The whole idea behind afrofuturism is the idea that black people do in fact make it to the future. For a long time the science fiction genre completely overlooked all people of African descent as if almost to say that there are no black people in the future. That’s why instead of black sci-fi or Afro sci-fi, the word “Afrofuturism” has become the most popular term to describe the intersection between science fiction and black culture.
For the most part, afrofuturism has almost exclusively been a literary genre. However, it is slowly beginning to spread into other mediums. Here are some of the best afrofuturist works across gaming, comic books and animation.
1. Yohance
Yohance follows a Master Thief who inadvertently finds himself at the center of an Intergalactic War. He subsequently gets swept up in an epic adventure as the curtains of War reveal ancient conflicts and shatter his world. An epic Space Opera with a purely African aesthetic. Issue 1 is now available for free on iBooks and can also be purchased on Amazon and Comixology.
2. Urbance
Urbance is set in a dystopian future where sex is prohibited because of a deadly sexually transmitted virus. Boys and girls are now separated from birth, raised to hate one another. Gender wars erupt with men and women forming rival gangs. Among these lost teenagers, Kenzell and Lesya will fight the status quo and try and restore some semblance of love and peace in society.
3. Black Sands
Black Sands is a bold new visual novel drawing from African, Indian and Middle Eastern mythology, married to an innovative spin on speculation about ancient aliens and precursor races. This is largely unexplored territory for video games as a medium – and Black Sands aims to take it further than any other creative team has managed to date.
4. Furi
Furi is a character action game in which you fight only bosses. Fight your way free in The Gamebaker’s frenzied all-boss fighter, and discover what’s waiting behind the last gate. Furi is all about the tension of one-on-one fights against deadly adversaries. It’s an intense, ultra-responsive game with a unique mix of fast-paced sword fighting and dual-stick shooting. Each of the formidable guardians —designed by Afro Samurai creator Takashi Okazaki— has a unique and surprising combat style that requires focus and skill to defeat. The high-energy action gets a boost from an explosive soundtrack composed by electro musicians Carpenter Brut, Danger, The Toxic Avenger, Lorn, Scattle, Waveshaper and Kn1ght.
5. Outcasts of Jupiter
Outcasts of Jupiter is set in Morocco, 3125. Earth is a very different place. Follow four outcasts as they roam the fringes of an untamed and wild galaxy, taking on unusual jobs that challenge their unique abilities. We meet Stein, Sulesh and Denarii in the middle of attempting a daring rescue to free their comrade, Persio, from the Burj, a mysterious tower located in the courtyard of a heavily fortified clifftop palace in the City of Seven Faces.
