Acronia

Teaser trailer for the original DOS version of Acronia

Acronia delivers high-octane, side-scrolling action in a thrilling run ‘n’ gun experience inspired by the classics. Venture through mutant-infested labs, ravaged military bases, and perilous wildernesses as you uncover the sinister secrets lurking behind every corner.

As agents of Acronia, a private military contractor and security firm, you’ll soon find that your employer’s covert genetic experiments have spiraled out of control. After a catastrophic accident, the facility is overrun by monstrous mutants, and survival is the only goal. Armed with an arsenal of powerful weapons, your mission is simple: escape—and obliterate anything that stands in your way.

Featuring five distinct player characters, each with their own signature weapons and special abilities, Acronia will test your reflexes and endurance across three intense episodes of non-stop carnage. Prepare to dodge, dive, and destroy in a relentless battle for survival.

Old-School Roots, New-School Power

Acronia began as a passion project for retro PCs, inspired by classics like Contra, Duke Nukem, and Bio Menace. Though early versions earned praise from the DOS and retrogaming communities, technical hurdles put the project on hold—until now.

Reimagined for modern systems while staying true to its ’90s roots, Acronia will feature VGA-style graphics, classic sound effects, and an authentic Adlib soundtrack powered by modern emulation. It may no longer run on DOS, but its heart beats in 256 colors, ready to bring retro action to a new era.

Development on the revived Acronia kicks off in 2025, following the release of Enigma Heart! Stay tuned!

Acronia LogoFeatures

  • Classic run ‘n’ gun action: Experience fast-paced, eight-directional aiming and intense combat inspired by classics like Contra and Bio Menace.
  • Play as five distinct characters, each with their own unique weapons, subweapons, and special moves.
  • Choose from three difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, Hard), affecting enemy spawn rates and bonus pickups.
  • No lives, just consequences: When a character is KO’d, they’re gone for good until you earn enough points to revive them. If all characters are KO’d, it’s game over.
  • Multiple weapons & ammo: Each character has an infinite ammo hitscan weapon for consistent firepower, alongside powerful, limited-use projectile weapons that can be picked up throughout levels.
  • Explore three episodes of nine levels each, totaling 27 levels across diverse environments like military bases, science labs, forests, caves, and office buildings. Each episode includes one hidden secret level.
  • Old-School Boss Battles: Face off against massive bosses, each one designed to interact with the environment for epic confrontations.
  • Vibrant pixel art inspired by ’90s DOS games, enhanced with dynamic palette-based lighting effects for atmospheric environments.
  • A diverse soundtrack featuring a range of genres including metal, New Jack Swing, jazz-rock fusion, and classic console-style tunes, all powered by authentic Adlib emulation.
  • Replayable secrets & hidden content: Secrets abound in every level.

Optimized for modern platforms: Runs at a smooth 60 fps on Windows and Linux, with a possible future port to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

Screenshot gallery

Screenshots are from the original DOS version.