We’re all used to trying to pet the dog in games. However, what happens when the pup isn’t all that friendly? Well you get we have a Clifford-sized mutt whose butthole is the source of a giant death ray and other attacks fit for the bullet-hell genre.
We have this and more in Cool WIP, Polygon’s weekly roundup of eye-catching clips and screenshots of works in progress. Each week, the Polygon staff scours the internet and highlights eye-catching games — especially those that aren’t finished yet. It’s a sampling of the coolest up-and-coming projects that you can’t play quite yet.
In previous weeks, each list demonstrated micro trends in game development — one showed more cutesy games with animals and another had a lot of skating games. This time, we’ve got a wider range of picks. There’s a lovely pixelated sailing game, a gun that shoots beautiful flowers, an elegant city builder, and an adventure game that would put Link’s grass cutting skills to shame. Check out what game developers are up in this week’s roundup.
Fight off dog farts in this 2D platformer
This clip from André Hjelvik shows off their 2D Shovel Knight-esque game Gun Devil. The pixelated gunner features a unique roadblock, a giant dog (named Dog Bastard). As you fight it, the boss releases giant death ray from its butthole. In addition to that, you’ll fight off silly attacks like a steady stream of bones as well. It puts a comedic twist on the classic bullet-hell platformer. Gun Devil doesn’t have a release date, but you can follow updates on the game’s Steam page.
Link’s got competition for “best human lawnmower”
This clip is from Kokopa’s Atlas which is an adventure game from HyperMegaPixel where you explore and build terrains on a new planet. This clip shows the main character — a little catlike creature — swinging a sword around to mow down a bunch of bushes. From the early days of The Legend of Zelda, there’s always been something particularly fun about cutting down plants. Now you can do it with style, as cubes look especially pleasing to cut down. Kokopa’s Atlas is currently development and doesn’t have a release date yet.
The most beautiful weapon I’ve ever seen
This wasn’t quite what I had in mind when I think of guns and gun roses, but hey, it works! This clip from Tommaso Romanò shows a gun that shoots beautiful patches of flowers instead of bullets. The weapons isn’t for any announced project, but already looks stunning. When put to proper use, the tool isn’t just pretty, but allows the player create fantastical ivy bridges that stretch across large gaps. Previously the developer created a way to procedurally generate ivy so if this kind of work sounds cool to you, you can follow all the stuff they’re tinkering with over on their Twitter.
A stripped-down city builder
This animation comes from the city builder Might of Merchants. The game boasts a hand-drawn style that looks like a 3D picture book. The clip focuses on one feature: its user interface (UI). The slick menu allows you to get a summary of your town at a moment’s notice. Beyond that, it just looks like an elegant game whose style parallels the experience of drawing a layout on pen and paper. It’s being made by Hannes Breuer and doesn’t have a release date yet, but there’s plenty to ogle over on the game’s Twitter page.
A pixelated Sid Meier’s Pirates-looking game
This miniature boat looks like true delight to pilot. The concept from TobyThePoser takes the big ol’ pirate adventures of games like Sea of Thieves and makes it … small. A short video posted by Toby shows a ship sailing across a vast map sprinkled with tiny tropical islands. So far, it isn’t for an announced game, but the developer regularly posts updates on how crafting the sailing is going.
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