It’s Saturday, and that means it’s time for another Screenshot Survey. Every week, we take a look at a few cool new games in the works by game developers tweeting with #ScreenshotSaturday. For even more games you might be interested in, check out this hashtag on Twitter.
This week we're bringing you an extra helping of games, in honor of Thanksgiving, and the fact that these titles certainly deserve some recognition. This week is chock full of paper cats, as well as several anthropomorphic animals (a staple of Screenshot Survey), and even dual-wielding sword action. As always, be sure to check out these different games, and be sure to follow them on Twitter if you're interested in these projects.
Hotel Noir: A Cardboard Caper
Have I died and gone to Heaven? It's a bunch of cute cats jumping around in a room. It's cuteness overload, and Hotel Noir by Minilith Games has now caught my attention. Just as a short note, I'm extremely impressed by how many ways one can draw a simple cat. There's a lot of cats in this Tweet, but each one looks unique. That takes dedication!
The details on Minilith Games' Hotel Noir are sparse, but from what I could gather from their Twitter, you play as a cardboard cutout detective in an equally cardboard-esque world. It looks like a trip—and I'm not talking about the type of trip where you hit the road.
Nanokin
Speaking of trips, check out this equally psychedelic clip of Nanokin. I'm a big fan of mixing old graphic styles with the new, a la Octopath Traveler. So, I'm already captivated of the lively 3D visuals contrasting with the 2D spritework of your characters. Although the look is brief, I love how it complements this particular battle in Nanokin.
Studio Anjin, the developer for Nanokin, outlined the game's premise in a Reddit post earlier this year. In addition to Nanokin's turn-based combat, as seen above, the developers say:
"Nanokin is bringing together the gameplay and style of classic Playstation-era JRPGs ala Xenogears and Wild Arms, and hybridizing them with exploration platformers such as Banjo Kazooie and A Hat in Time!"
It's an ambitious idea, but so far they look to be pulling it off with great success.
Arbiter
Who needs anime when there's Arbiter? Seriously, the combat in this game is absolutely invigorating. My one concern is that this Tweet is by the developer, so by all means they should be an expert at the combat in their game. If I can beat up this "fur-boy" as well as this Tweet shows, though, Arbiter is going to be a pleasure to play.
Arbiter is an upcoming action game by developer Jordan Scott. Arbiter is the product of a successful Kickstarter campaign several years ago, and it looks like it's well on the way to completion. Scott's Twitter says it's a game inspired by the combat of Kingdom Hearts and Devil May Cry. Those are games known for their robust combat, and Arbiter looks well on its way to being just as good.
Shadows of Larth
Speaking of dual swords, check out Shadows of Larth. This further proves that two is always better than one, as our player character charges forward and completely obliterates this poor fellow. This is just another example of an exciting and visceral action-oriented game in development.
Shadows of Larth is developed by Zine FALOUTI, and is expected to release early next year. With multiple weapons as well as magic at your disposal, you are tasked with defeating all those who stand as a threat to Larth.
Dungeon Drafters
Don't let the look of this cute bunny fool you, it can fight! Again, here's another game that nails it with visuals. From the subtle snow falling in this chilly library to the explosion of the bomb-bug-thing killed by The Explorer, it's fantastic.
Dungeon Drafters is earlier in development; however, you can try out a prototype of Dungeon Drafters on itch.io. It combines mechanics of top-down dungeon crawling with deckbuilding gameplay. The developer says it's a game " where magic is cards and cards are magic." I don't know what this means exactly, but I'm looking forward to finding out.
Interested in any of these games? What's your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
