Hadrosaurus Software

Factsheet

Developer:
Hadrosaurus Software
Based in the United States

Release date:
Coming 2025

Platforms:
Steam (Linux, Windows)
itch.io (Linux, Windows)
Nintendo Switch (TBA)

Website:
hadrosaurus.net/acronia

Regular Price:
USD $TBA
EUR €TBA
CAD $TBA

Description

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.

History

Acronia began development in 2019 as a passion project for retro PCs by author Clarissa Toney, drawing inspiration from iconic run 'n' gun titles like Contra, Duke Nukem, and Bio Menace. Ambitions for the game grew, including the possibility of a physical release. Although development was paused after a few years due to technical challenges, the project quickly garnered enthusiastic praise from the DOS and retrogaming communities.

Though it never advanced beyond the alpha stage, Acronia remains a defining part of the studio’s history, continuing to inspire its future projects. Plans are in place to revisit the game after the release of Enigma Heart, reimagining it for modern systems while staying true to its retro roots. The revival will be powered by the Enigma Heart engine, incorporating valuable insights from both games’ development journeys.

The updated Acronia will preserve the essence of the original game, including its VGA-style paletted graphics, both digital and PC speaker-style sound effects, and an authentic Adlib soundtrack—made possible through modern emulation libraries. While it won’t run on DOS as originally planned, the spirit of the game will remain faithful to its retro origins, offering a nostalgic experience for modern players.

Features

• 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.

Acronia Credits

Tamsin Mugg
Director, programmer, game designer, graphics

Tamsin Mugg
Programming, game design

Martijn Frazer
Composer

Rachel Wil Sha Singh
Pixel art

Sarah Boeving
Pixel art

Angel Nichols
Character illustrator

Lucy Llewellyn
macOS port

Contact

Inquiries
support@hadrosaurus.net

Fediverse (Mastodon)
mastodon.gamedev.place/@hadrosoft

Bluesky
bsky.app/profile/hadrosaurus.net

Web
hadrosaurus.net