Black Voices in Gaming 2025: Advent NEON

Advent NEON is a project from solo developer, CryoGX, who talks about the development of his game since coming up with it while he was still in college. Having worked on the programming, art, music, and sound design on his own, this trailer at the Black Voices in Gaming Showcase allows us to take a closer look at a new level.

He dives straight into the Hexane District, where we’ll see the side-scrolling in action. We’ll see how you can platform, work on melee combat, and dash in all eight directions on the screen. You’ll be able to bounce through tunnels, and battle enemies in a challenge.

Inspired by the likes of Mega Man ZXA, he grew tired of shooting, and he’s been further impressed by Celeste and Sparky the Electric Jester. You can eventually power up to max power, and you can get more as you collect more of the triangles, so as you get to 100% Neon will grow more powerful.

To get these nodes, you’ll need to kill enemies. However, you’ll also get more points to complete the levels and achieve S-Rank. Not only will you have to deal with main bosses, but there are mini-bosses that have been suggested by Kickstarter backers, that allow for a more challenging experience.

You’ll get marked at the end of each level, and you’ll be able to find more by trying out the game for yourself. Having been in development for years, you can also download the free demo for Advent NEON on Steam. If you like it, feel free to add it to your wishlist.