Monochrome Puzzle Adventure ‘Helix: Descent N Ascent’ Looks Gorgeous In Its Debut Trailer

Developer Badass Mongoose has today revealed a first look at Helix: Descent N Ascent — a gorgeous-looking puzzle adventure that will make its way to Switch in 2025.

This is a non-linear adventure that will see you exploring a long-forgotten world, unlocking skills and abilities along the way — including the power to remove and control your own head, it seems. Sounds a little Hollow Knight-y, no? Well, don’t expect that kind of intensity. It seems that Helix is all about the vibes, with “non-violent gameplay” putting the focus on puzzle-solving and storytelling as you try to work out what happened to the abandoned world.

The visuals really caught our eye in the above debut trailer. This monochromatic world looks like it should be a treat to explore, with the Belgian developer stating that it has taken inspiration from ’80s black and white comics and ’90s manga. Consider us intrigued.

You can check out some of the game’s features and get a look at some screenshots below.

Venture in search for the truth – Awakening in a world of contrasts, you dive into a cryptic adventure, unearth secrets, investigate the fate of a lost civilization, collect artifacts, and respond to the haunting call that beckons. This is a tale interwoven with threads of melancholy and the undying spirit of the past.

Unravel the mysteries – Your exploration reveals a world responsive to your unique abilities, allowing you to interact meaningfully with your surroundings. Meticulously observe and experiment to decode the numerous puzzles that stand before you, each one a step closer to uncovering the world’s truths and realizing your destiny.

Combine your powers – Traverse a melancholic, soul-stirring realm with a unique system empowering you to progressively combine your 5 abilities in 25 distinctive ways, and through multiple layers of complexity. Discover how to use them to solve puzzles and progress with thoughtful and non-violent gameplay. Even though you’re the last remnant of your own kind, you are not alone.

A deep emotional odyssey – Beyond adventure, Helix invites you to confront your perspectives on identity, solitude and emotions, weaving each mystery and reminiscence of a past existence with personal, cultural, and spiritual threads. Uncover overlooked details in a story worth revisiting.

An artistic journey – Live a tale not told through words but through an immersive adventure, enriched by a stunning 4K black and white artistic style, 2D living scenery, evocative paintings, and powerful atmospheric music. Influenced by 80’s black and white indie comics and 90’s mangas, as well as the Franco-Belgian comics of the 70’s, the monochrome imagery is also symbolic, representing the duality of light and darkness. This is a story whose artistic style invites you to explore and reflect.

We don’t have a precise release date for Helix just yet, though the developer said that we can expect to see it next year. It all sounds rather interesting, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for more information over the coming months.

What do you make of Helix from this first look? Let us know in the comments.