Azaran: The Demon Bottle Launches on Steam, Celebrating NES-Era Zelda Inspirations

Azaran: The Demon Bottle, the latest release from solo indie developer Benji, is now officially available on Steam.

This NES-inspired dungeon crawler launched on Tuesday, August 7th, 2025, with a launch price of £1.69—currently discounted by 10% until August 12th.

Designed as a short yet atmospheric adventure, the game can be completed in a single sitting, but promises an experience packed with retro charm, monsters, traps, and challenging puzzles. Azaran: The Demon Bottle serves as a companion to Benji's highly anticipated main project, Azaran: Islands of the Jinn, which has attracted attention for its Ocarina of Time-inspired third-person action and adventure gameplay.

While Islands of the Jinn is scheduled for a late 2026 release and channels the spirit of classic Nintendo 64-era adventures, The Demon Bottle offers players a nostalgic dive into the roots of the genre, paying homage to the original 1987 Legend of Zelda on NES. In recent statements to Time Extension, Benji explained his motivation for creating The Demon Bottle alongside Islands of the Jinn.

He described the project as "a short dungeon crawler packed with monsters, traps, and cryptic puzzles," emphasizing that NES-style games can be developed more simply in terms of pixel art, music, and sound effects.

Benji noted, “I wanted Demon Bottle to be a shorter project that only required a few weeks of development.

NES-style games are naturally more manageable on the development side, making this a compact but satisfying experience.” Benji further shared his vision for the Azaran series, stating, “With Islands of the Jinn influenced by Ocarina of Time, I wanted to imagine how an Azaran game released during the NES era would feel—similar to the original Legend of Zelda.

This approach lets me explore a ‘what if’ alternate history for the series, with the potential for more projects inspired by iconic Zelda titles like A Link to the Past or Link’s Awakening.” This commitment to blending 90’s adventure game nostalgia with the mythic atmosphere of Arabian Nights has helped Azaran: Islands of the Jinn and its spin-off stand out among the crowded indie market.

Benji’s consistent updates across platforms like BlueSky and Twitter/X have built a dedicated following eager to experience both the NES-style and N64-inspired entries of the Azaran universe. Players interested in classic dungeon-crawling action can jump into Azaran: The Demon Bottle on Steam now, while those curious about the larger project can try the demo for Azaran: Islands of the Jinn, which debuted during Steam Next Fest in June 2025.

As Benji continues to develop his imaginative reimagining of classic genres, Azaran promises to remain a series to watch for fans of both retro and modern adventure games.

Zelda Steam Legend of Zelda NES Xbox Series X|S indie developer Legend Azaran: The Demon Bottle Benji Azaran The Demon Bottle Azaran Islands of the Jinn Nintendo Switch Nintendo Direct