The Screenshot Saturday Showcase - January 29

Let us spin you an indie-filled yarn in this week's Screenshot Saturday Showcase.

Every week, game developers worldwide share their works in progress with Twitter via #screenshotsaturday. We scour the hashtag weekly to bring you new and exciting indies you may have missed as part of our Screenshot Saturday Showcase. This week’s games weave a beautiful tale of parkour and personified scenery.

The Screenshot Saturday Showcase - Jan 29

Hoa

Hoa — meaning flower in Vietnamese —  is a dreamlike platformer in which a small, red-cloaked figure travels through an enchanting land in a journey back to her home. The forest and open plains shown so far are realized in breathtaking, hand-drawn art that’s bursting with character. Rocks watch on as you scale them and leaves spring to life as you approach, building a path of platforms that bob pleasantly as you land on them.

Developer Baf-V Pte has hopes to primarily produce a relaxing, meditative experience, but there will also be stages in which stealth or speed is required to navigate levels with dangerous enemies. If Hoa’s platforming can live up to its phenomenal art, we’ll be hard pressed to find a world we want to explore more. It’s early day yet but you can find more screens and footage on Facebook or the game’s website, where you can also sign up for a mailing list.

Into the Rift

Into the Rift caught our eye with one of the smoothest 2D combat sequences we’ve ever seen, but it’s in the parkour that the game really seems to shine. An action-adventure metroidvania, Into the Rift looks to sell itself on a core of “acrobatic movement and precision combat.”  Protagonist Sam is able to free-run through much of the world, deftly leaping between platforms and enemies, sliding through gaps, and wall-jumping between levels.

The freedom of movement looks mightily impressive, and judging by the gifs shown will be manageable entirely on simple, SNES-like control. There’s plenty of worldbuilding teased in the gifs Starsoft has released so far, with environments ranging from fantasy to futuristic, and the promise of meaningful dialogue that can help to shape the world around you. Keep track of Into the Rift’s progress on the game’s website, or back the project on Patreon for more development details.

Weaving Tides

In a world filled with combat-centric games, Weaving Tides looks like a beautiful escape. A human boy in a woven world, you befriend a Weaver — long, dragon-esque creatures with flowing ribbon-like tales. Riding on his back, your job is to stitch together the world around you, fixing holes and solving puzzles by looping in and out of the woven floor.

It’s a beautiful game so far, and there’s plenty of potential for puzzles and exploration based on the premise alone. Development team Follow the Feathers promises hidden upgrades and collectibles, as well as different Weavers with unique special abilities to mix up your playstyle. Weaving Tides is currently planned for a 2020 release, but as usual you can keep up with development by signing up to the newsletter on the game’s website

Associate Editor

Henry Stenhouse serves an eternal punishment as the Associate Editor of AllGamers. He spent his younger life studying the laws of physics, even going so far as to complete a PhD in the subject before video games stole his soul. Confess your love of Super Smash Bros. via email at henry@moonrock.biz, or catch him on Twitter.

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