Check Out This Anti-Capitalist, Anti-Colonial Adventure Game by a Native Hawaiian Developer
Nearly 10 years in the making, Neofeud II delivers an anti-colonial message and beautiful human-made retro pixel art.
Neofeud 2: Now Available on Steam.
The long-awaited sequel to the cult cyberpunk adventure game Neofeud expands on the original’s exploration of capitalism, colonialism, and resistance by bringing players into a larger sci-fi universe shaped by the experiences and political perspectives of its creator, Native Hawaiian game developer Silver Spook.
We are proud to say that NonCompete members EJ and Luna are featured in the game’s voice cast, along with many of our comrades, including Mexie of Positive Leftist News. For Silver Spook, Neofeud has always been more than a game. As a Native Hawaiian activist, educator, and indie game developer, Silver Spook has woven a radical political perspective deeply into the fabric of this retro-style adventure game.
A Cyberpunk World Rooted in Real-Life Experiences of Oppression
Much of Neofeud’s world was inspired by Silver Spook’s experiences with social and economic inequality in Hawaii:
“A lot of the art and stories and the world are influenced by my experiences growing up as a Native Hawaiian on the, quote unquote, ‘not so nice side of the coconut trees’ in Honolulu, Hawaii,” said Silver Spook in an interview we conducted for an upcoming video on NonCompete cooperative member channel Luna Oi.
Growing up in a high-poverty community while attending an elite private school exposed Silver Spook to stark class divisions that would later become central themes in Neofeud and its newly launched sequel.
“And so that’s influenced the way that I make the games, which are dealing with a lot of social, political, economic inequality. A lot of social commentary is embedded in the games,” said Silver Spook.
It was in college that Silver Spook began to grapple with perspectives on Hawaiian history that challenged colonialist narratives. In particular, Silver Spook was an inspired by a Native professor who asked, one day:
“Do you know that you were colonized?”
That question became a turning point in Silver Spook’s political development and led to the anti-colonial, anti-capitalist, socialist worldview that’s reflected in Silver Spook Studio’s games.
Bringing Punk Back to Cyberpunk
While many modern cyberpunk stories focus on neon aesthetics, futuristic technology, and slick-looking cityscapes, Silver Spook believes the genre’s political roots are often forgotten.
“I like the punk part of cyberpunk,” said Silver Spook. “When it’s at its best, it’s questioning systems of oppression.”
That philosophy runs throughout Neofeud 2, which tackles corporate domination, colonial expansion, propaganda, and resistance movements through a science-fiction lens. As Silver Spook puts it:
“With Neofeud 2, I try my best to, to really make a cyber punk game in anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, anti-corporate and, you know, just against-all-systems-of-oppression sort of game.”
Origins of the Neofeud Series
The original Neofeud was born out of frustration with the corporate games industry.
After years working for larger studios, Silver Spook wanted to create something that spoke directly to the social and political realities of our modern society.
“I decided, I’m going to try to create a game that’s exactly what I want to say. I want to say what I actually want to say story-wise, art-wise,” said Silver Spook.
Publishers repeatedly rejected the project because of its politics.
“Multiple publishers basically said, we cannot release our game because you’re critiquing too many, you know, systems.”
Rather than compromise on the political messaging, Silver Spook chose to self-publish.
The gamble paid off. Neofeud found a dedicated audience among cyberpunk fans, leftists, and players looking for games willing to engage with serious political themes. Over the years, players have told Silver Spook that the game changed the way they thought about technology, labor, colonialism, and their own relationship to existing systems of power. That support helped make a sequel possible.
Asking Bigger Questions, Exploring a Bigger Universe
While the original Neofeud focused primarily on inequality within a cyberpunk metropolis, Neofeud 2 dramatically expands the scope. The sequel moves beyond Earth into a wider galactic setting where players encounter different civilizations, political systems, and visions of the future. At the center of the story is a sentient machine whose very thoughts are monitored and controlled by a megacorporation.
The game explores themes of colonial warfare, ideological control, healthcare, ownership, and propaganda, blending dark humor and sharp satire with moments of sincere emotion and drama. But unlike many dystopian stories, Neofeud 2 also asks what alternatives might look like. As the player encounters societies built on fundamentally different principles, the game challenges assumptions about what is possible beyond the boundaries of capitalism and empire.
A Cooperative Effort
Neofeud 2 is also a reflection of how Silver Spook approaches game development itself. Rather than embracing the corporate structures often critiqued in cyberpunk fiction, Silver Spook Games operates as a cooperative project.
“I think to me, that’s, that’s that’s the most punk thing that you can do,” Silver Spook said, referring to building things using cooperative, anti-capitalist structures.
Available Now
Neofeud 2 is available now on Steam and we strongly encourage you to check it out. If you end up enjoying it, consider leaving a Steam review, creating content about it, or sharing it with friends. Every bit of support helps this Native Hawaiian-led cooperative continue creating independent games, videos, and media that challenge systems of power and imagine alternatives beyond them. You can also find Silver Spook on YouTube and Blue Sky.