Screenshot Saturday Sundays: snowball safety, squishy slimes, and shield skateboards

Screenshot Saturday, a lovely showcase of all things upcoming games. Screenshot Saturday Sundays, where I pick just a few for us to gawk at, in the full knowledge that making games is hard and anything could happen to change, delay, or prevent the best-laid plans of these developers. This week: a library to escape the cold, an island full of friendly slimes, and skate tricks on an alien planet.

It's gloriously sunny this weekend, so let's get the shot with the gloves and earmuffs out of the way so that we don't have to think about the cold for too long. Wintermore Tactics Club is about a school-wide snowball fight in what they call a "narrative-driven tactics game." I am intrigued by this description, especially when the tactics are about something so grounded instead of a fantasy war. Here we see some folks retreating to the library, presumably to escape the cold and/or flying projectiles.

It's very neat for a university library, but I'll forgive the lack of clutter because it looks so cozy and exactly like somewhere I'd like to dip in to avoid a blizzard. According to the game's Steam page, in between slinging snowballs you'll be making friends - and enemies - with various other clubs around campus. Also, uncovering a "sinister mystery." Because things are never that simple.

Moving somewhere warmer, we find Orange Island. The 8-bit action adventure game has a lovely blue sky with nary a snowflake in sight, and also some slime buddies.

As developer Ted Sterchi writes on Steam, the game takes place on this "pastel-hued island" which you'll explore "while uncovering mysteries from the past." More mysteries! These ones will touch on "family, friends, hope, bravery, corruption, and our impact on the environment." A promising list. The game's not scheduled to release until early 2020, but Sterchi is planning a crowdfunding campaign this spring.

Elsewhere on lovely blue-skied worlds (I'm rapidly learning that I have a type when it comes to games, and it's "warm looking places"), here's some shield surfing courtesy of action-adventure game Effie.

Per the game's Steam page, Effie combines combat, platforming, puzzles, and exploration. Also strange, bear-gremlin creatures, as you can see from the header picture way up at the top. That's not actually a super old hero, but one that's been cursed by a witch and must go on a quest to become youthful again with the help of his magic shield. Which I assume is what he's surfing on. I'm sure it doesn't mind becoming an impromptu skateboard.

For more peeks at upcoming games, you can dive into the tag on Twitter.