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[Writer's Note: Since this article went live on Thursday, June 4th, we've updated it with an exclusive interview with Alex Rushdy, the creative director on the project]
As much as we all like to pretend to be insusceptible to clever marketing tricks and gimmicks, there are occasional moments when we have to take a step back and applaud a developer or publisher for coming up with inventive ways of standing out from the sheer tidal wave of new releases that clog up our inboxes on a daily basis.
One great example of this is the sidescrolling action-adventure roguelike Dungeon Lurker from 13AM Games, announced earlier this year at the MIX Summer Game Showcase 2026.
On the surface, Dungeon Lurker seems to be your typical side-scrolling action-adventure roguelike, with players fighting "into the depths of a cursed dungeon" to "uncover a sinister secret", occasionally exiting to upgrade their "equipment, spells, and charms." But, as its advertising campaign suggests, dig a little deeper, and there's clearly much more going on than just swords, shields, and skeletal bad guys.
The announcement trailer, for instance, doesn't just emphasise its lovely pixel art style and challenging combat, but also hints at a Jumanji-esque story about a missing child, his childhood friend, and a supernatural video game that shares the title with the game itself. And it's this '90s-inspired "meta narrative" that the developer 13 AM Games and their marketing partners, CONTINUE, have been keen to develop elsewhere, launching a '90s-themed marketing campaign referencing a fictional 32-bit console called the Eclipse, complete with era-accurate print ads featuring a diorama created by the Spanish artist and sculptor Plastiboo and a website (that looks like a relic of the early internet).
In an age when nauseating AI-produced key art is becoming increasingly common, it's a level of care and attention we can certainly get behind. So, I wanted to reach out to the CEO of 13AM Games, Alex Rushdy, to learn more about the project, including which games & consoles inspired it.
Time Extension: First off, congratulations on the game’s announcement. It seemed to go down really well with people at The Summer Game Fest. How has the reaction been from your side?
Rushdy: Thanks for reaching out! I’m a huge fan of the site. I check it daily. The reaction has been way bigger than we expected. A lot of positive buzz. We’re really happy about it.
Time Extension: At least from where I’m sitting, I think a lot of people are curious to learn more about the title after some of the breadcrumbs you dropped during the trailer. Are we right in thinking there’s more to the game than meets the eye? Can you drop any further hints on what players should expect?
Rushdy: There definitely is. Dungeon Lurker is about playing through a retro game for the console named 'The Eclipse System 32.' And that game you are playing belonged to someone before you. When you first boot up the game, you’ll actually see their save file.
Finding out who owned this game before you is part of the mystery…
Time Extension: Clearly, one of the major reasons why I wanted to talk to you about Dungeon Lurker is the way it hearkens back to the 32-bit era, both in its gameplay and marketing — I’m curious: what attracted you to that particular era in gaming?
Rushdy: I have a real fondness for that strange growing era between the 16-bit consoles and the 32-bit ones. Consoles like the SEGA CD, 32X, Amiga CD32, 3DO, CDi, etc. There’s a certain uncanniness to them, and I think because they were less popular, there’s more of a sense of archaeology when finding and playing those games.
It's also a time when 2D games were still developed by major studios, and there are some really stunning 2D games, as well as games that mix 2D and 3D graphics (or use sprite scaling) to really fantastic effect. Rayman, Astal, Warrior Blade, Darius Gaiden, RayForce, Guardian Heroes… There’s some stunning stuff!
Time Extension: It would be interesting to know, personally speaking, what your 32-bit console of choice was while growing up. Also, are there any games in particular that you remember playing that have had a particularly strong influence on Dungeon Lurker, specifically regarding the dungeon-crawling aspects or combat?
Rushdy: Well, as a kid, I only really had access to the 16-bit stuff myself. When it came to appreciating that 'era' of gaming, I was much more entranced by the arcade. For me, that’s where the real action was!
I still remember being floored by the King of Fighters games, as well as Rampage World Tour, Gauntlet Legends, etc. Even older games like Altered Beast and Wonder Boy in Monster Land consumed my summer allowance.
I would play a lot of N64 at my friends' houses, but I never got one until I lucked out at a garage sale some time after the GameCube was already out.
That all being said, there are a few games that had an incredible impact on Dungeon Lurker. I’ll highlight two:
The first is Magic Sword, a 1990 Capcom arcade game, though I grew up playing the SNES port.
The idea of progressing up through a tower, being able to take shortcuts, finding randomly generated power-ups and items, discovering secrets, getting new blades, etc., are all ideas directly inspired by Magic Sword; we just have you going down into a dungeon instead of up a tower. It’s such an underappreciated gem from Capcom. Each run through the tower has so many unique little variables that you can take advantage of on your way to fight Drokmar. And it's got really incredible music, too.
The second game is Warrior Blade, aka Rastan Saga III, an arcade beat-em-up from 1991. Wow, what a stunning game, visually. It has such a unique aesthetic with these huge, detailed sprites and the 8:3 aspect ratio. It also includes this really neat system where you choose the four main levels in any order, and beating each level gives you a special power that can help you beat the others. There’s definitely a lot of influence from this title.
Time Extension: Looking at the trailer and screenshots you’ve released so far, the pixel artwork and character animation in the games look absolutely top-notch. I’m wondering how you arrived at the look of the game. Did you ever consider going for a fully 3D perspective?
Rushdy: We never really considered going fully 3D. There are some great 32-bit-inspired 3D games on the market right now, but we wanted to try something different.
I’ve always loved beat em ups, and I’ve always felt that the camera-and-control style was a little underexplored. I tend to really enjoy games where I don’t have to control the camera; I just control the player. Beat 'em ups do that really nicely in a pseudo-3D space.
A game with a beat-'em-up-style camera doesn’t have to be a left-to-right auto-scrolling experience. It's absolutely possible to use that language and style to craft something different, like a platformer, puzzle game, or even a dungeon crawler! So we thought, 'Why not keep the core combat ideas, the camera angle, the tight controls, but let the player explore?' It's a concept that I’ve only really seen in a limited format before. Off the top of my head I can think of… Maybe just Namco’s Splatterhouse 3 and Taito’s Light Bringer (aka Dungeon Magic).
We are working with some incredibly talented artists on the game who’ve contributed to titles like Katana Zero, Skullgirls, Blasphemous, and more. It’s kinda nice to just let them unleash their pixel art skills.
Time Extension: Obviously, during the 32-bit era, there was an internal push from many publishers and an external push from retailers for developers to move into the third dimension. Do you have any favourite examples of 2D games on 32-bit hardware that bucked this trend? Are there any companies or pixel artists you can name whose work you feel pushed the envelope?
Rushdy: Growing up with a strong connection to the arcade, I have to mention the Taito F3 System. While it's not a home console, it is 32-bit, and it has some of the most stunning 2D games of all time on it: Darius Gaiden, RayForce, Elevator Action Returns.
To me, those are the apex of hand-drawn pixel art alongside heavy hitters like Metal Slug, In the Hunt, Garou, Street Fighter III, etc. The stuff going on in arcades at the time was really something else.
On the home console front, I absolutely have to point to Guardian Heroes. That was definitely a touchstone for us, as well as Cotton 2/Boomerang, Gradius Gaiden, Mega Man X4, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
Time Extension: Finally, when can we expect to hear more about the project?
Rushdy: Well, we will be at Gamescom, PAX, and Tokyo Game Show this year and are planning to join a few showcases along the way. As always, check us out on social media, Discord, and our website to stay up to date!