Screenshot Saturday Featuring Scrappers, Eastward, Sea Salt, Many More

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*Due to the large amount of tweets this week, we will be hyperlinking to the tweets instead*

Alright, welcome to another edition of Screenshot Saturday, and…hoo boy, how to explain this week. Well, it began with business as usual, getting ready to comb Twitter for impressive games in the works that were using #screenshotsaturday to help get the word out about them and their latest developments. It started out normally, but then Mike Rose, head of indie publisher No More Robots (the folks giving us Descenders and Not Tonight), decided to go and spring this little event…

…And I could not ignore an awesome gesture such as that. After all, he could be giving us a sneak peak at some of the next games that No More Robots could be assisting with, as well as just highlighting promising indie games in general. You can check out Mike’s final picks here in a Twitter Moment, not counting the other replies in the tweet above. And since he went out of his way to highlight some of the best, it only seems right that his kind deed be paid forward, so I decided to highlight some of the best games from this simple yet kickass event.

But this isn’t the only major highlight of multiple indie games this weekend. Day of the Devs is happening today at the Midway in San Francisco, presented by iam8bit and Double Fine. It’s a showcase of over seventy games, and I won’t lie, it’s an astounding lineup. Heck, events like PAX could have just those seventy games, and I’d still gladly attend. And you can still attend, since it’s completely free. If you’re in the area, you definitely need to check it out. In fact, here’s a link to where you can RSVP and the Humble Bundle you can get to allow you an early VIP access. Day of the Devs deserves to be bigger and/or garner more attention, so while I was likely to give it a nod this week as well, I figured why not let it join in alongside Mike’s picks as well?

So it was just going to be a special edition with selections from these two happenings…but then the regular Screenshot Saturday offerings produced a ton of good stuff as well.

So long story short, for this extra-large edition we’ll feature six selections from Mike Rose’s featured games, then six selections of titles appearing at Day of the Devs to check out, then twelve of our regular Screenshot Saturday picks. And if that seems long…well, keep in mind this was me having to narrow it down. Given more time, I likely would have gone nuts and created a three-page article.

But anyhow, I hope that explains things. Now, on with the show (and I apologize if any of the tweets fail to embed later, but the addresses left behind should still work, it’s an issue we’re looking into)!!

Bloodroots– In only a short while, this has immediately catapulted itself to a high position on my list of most-anticipated action games. After all, it takes the Dead Rising approach of being able to use virtually everything as a weapon, allowing you to whip a ladder around, kill some enemies with it, then seamlessly prop it down to climb up to a new area. Can’t not get excited for a game where you can do that.

MegaSphere– Whenever MegaSphere shows up here, it’s never in a truly proper showcase of its action, even though this sci-fi action platformer still looks quite amazing no matter what. Well, this is definitely an opportunity to remedy that issue, with a quick clip feature a ton of high-octance, hi-bit action. And this is all just from the version that’s in Early Access…

Steambirds Alliance– “MMO bullet hell” is one of those concepts that may sound a bit insane at first, but this little montage alone should hopefully be enough to convince you that this idea just may end up working. Colorful, action-packed, nice chunk of variety…it may actually end up being Spry Fox’s best work so far.

Drawkanoid– We’ve seen a ton of successful indie games put classic twists on arcade games before, and now we get another amazing take on the likes of Arkanoid. So we get to see what happens when you inject both bullet time and full-on hummingbird speeds into the classic game, then alternate between the two. It turns out you get total mayhem and explosions of color, which I mention in the best way possible.

FutureGrind– Speaking of classic games and tons of color, let’s see what happens when you take Uniracers, crank up the intensity a bit, and then add a color-matching mechanic that fully encourages a ton of flips and tricks. It turns out that you get what could be one amazing, futuristic sports game. Go figure.

Transmission– I am admittedly not a fan of the Euro Truck Simulator games, but I am a sucker for ’80s aesthetics (if the previous two games somehow didn’t tip you off). So throw in the promise of some intriguing stories during your journeys as a courier and a killer soundtrack, and I definitely become intrigued.

Scrappers– The latest title from Q-Games – developers of the PixelJunk franchise, among other things – will actually be making its debut at Day of the Devs. While we don’t have a huge amount of details concerning Scrappers at the moment, this quick glimpse seems to suggest a unique take on arcade-style brawlers, where bizarre trash collectors aim to collect the most valuable salvage. Looks fantastic so far, and we can’t wait for the proper unveiling later today!

Eastward– Heading back to the subject of my own personal list of most anticipated games, special mention definitely has to be given to Eastward, the post-apocalyptic adventure/RPG game with some absolutely jaw-dropping graphics, inspired and colorful settings, and a story of two unique individuals, all wrapped up in a package evoking classics such as Secret of Mana. And now you can officially add it to your Steam wishlist, which in case you couldn’t tell, I highly recommend you do.

Ghost Giant– Given Zoink’s record of crafting adorable and/or cartoonish characters that are heavily likeable, it should be an absolute treat to see them up close in VR now. Well, as close as you can get when playing as an invisible giant (invisible to everyone except a young kid, anyway) that helps everyone out in various ways. Regardless, immersing yourself in a world this gorgeous should still be a treat.

Afterparty– Heading back to the category of debuts happening at Day of the Devs, Night School’s follow-up to Oxenfree will have its first gameplay demo there as well. Yes, you too can get your first taste of a game where you help two college kids beat Satan in a drinking contest by partying all over Hell while engaging in some terrific dialogue mechanics, and if you read that but didn’t immediately want to try this game out, then you may have issues.

Dead Static Drive– These screenshots may not fully do justice to a game that features a road trip across America where you battle cosmic horrors on a journey to prevent an apocalypse, but they do still show off the impressive art style. But I highly suggest digging deeper, as we do still have what could be a stunning action/survival game here that you need to check out.

Consume Me– And heading into something particularly unique, here’s a game that explores the obsessions and behavior that come with dieting, served up with some nice dollops of dark humor. What appears to be a nice blend of puzzle elements and an intriguing personal narrative could also contribute to a potential sleeper hit that stems from a quirky concept.

Widower’s Sky– The journey after the passing of a loved one can always be tough. Especially when it means protecting your son and dog from killer machines and wildlife while traversing an alien planet. But aside from that, everything suggests that an emotional tale with a lot of heart poured into it is on the way, alongside a deep amount of work into crafting the game’s world, as seen here, so this is one to watch out for.

Sea Salt– Yes, this game was also in Mike Rose’s list of featured games, as you may have seen. But hey, it looks so damn good that it deserves to be acknowledged alongside our regular fare as well. You can’t go wrong with a top-down action/strategy game where you control an Eldritch force and the entire hordes of minions and monsters that serve them, wiping out legions of foes in a dark, Gothic world, after all. Heck, you can’t really go wrong with fishmen as well.

Black Future ’88– This is one of those games that’s seemingly earned a near-permanent place here in Screenshot Saturday, alongside such peers as My Friend Pedro and Eagle Island, to name a couple. But when you have a synthpunk action game that does indeed look as lush as this and features some mind-blowing, fast-paced combat, you’ve certainly earned a notable spot in the VIP booth.

The Last Friend– When creating a unique mix of tower defense and beat-’em-up games, it’s important to fine-tune the details for each part of the gameplay. Case in point, making sure you have a proper counter when fending of the wasteland punks attacking your animal shelter and the dogs within. It sends them flying with a nice and hefty impact, ensuring that the puppers remain safe and sound.

Nine Witches – Family Disruption- Your classic World War II tale about attempting to stop the Nazis from utilizing an evil curse in order to take over the world, combating them with a paranormal investigation unit consisting of a wheelchair-bound professor capable of astral projection and their Japanese assistant. You know, standard war story. It looks rather impressive so far, even if there are probably bigger threats to worry about than mines that’ll pop up later.

One Step From Eden– Mega Man Battle Network likely had quite its share of hectic battles as well, so glad to see game that takes inspiration from it following suit (while possibly taking the intensity a step further). But as seen here, it’s worth it when properly mastering skill and strategy, if only for proper weapon management purposes.

Skybolt Zack– Another one found in Rose’s list, and another one still worthy of being featured. After all, an arcade platformer with rhythm elements is a clever game idea that’s definitely worth taking a peek at, especially when proper care is put into making sure that you get the pummeling of a heavy opponent juuuuust right.

Nom Nom Apocalypse– When mutated food rises up against you, it pays to study your enemy as well as possible. That way you’re prepared when taking them on in a colorful top-down shooter. Sure, one may assume that the eye of this pancake beast makes for a weak point that leads to a quick defeat, but don’t underestimate the knife legs and sticky syrup in addition to the other attacks mentioned.

SKTBRD– While Session will no doubt be a rather successful indie skateboarding game, sometimes you just have to flip off realism and take a more arcade-inspired route. A route that just so happens to involve grinding across rooftops and diving into a parking lot from several stories above, but a route that looks like it’ll be damn fun to traverse.

Weakless– An adventure game about discovery and true strength that has you controlling a pair of wooden creatures, one blind and one deaf, as you guide them along a journey. The world they reside in alone looks rather beautiful and inviting, and worth taking a look at. Plus at the very least, it’ll still be infinitely better than the last game we played that focused on the disabled…

Populus Run– A fun-looking runner where you control multiple people all at once, gaining and losing additional folks along the way in the hopes that at least one will survive the insane race ahead of them. These people aren’t fools, though, and know the benefits of properly exercising beforehand. Not sure how the banana fits into their exercise regimen, but hey, whatever works.

Death Chron– Two words: Death yeti. You had me at death yeti. That and the the nicely-sculpted ode to 8-bit platformers, but mainly the death yeti.

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