Screenshot Weekly – Frozen Ninjas Settling in for a Magical Pint

Welcome back to Screenshot Weekly !

! Every Tuesday, IGM brings you exclusive looks at upcoming games in various stages of development. The featured image introducing each game will always be original, and made especially for IGM, so you’ll see them for the first time right here (make sure to click the pics to see them in their full screen glory)! Without further ado, let’s take a look at this week’s screenshots:

Box Ninja

I could offer my own take on the synopsis for Box Ninja , but the premise is fairly straightforward, so I’ll just pass along what Lead Programmer J4ck2on told me: “ Box N inja is a 2D puzzle game in which the player controls the left arm of a bow wielding and quite frankly trigger happy ninja . The player must shoot blocks out of the way in order to shoot a button and progress to the next level.” Developer Games Placeois looking to craft to a puzzle game that offers an interesting challenge through alternative gameplay mechanics. One such mechanic is that the blocks of wood in the game are both movable and destructible, and can be collapsed into one another, opening the door for some unique puzzle opportunities. If you’d like to hear more about Box Ninja , you can follow the developer on Twitter. The game is currently scheduled to release by the end of September.

Spells Arena: Ice Frozen Ocean

While we normally only cover unreleased games, Spells Arena is about to get a major graphical overhaul; and considering showcasing new visual content is sort of the focus of Screenshot Weekly , I figured it would be a reasonable exception to the rule. According to the developers at 2Think, “ Spells Arena: Ice Frozen Ocean takes you to a primordial universe where the normal physics laws don’t apply, where creatures fight each other using spells drawn by magical gems,”  and where winners light up something known as the Stars of the Portals. A progression system of sorts, when all the Stars are lit, the Portal opens and unlocks new Spells for the player to use in combat. Spells are drawn using gestures, and range from red-colored offensive spells, to blue-colored defensive abilities. More info can be found on the developer’s website, as well as the team’s Facebookand Twitterprofiles.

Tavern Tycoon

Have you ever wondered what happens to your favorite adventurers and RPG characters when they retire? Peter Park did, so he decided to make a game about it. (Assumedly in his free time between working as a photographer for the Daily Bugle, and fighting crime as the amazing Spider-Man.) In his version, the retired adventurer decides to open up a tavern. Tavern Tycoon: Dragon’s Hangover is a “ Theme Hospital -inspired game” that takes simulation to a fantasy setting. The Dragon’s Hangover subtitle comes from part of the game’s plot, and Park mentioned that, “there is a local dragon that loves drinking and is turning people and the dragon slayers into strange creatures with magic.” Tavern Tycoon will also include minigames to break up the action, one of which can be found here.  The game is looking to head into Steam Early Accesssoon, and additional info can be found on the Terapoly devlog.

That’s it for this week’s Screenshot Weekly . Be sure to come back next week to see more exclusive looks of the latest indie games in development! Let us know in the comments section what upcoming indie games you’d like to see featured in a future installment. As for any indie developers who would like to see their screenshots featured in an upcoming segment, feel free to send an email to IGM at editors@indiegamemag.com with the Subject Line: “Screenshot Weekly”. Or, if you’d like to be part of our Magazine’s Screenshot Monthly segment, include that in the email as well!