Auuugh, such a good week ;__; All of these shots are creative and distinct and really well-designed and you all did good, everyone.
Astromeow: You know, like, in the past week or so I've been thinking about monochromatic stuff in ZQ and how I wanted to either make or see something that was predominantly blue. The timing couldn't have been better. I think the contrast maybe could be a bit better (I think the current level of contrast leaves it feeling kind of muddy and not-as-nighttimey-as-it-could-be), but it still looks really nice and it's a really well-established scene.
Jared: The screen design is perfect. Seriously -- every individual tile feels like it was meticulously placed, it uses big trees but doesn't feel even remotely cramped, and it leaves you envisioning what's going on outside of the boundaries of the screen. It feels totally natural, like it's part of a much bigger world even when it's standing alone.
Dawnlight: Usually translucent clouds, like, have one of two effects: They either make a screen confusing to look at, or they tend to color a scene and make it more vibrant. Here, I feel like they kind of blend into the background and become weird and wispy and foggy, so you barely notice them. Which is good! They contribute to an atmosphere without obscuring what's going on, and that's a really important quality in a screen. This is another example, like Nathaniel said, of a screen that could have very easily felt cramped but doesn't.
Mudkipz: I love the palette -- it feels totally moody and eerie and fits the screen perfectly. Something that surprises me about this screen is that I keep looking at it and finding little subtle details, like the borders just above the house tiles where the house ends, or how the characters that are inside of the darkness have a creepy shine in their eyes...
I dunno who to vote for. I think I'm leaning towards Mudkipz, just because I love the little touches of detail, and the palette is great, but Jared's is just so excellent design-wise. I'll get back to y'all if I make a decision.