Shadow Rush: Ghostlore Creator Announces Isometric Action RPG Coming in 2027

Action RPG Shadow Rush is arriving on Steam in 2027, solo developer Andrew Teo announced on Thursday, bringing an isometric hack-and-slash structure built around relentless speed. For players who treat action RPGs like a spreadsheet exercise, the key twist is a giant wave of darkness that swallows the map if you spend too long making up your mind.

Teo, the Singaporean developer behind Ghostlore who previously worked on Disney and One Piece game projects, built the title with cues from Diablo and Kingdom Hearts. Visuals draw inspiration from Tetsuya Nomura's Final Fantasy character designs, though the moment-to-moment combat replaces standard hotkey management with automated ability cycling.

The details

• Release window: 2027
• Platform: PC (Steam)
• Demo: A demo for Shadow Rush is available on itch.io, but the Steam page indicates the game is not yet available for download.
• Playable roster: 6 character classes

How does ability cycling work?

Combat in Shadow Rush relies on a four-phase system tied directly to basic movement and attacks. Rather than managing a full hotkey bar, every dash or attack automatically cycles through four distinct ability slots configured in your inventory. The system is designed to trigger combos dynamically without juggling multiple inputs.

The structure encourages pure aggression over cautious defense. Health drops are abundant to keep players moving through enemy hordes, but lingering in an arena brings a literal wave of darkness that swallows the area and forces an immediate game over.

What customization options exist?

Players choose from six distinct character classes per run, with each character locked to a specific weapon type that alters basic playstyles. Customization expands through collectible items called Shards, which build out a character's active abilities.

Shards can be equipped, removed, or swapped freely between characters between runs. This allows players to build customized "Shard Decks" to experiment with synergized, auto-triggering skill combinations across short, fast-paced runs.

Why it matters

Solo-developed action RPGs face a crowded market, but Ghostlore established Teo's ability to ship a complete isometric RPG independently. By compressing combat into automated four-phase loops and enforcing hard time limits on clears, Shadow Rush tests whether stripping away hotkey management can streamline the traditional action RPG loop without losing depth.