Screenshot Gameplay

Wizordum Screenshot Gameplay

Currently playing through Wizordum, a brilliant throwback to the 90's FPS era, with fast spell-slinging combat, chunky sprites, and moody, labyrinthine dungeons. The surprisingly strong sound design lifts it beyond simple nostalgia. Hexcellent! #Wizordum @apogeeent.com

Now Playing at SUPERJUMP: Issue 35 What are you playing?

Here's my article for Now Playing @superjumpmagazine.com: Issue 35. This month I'm diving into @apogeeent.com's super cool tribute to the classic ’90s shooter era #Wizordum.

Stunning work. So very very cool.

Gamescom Asia 2025 was packed with cosplayers, queues, and stacks of upcoming indie games. Highlights included HellHeart Breaker, Wild Woods, and Combo Critters. Happy to see the scene in Asia is thriving. #Gamescom #IndieGames #GameDev

From Thai folklore to kawaii brawlers, the indies at Gamescom Asia 2025 in Bangkok gave a solid showing: TaKhon, Cat Girl Survivor 2 and Woodo were standouts. #Gamescom #IndieGames #ThaiGames