I love games with crazy concepts; I’ve mentioned this before. For the most part, when I’m looking at an indie game, I’m checking for a cool gameplay loop, the art style, and overall, how the game makes me feel.

However, in some cases, such as with Mexican Ninja, the game’s concept is enough to make me want to check it out. Making it a roguelike is just a bonus for me.

We Need More Games Like Mexican Ninja

Any game trailer that ends with someone screaming “The Way of the Donkey!” is a winner in my book. I like the idea behind the story, though; it takes place in Nuevo-Tokyo, a blend of Mexico and Japan.

The Narcos and Yakuza have come together to form the Narkuza Clan and have taken over the city. That’s where you come in as the titular Mexican Ninja. You lead a group of rebels against the Narkuza.

This is done through some very stylized beat-em-up gameplay:

• Unlock ninja skills by training with el Mero Mero Sensei.
• Gain the favor of Mexican-Japanese spirits, and use their powers throughout the runs.
• Use extremely ninja Mexican Jutsus.
• Experiment with different builds and combos.
• Swag it up with hidden apparel for your Ninja.

I do like the heavy Mexican influence. To the point where the game on Steam is very proudly listed as “Made by real Mexicans, not Clankers.” Because, yes, get AI out of here. That’s more than enough reason for me to support that game.

Mexican Ninja, to go back to the “Way of the Donkey” thing, promises that its skill tree is based “but 10x cooler, for people with peluche en el estuche.” Do I know what that means? Nope. Does it sound cool? Absolutely.

Mexican Ninja is planned for a Q1 2026 release on Steam.