Black Voices in Gaming recently announced a slew of upcoming video games at Summer Game Fest 2025.
Yesterday, the nonprofit showcased multiple new releases, all of which were created by Black game developers. The types of games included role-playing action games, choice-based games and 3D-animated journeys based around characters.
Titles debuted today included “The Rabbit Haul,” an interactive game that has players create a garden to restore their hometown; “Ayasa: Shadows of Silence” which has players travels across realms and interact with puzzles as part of a philosophical narrative as well as “Sunken Stones,” a puzzle-based game that has players venture through the world of pirates.
Other titles include “Screenbound,” “South of Midnight” and “Shadows of Chroma Tower.”
“Our mission is to amplify Black voices at the intersection of gaming and culture. You are about to enjoy some of the coolest art, music, stories and video games being made by developers from indie to AAA,” said host of the event and director of Black Voices in Gaming, Justin Woodward. “Black Voices in Gaming is an experienced studio nonprofit organization that exists because, as Black creatives continue to be underrepresented in the video game industry, it is essential to cultivate these creatives so that they can contribute their fresh perspectives which are the lifeblood of innovation in the art form.”
Created in 2020, Black Voices in Gaming initially began as an event within the MIX-led showcase, Guerrilla Collective. Created alongside Raw Fury co-founder David Martinez, the nonprofit was established to provide Black developers with the platform they are often denied in the video gaming industry.
This is not a drill! WE ARE LIVE BABY!
— Black Voices in Gaming (@BVIGaming) June 9, 2025
The Black Voices in Gaming Summer Showcase is coming in HOT and we're inviting everyone to the cookout! ⤵️
📺 https://t.co/aBxsbXZvLR
🎮 https://t.co/ZP7OHE5Z0U #SummerGameFest #BlackInVoicesGaming pic.twitter.com/AO7Rag4Mjt
According to the International Game Developers Association, only about 5% of game creators currently active in the industry are Black. Previously, the rate remained stagnant, hovering at just about 2% of the industry. While they have marked improvement, big gaming companies have been slow to increase representation. As of 2023, Electronic Arts, one of the industry’s biggest companies, reported that only 3.8% of its workforce was made up of Black developers.
Black Voices in Gaming was a key contributor to increasing the representation to 5% as they previously pledged to increase the rate up to that key number, supporting games made to tell the stories of BIPOC developers.
“Our goal in uplifting Black Voices in Gaming begins with addressing three specific ways in which Black game developers can survive and thrive in the video game industry. Narrative Change: Elevating the voices and contributions of Black game developers, showcasing their works on multiple large platforms, and showing the faces behind these projects in development,” said the creators of the nonprofit.
“Power Building: Pushing back on systemic racism and pushing for racial equity and inclusion across the gaming industry. Systems Change: Confronting decades-long structural barriers and glaring anti-Blackness within the gaming industry that prevents Black game developers from thriving.”
Games released by the nonprofit include “Swimsanity!,” “Samurai Zero” and “Treachery in Beatdown City.”
