Screenshot Survey: Pixel Panic

Don't panic! It is Sunday, and that once again means that it's time for the Screenshot Survey. This is TechRaptor's returning weekly feature where we shine the spotlight on some of the best games in development as they share screenshots for #ScreenshotSaturday . You may have noticed that we haven't run a Screenshot Survey since October, which syncs up to around the time I became the site's review editor. I wanted to give myself a little time to get adjusted to the new workload, and that short break turned into a few months of inactivity. However, enough about the past, as the future is filled with cool indie game previews and giant spiders! Let's begin!

Let's ease back into things with Children of Morta. Looking at the screenshot here, it seems we have a nice calm game, perhaps involving pets. Let me do a bit more research. Let's see...Rougelike...Hack and Slash...Evil shadow creatures... well that's a bit different from what this beautiful screenshot initially suggested. Still, whether it is throwing frisbees with your dog or vanquishing ancient mountain gods, it seems like Children of Morta will look beautiful doing it. The game has gone through Kickstarter, and is coming eventually to PS4, Vita, and Wii U as well as the PC. Till then, we'll just have to look at these sweet magic weapons from afar.

Next up is a game that does nothing to hide its overwhelming style. I Want To Be Human is a shooting/platforming hybrid in the vein of Alien Hominid, but created in the image of Invader Zim. It's loud, fast, and colorful in its own way, and the highly detailed images on its Steam Greenlight page really sell me on the world. Well, that and the fact that there is clearly a Voltorb in the bottom right of the above GIF. The project has been in the works for years, and it was recently announced that it will be published this fall by Rising Star Games. Which is fine, as it will probably take me that long to pick out all the visual details in this clip anyway. If you're interested in more about the game, we've also published an interview with the game's developer.

Subscout is the new project from the one man team behind Just Get Through. It's a game the defies genres by design, as the developer intends to give you a world and the options to play around how you like in it. Your goal is to reach the ocean floor, but how you achieve that is up to you. Into Survival games? Turn on hunger and permadeath options. More of an action guy? Engage in explosive fights with pirates over loot! Or perhaps you just want a quiet journey, in which case you can turn off everything and go at your own pace. It's very ambitious, and I am curious to see the final result. Subscout was announced in October, so it will be a while before it's ready for store shelves. The developer is also holding off on submitting to Greenlight just yet while he keeps working on the title, so following along on Twitter seems like the best way to keep tabs on the game for the time being.

Here is a mystifying scene from A Dragon Named Coal, which is a Metroidvania with branching narrative paths inspired by the Dragon Age series. It is currently in Alpha development, with a demo you can try out available for free on their site. The titular dragon is a young creature, but it doesn't use its dragon talents like Spyro. Instead, it uses a baby dragon sized sword, which is just adorable. Development on this one is pretty early, but they have already claimed their place on Steam with an official group that will no doubt announce when development milestones are hit. If it turns out, it could be a very interesting mixture of well worn indie game territory with a couple of new twists.

Lastly, here is a screenshot from Junk E.T. , which promises to be a grid based action adventure where you play as a janitor attempting to clean up after the filth of humanity. As much as I like pixels, Junk E.T.'s hand drawn look is excellent, and some of the monster designs are inspired. I certainly wouldn't want to meet a sentient bucket of KFC on a dark and stormy night. The game is still currently working its way through Steam Greenlight, so it might be worth a look there if you like what you see here.

Are you happy to see the return of the Screenshot Survey? Do you follow any games on Twitter that could use more love? Let us know in the comments below, and come back soon for another edition of the Screenshot Survey!