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…
Trappy Tomb has been submitted for #appreview – over to you Apple! #gamedev #screenshotsaturday pic.twitter.com/4MmH1xzpud
— James Paulin (@jkpaulin) May 29, 2015
Haunt or… help? Well, we both know I’m obviously not gonna leave helpful comments upon dying in this game. Just wouldn’t be as much fun compared to haunting and / or tricking them! Muahahaha!
I think I've just gone filter berserk. 😀 #gamedev #screenshotsaturday #ue4 pic.twitter.com/4jYuhVV9fj
— GameDevZombie (@GameDevZombie) May 30, 2015
MORE FILTERS! No really, more filters! Seriously though, am I the only one who sees a really nice looking environment screenshot? Probably.
Burning the midnight oil #screenshotsaturday #pixelart pic.twitter.com/4ILRnD8NiM
— Nick Barr (@NickNormandy) May 30, 2015
That’s one way to ‘burn the midnight oil’, and an efficient one to boot. So long… uh, pirate ship #2? Better watch out for that shark though!
I'm working on my last thing for Penarium. I'm going out with a bang. Might become my best work. #ScreenshotSaturday pic.twitter.com/4dxQjv3RRh
— Noppy (@ThomasNoppers) May 31, 2015
So… does the game take place inside that picture (frame), or is Noppy simply showing off pixel art? I wonder. Hopefully the prior.
It's #screenshotsaturday! This week: Dialogue System updated to uGui! Sorry for the placeholder portrait! #indiedev pic.twitter.com/4vhOpro5Xs
— Yuri Stern | SIGNALIS (@LastStarfarer) May 30, 2015
Wait, where’s “all of the above”? Curses. Hm. Provided ‘B’ is ‘start a party’, I’m all for that. Oh and ‘D’ better be ‘replace placeholder portrait’, ya know? Ah, I’m so clever.
Sim city meets #threes in my little puzzlegame #screenshotsaturday #indiearena #indiedev pic.twitter.com/3BjQ0qgq3Z
— Tristan Dahl (@Lingo_Ludo) May 30, 2015
Not a terrible idea, and at least this will – hopefully – add another layer of strategy to the formula, as opposed to games which simply change the numbers or some such. We’ll see.
#screenshotsaturday #gamedev #indiedev @Coreavus pic.twitter.com/83Sa7m6Etw
— wizard (@w_iz_ard) May 31, 2015
Oh man. A boney massacre if I ever saw one. No? Aw. What’s it all about though? That is the question.
Getting some more puzzle design down. #gamedev #indiedev #madewithunity #screenshotsaturday pic.twitter.com/BPfvZNk2Ck
— Alex Loren (@lorenalexm) May 30, 2015
Sound advice right there. Even more so, as I’d be very surprised if those flickering beams actually turns out not to be both electrical, and deadly to the touch! Ouch. Also, nice minimalistic design.
Screenie time! Everyone loves leaping rats and fake teeth, right? #indiedev #screenshotsaturday @ScattyRatGame pic.twitter.com/cQGSqzBkzL
— Clockwork Moon (@_ClockworkMoon_) May 30, 2015
Ew! That said… actually, I have no idea where to start with this one. At all. Leaping rats and fake teeth? And the rats look like they’re attempting to reach an open vent shaft? Uh, right.
Yet another screenshot from Retro Vision! #retrovision #screenshotsaturday #gamedev pic.twitter.com/Ab3Duzg0zZ
— Kyle McKellar (@KyleMcKellar95) May 30, 2015
Another fast-paced dodger (I think)? Sure, why not! Also, those lights.