Screenshot Survey: Voxel Takedown

This week, the Screenshot Survey brings you not only games being developed in the open, but also pre-announcements of announcements of games that will be developed in the open. It's like two articles in one, only not really and also I'm not 100% sure what that means. In any case, if you're looking for pretty pixels from the ever-growing indie game scene, you've come to the right place. Let's begin!

We're starting the show with the showstopper this week, as Nicoll Hunt (FIST OF AWESOME) is set to debut his next project. At first glance, the game looked to be yet another entry into the hottest genre around, the 80s nostalgia racer. As the GIF goes on, it's clear that this voxel beauty is looking to a different nostalgic inspiration. If I know my Burnout (and I do), that is most certainly a takedown camera angle. Even if they're not directly inspired from that game, any arcade racer that encourages a little rubbing paint is certainly worthy of my attention.

If you're more interested in playing a game right this very minute, than your impatience is rewarded with this glimpse at Path to the Sky, which just hit Steam Early Access less than a week ago. A fantasy based roguelite platformer, Path to the Sky looks to have some unique ideas that might set it apart in the crowded genre. Being able to fire cannonballs at tiny bats is certainly enough for me to give the game a shot.

One of the tragedies of not doing the Screenshot Survey for a while was that I didn't get the chance to cover ThunderDome, which is a game about grizzly bears with chainsaws causing havoc inside the titular geometric cage. Of course, just regular chainsaws isn't enough for this game, so it also includes chainsaw nunchucks, or ChainChucks in the words of the developer. I honestly have no words, as my admiration of this game's stupid joy is too big to capture with mere language. I just feel better that I have now enshrined this game in this column for all to see.

Continuing on the train of stupid joy, here is a beautiful little animation from a background in Inflatality, which is a fighting game starring wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men. I assume that is now the official nomenclature and I hope that name becomes Family Guy's most lasting contribution to our culture as a whole. In any case, I can't wait to see this game in more detail and try out the awkward uppercuts for myself.

Finally, we have SpiritSphere, which looks at first glance to be an upgraded Pong game. However, the stage mechanics and character actions of the game seem to be more in line with a riff on the recently popular Windjammers. Still, the game's wizard motif and Game Boy Color style graphics make me smile, and I hope that the controls are tight enough to make the game a competitive good time.

What indie games currently in development are you following on Twitter and elsewhere? What weapons could possibly be more fun to use than chainsaw nunchucks? Are you ready for some football? Answer these questions AND MORE in the comments below, and join me next week for another Screenshot Survey!