Neon Boost

About

Neon Boost is a single player action game. It was developed by Sample Text Studio and was released on May 20, 2019. It received very positive reviews from players.

Neon Boost is a frenetic First Person Platformer based on mechanics like Rocket-Jump or Wall-Run. Run across 3 different worlds to get the best times on the world!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,273 reviews

gameplay72 positive mentions

optimization6 negative mentions

Very fun and fast-paced first-person platformer with rocket jumping and wall running mechanics.
Free to play with a unique neon/cyberpunk aesthetic and energizing synthwave soundtrack.
Good level design that encourages speedrunning, skill mastery, and discovering shortcuts; highly replayable and addictive for those who enjoy challenging movement games.

Rocket jump and wallrunning mechanics are sometimes inconsistent, janky, or poorly implemented, causing frustration and difficult controls.
Performance and optimization issues including fps drops, input lag, and no graphics or refresh rate settings, making the game unplayable on some systems.
Certain levels are extraordinarily difficult or tedious with RNG elements and unreasonable time requirements, which can break the flow and cause rage; some levels and features also lack polish and have bugs.

gameplay
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
47%
4%
The gameplay is centered around fast-paced movement mechanics like rocket jumping and wall running, offering an enjoyable, skill-based platforming experience with a strong emphasis on speedrunning and creative level traversal. While many praise the fun and addictive core mechanics and smooth flow, some find the movement janky or inconsistent due to unreliable or buggy hitboxes and level design issues. Overall, it delivers a satisfying but occasionally frustrating experience that rewards mastering its unique mechanics.
- “Players navigate levels using mechanics such as rocket jumps and wall runs to achieve fast completion times across various worlds.”
- “The core movement mechanic of shooting to jump feels natural and gaining insane height with it is very fun.”
- “Its a really fun game, once you learn the mechanics pretty good you become this crazy fast booster and push your times lower and lower, lights off mode is really fun too making you have to boost into the abyss if you want to get good times!”
- “The game is fine but the mechanics are so extremely janky that it renders it unplayable.”
- “It's like a rocket-jump speedrun platformer, except the mechanics are all extremely broken.”
- “It is just ruined by inconsistent and buggy mechanics that should have been fixed by the time it was released.”
music
101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
47%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic, synthwave and techno-inspired soundtrack that dynamically plays only when moving, enhancing the fast-paced gameplay and momentum-driven experience. While the tracks effectively complement the neon visuals and adrenaline-fueled mechanics, many users note the music can become repetitive over time and express a desire for more variety and longer loops. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a major highlight that adds depth and excitement, though a few players mention volume control issues and occasional annoyance with the looping nature.
- “The synthwave-inspired music fits the fast-paced gameplay really well and pushes you to never stand still by stopping when you stop moving.”
- “'Neon Boost' also implements a unique feature where music only plays when you begin moving, adding fuel to that adrenaline rush you get when moving extremely quick in games.”
- “The soundtracks are great and are fluid with the level, making the experience of playing the game enjoyable and making me want to beat my own times more.”
- “The music can get very repetitive and very boring very fast.”
- “The music that is played when you run felt very annoying to me.”
- “The audio controls don't work for the last 12 levels so I was stuck with blaring music.”
graphics
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
44%
7%
The game's graphics feature a distinct neon, vaporwave-inspired aesthetic that many find visually appealing and fitting for its fast-paced gameplay, though opinions vary on the brightness and simplicity of the visuals. While the art style is praised for its thematic coherence and cool lighting effects, several users note poor optimization and minimal difference between graphics settings, resulting in performance issues and a lack of customization options. Overall, the graphics complement the game's vibe but could benefit from improved optimization and more robust settings.
- “The visuals themselves are quite pretty, and the three worlds offer decent visual variety.”
- “The neon aesthetic looks great and the movement really ties it all together, even though it's a bit hard to get used to in the beginning.”
- “Using a simple mechanic combined with stunning visuals and heat racing music this game quickly becomes addictive.”
- “This game features very lackluster minimalist 'art' for graphics instead of anything remotely contemporary.”
- “The game's concept is right up my alley, but sadly the game is very lacking in graphics settings, and feels choppy even at the capped 120fps.”
- “This game says it has different graphics settings, but all of them look the same and don't boost performance.”
optimization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
55%
30%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with frequent lag and low FPS even on high-end PCs and across various graphics settings. While the gameplay is enjoyable, performance inconsistencies and poor optimization hinder the overall experience and frustrate players seeking smooth, precise gameplay. Improvement in performance stability and genuine graphical options are highly needed.
- “Personally, for games like this, I need to have the smoothest performance possible because of how accurate you have to be in some of the levels.”
- “Most levels take around 10-20 seconds, so you never have to dedicate yourself to a level for long. It's always a blast to find the fastest possible routes through these games in order to make these chunks 8 seconds or less, and with rocket jumping being part of a more standard Mirror's Edge-style toolkit, the possibilities for optimization in this game seem to be endless.”
- “Performance on high settings is great, with few stutters (getting new rig).”
- “Good game with potential, the only problem is the game is poorly optimized. I have a PC that can run GTA V Online on highest settings at around 150fps, and for some reason, I'm having many fps issues on this game no matter what graphics I set, low or ultra with no difference in fps. This is very weird since I easily exceed the recommended specs. I would play it if the game got optimized as it should be.”
- “Absolutely terrible optimization with fps drops every few seconds to as low as 10 frames on a rig that runs AAA titles just fine with 144+ fps.”
- “The idea is great, but whoever programmed the game made it frustrating and horribly optimized, causing the game to be a horrible experience.”
stability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features numerous bugs and glitches that can occasionally disrupt gameplay, such as inconsistent boost tunnels and occasional freezing. However, many players find these glitches add a fun, exploitable element that enhances the experience by enabling faster level completion and creative play. Despite stability issues, the game remains enjoyable and worth playing for those seeking a casual, glitch-friendly challenge.
- “Semi-good concept, very buggy, lack of gameplay.”
- “It is just ruined by inconsistent and buggy mechanics that should have been fixed by the time it was released.”
- “There are some things in the game that are just buggy as hell, like the boost tunnels, which are supposed to help you get across big open areas... but, they don't shoot you far enough 60% of the time.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the game's humor engaging and enjoyable, appreciating its funny glitches, amusing mechanics, and playful elements that add to the overall fun experience. The humor is often highlighted as a key factor in making the game entertaining and lighthearted.
- “100%ed this game because it was funny”
- “Very fun game to mess around with when you're bored, has a good amount of balance of funny glitches to find, skill and a good time.”
- “Love synthwave (the music mechanics being tied into your motion (or lack of) are also hilarious).”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its depth and engaging quality, enhanced significantly by the music. However, some players note that while the atmosphere is strong, it is sometimes undermined by poor controls. Overall, the immersive environment is a highlight despite occasional gameplay issues.
- “The music also adds depth to the game's atmosphere.”
- “Good atmosphere.”
- “Great idea and atmosphere with terrible controls.”
- “If you time a rocket a bit after you jump, you get flung into the upper atmosphere (hyperbole) and you can just skip most of the level.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Grinding in the game can feel tedious due to slow pacing in early levels and lengthy stages like those in the last world, which disrupt the flow and require patient precision. However, the fast-paced gameplay and enjoyable mechanics make grinding for achievements or personal bests rewarding and fun despite these challenges.
- “Also the amount of time it takes to get through the first levels is so tedious, and it takes so long to walk to each course.”
- “The last world (Cosmic Highway) really breaks the flow of the game by making the levels very long and tedious to complete, forcing you to slow down to land your jumps.”
- “Spent most of those 4 hours grinding the level 'I Like Trains' down to 38.7 seconds... it was worth it in the end!”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game lacks a substantial story, focusing instead on fast-paced, entertaining gameplay. While some users wish for a deeper narrative, the overall experience is praised for its fun and training value rather than plot development.
- “I feel like this would be a great game to be featured in a commentary or storytime video.”
- “Wish it wasn't that short or had some story, but it's great to play and train.”
- “Plot is nonexistent as the game only relies on fun and hyperactive gameplay rather than immersing the player in an in-depth story.”
- “Story: n/a”
- “All in all, not too bad for BO2's movement training missions with a coat of neon and synth slapped on top.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game offers high replayability, combining arcade-style fun with great physics and graphics that keep players engaged. Its freedom of play and infinite potential for replay make it suitable for quick sessions or extended enjoyment, all while being free to play.
- “Arcade-style fun with so much replay value.”
- “Technically, there is infinite replayability.”
- “This game is extremely replayable, fun, and gives the player a lot of freedom.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game currently lacks monetization features, leading some users to view it as more of a student project or portfolio piece. Players express interest in adding microtransactions, such as purchasable weapon or character skins, to support ongoing development.
- “I wish there was community maps, online servers similar to how Source games have bunny hopping / rocket jumping servers, and monetization so people can spend money to support development by purchasing things like weapon or character skins.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers some enjoyable moments and a sense of accomplishment through gold medals, but it lacks lasting emotional engagement to encourage replay. Its design, such as unlocking the next level upon exit, minimizes frustration and repetitive play.