For most, weekends means two days off work with some much-needed R&R. But for game developers, it’s also a time during which they get to show off what they’ve been working on. I am of course referring to Screenshot Saturday, which involves tweeting screenshots with the #ScreenshotSaturday hashtag. Screenshots which I will be critiquing some of every single Tuesday, in Speculating Screenshots.
Different screenshots from different developers, all working on different games. Some are very much a WIP, while other are from titles rapidly approaching release. These tweets do all have one thing they in common though, which is that they feature actual screenshots (or at the very least, mockups), animated or stills. So without further ado…
https://twitter.com/VitriolGames/status/589705871992573952
Untitled (@VitriolGames)
Defending it, sure, but against what? Must be some off-screen threat. Yeah. That’s it.
Decompilers surround the player, who's stuck in the liquid helium storage room. #screenshotsaturday #gamedev pic.twitter.com/NySpksZuL9
— Nick Yonge (@nickyonge) April 18, 2015
Emerald (@nickyonge)
Man are those ever some bright neon colors. How did the player get stuck in there though, and what is that weird looking thing to the right?
#screenshotsaturday zoomin' out pic.twitter.com/7tMOjVQ7b4
— cowboy angel (@godzekesatan) April 18, 2015
Soft Body (@godzekesatan)
From one nonsensical screenshot to another, this is… actually I have no idea what Zeke Virant is showing here. I’m sorta intrigued though. Kinda. Sorta. Maybe a little.
Today's mission: a UI for Quadradigger! And some super-secret stuff 🙂 #ScreenshotSaturday #Gamedev #HTML5 pic.twitter.com/sqNMXVXlq9
— Simon Bielman (@Synival) April 18, 2015
Quadradigger (@Synival)
Digger? All I see is a Tetris-style game with a depth-mete– oh! Wait. Hold on. I get it now: the dirt at the bottom of the screen. I guess? The public demands an explanation!
The caverns of doom! Well, mild discomfort at least … in Spooky Pooky #screenshotsaturday #gamedev #pixelart pic.twitter.com/wgQOfyIkxo
— Joe (@joeyspacerocks) April 18, 2015
Spooky Pooky (@joeyspacerocks)
Dooooooooom… dooooooooooooooooom! I think anyone would be experiencing mild discomfort, to say the least, if their head was that big. Just saying. Game looks good though.
Whatcha building? Looks like rubble #ApocalypseNeighbors #ScreenshotSaturday #gaming #gamedev #indiegamedev pic.twitter.com/MI05Y42kmj
— TheLastHuman (@LeBoomington) April 18, 2015
Apocalypse Neighbors (@BoomCoGames)
Can’t really tell if he’s building something or tearing it down, the way everything’s… well, tilted. Also, what’s in those boxes? Government secrets?
Sorry for the late #screenshotsaturday post but better late than never! #GameDev #MiniGame pic.twitter.com/MGvJKWxrt2
— Winter Stories (@Winter_Stories) April 20, 2015
Untitled (@Winter_Stories)
I like how the guy in the back thinks, bringing a stick of dynamite and a whip to a gunfight. Hardly the best idea ever, but points for originality, and of course, guts. Too bad he’s about to get getting gunned down.
https://twitter.com/ConnorORT/status/589327981660790784
Overlooker (@ConnorORT)
Poor girl… or dude with really long hair. If it’s the latter, I do so hope the game is set in the 80’s. That said, he/she is gonna be in trouble soon, as monsters are approaching!
#screenshotsaturday via @dungeoneering #gamedev #indiedev pic.twitter.com/dXobbPuQ1j
— Lance ? E3 (@Myll_Erik) April 18, 2015
Guild of Dungeoneering (@Myll_Erik)
Lovely hand-drawn(?) visuals there, and get this… the game – or dungeon, rather – is also hand-made. As in, the player builds it around the hero, instead of navigating the hero through it. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
Here’s a screenshot of NecroDancer’s final zone, with a few never before seen enemies! #screenshotsaturday pic.twitter.com/VCQp2MCOmp
— Crypt of the NecroDancer (@NecroDancerGame) April 18, 2015
Crypt of the NecroDancer (@NecroDancerGame)
Oho. Demons, undead, and other grizzly ghouls, all packed up in a roguelike rhythm game (nope, not joking). What’s not to like? Looks darn good (and feature-complete) too.
https://twitter.com/Creoterra/status/589510734419075072
Empyrios (@Creoterra)
Eek. Looks to me like stuff’s about to go down, along with a couple of guards, and in a cathedral of all places! Better not wreck the place during the battle, or there’ll be hell to pay. Literally.
A Suebi swordsman preparing to attack a Roman settlement http://t.co/rhdsiEuUvn #screenshotsaturday #indiegamedev pic.twitter.com/oCmzWF0B9j
— Wyrmsun (@wyrmsun) April 18, 2015
Wyrmsun (@wyrmsun)
Sure. Where’s the Roman settlement, eh? Surely it ain’t that tiny goldmine-ish looking thing to the right. Or maybe it is. Hard to tell with WIP projects after all. Hard to tell inded.
Fight Fire With Ice#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday pic.twitter.com/KvRgOrS6TQ
— Raven Travel Studios (@RavenTravelStd) April 18, 2015
Untitled (@RavenTravelStd)
Really? Why can’t we all just get along? Oh well. If it has to be, it has to be, and as such, my money’s on the big guy! I’m well-aware that the tiny fella is likely the protagonist, but what do I care? FIGHT!
Coming soon from my team is Templars 2. #screenshotsaturday We'll be launching #iOS, #Android and #Steam soon! pic.twitter.com/ocFAtSsReX
— Cory Trese (@corytrese) April 17, 2015
Templars 2 (@corytrese)
Hang on… a top-down, tile-based, steampunk(?) with RPG(?) elements, and one that doesn’t look half-bad to boot? Fingers crossed.
Almost ready! #screenshotsaturday #gamedev #indiedev pic.twitter.com/0gwTmvs3FM
— Tony (@ThePaperRobot) April 18, 2015
Room13 (@ThePaperRobot)
So much violence! So… much… hang on, why is the protagonist wearing a red ball? Oh! I see. “Someone” stole his head. Or some such. Man, that’s gotta hurt. On the flipside, a headless protagonist is pretty rare…
