Screenshot Survey: Badgers, Butchers, and Battleships

It's the last Sunday of October, which means it's the right time and place for another Screenshot Survey. Developers are hard at work both at home and at Indiecade, all trying to outshine their huge competition in what has been a year of amazing releases. There are only two months left in 2015, and there are still so many promising titles left to sample. Before that though, a sample of what's to come beyond that. Let's get to the tweets!

First off this week, a look at MoonStrike, an RTS being developed for VR headsets. To get an idea on how something like that would function, here's a preview video. It's an interesting implementation of new technology to be sure. Instead of jumping into the mind of a pilot, you're watching over the battlefield like a general in his war room. Which is what RTS games have been forever, but it takes on a new spin when the entire space envelops your vision and you're engrossed in the action.

Here is a screenshot from the newly christened Slayer Shock, a first person role-playing game where you hunt down monsters. The game is still relatively early on in development, but it comes from the same team that brought the world Eldrich, a fun and often overlooked first person roguelike. That game brought something different to the table when it came to first person games, predating Ziggurat and other first person death labyrinths. So I have confidence that pedigree and the change over to more realistic graphics will make Slayer Shock something to look out for.

Beautiful, isn't it? This is Atomic Butcher, a 2D platformer/shooter that takes place in a post apocalyptic nightmare world of gore. The game has a literally eye-popping style that attracts me, especially after all the Binding of Issac I've been playing this month. The developers are clearly showmen, evidenced both by the game and by the way they present themselves at conventions. This game is currently aiming for a release soon, so I look forward to seeing if the gameplay lives up to the crazy visuals.

Fathom is an action RTS that takes some of the mechanics of more strategic space games and applies them to the only other environment where they make sense, deep under the sea. It's a locale that doesn't see enough action, especially when you're not actually swimming through at a slow pace but jetting around in high-powered submarines. To add to the simulation, this is another game that will support VR headsets. I wonder if you can spy fish darting around while you're shooting lasers from your craft? In any case, with elements of Ace Combat or early mech games added into the mix, this could be a great game to add to the multiplayer rotation.

I finish off this week with a late addition to the animal friends horde. Here is Cosmic Badger. He's a badger that utilizes portals. Portals of the cosmic variety I imagine. Already released for iOS and Android, Cosmic Badger is getting a bit of an upgrade visually, which is great as its concept is spot on. The game is an endless runner, but instead of jumping over obstacles, the player swipes to open portals that the badger warps into. I love the new graphics on display here, and will have to try it out on my phone when they get out of beta.

That's it for this week's Screenshot Survey! What games currently in development are you looking forward to? Does the badger actually see the cosmos whenever he steps into the portal? How many eyeballs actually explode over the course of Atomic Butcher? Come back next time for none of those answers and more great indie titles in the spotlight!