Inkbound is a new tactical roguelike that takes players on runs through different books, where they'll attempt to defeat the villains who are causing the ink to fade on all the world's stories. The game is being developed and published by Shiny Shoe, which previously created the critically-acclaimed deckbuilder Monster Train. Screen Rant was provided with an early build of the title to get a better idea of what Inkbound has in store for players.
In Inkbound, players assume the role of a Needless, and along with their bounded Kwill will venture into the Sea of Ink to track down the villains that are causing the stories of the Atheneum to fade. This Atheneum - which houses every book ever made - serves as the game's hub, where players will embark on ranked or unranked runs either by themselves or with up to three other Needless via an online co-op system. These runs will take them across three books of their choosing, ending with a villain encounter as the final boss.
The Atheneum houses many characters in Inkbound, all of which will offer the player unique quests with varying rewards. Some of these requests come from the Inkbound himself, the mysterious chosen hero who never exits his study. It's also where players will choose their Aspect - Inkbound's term for classes - each of which comes with special mechanics. Three are unlocked at the start of the game: Magma Miner, which focuses on stacking a damaging status called heat, Mosscloak, a class similar to Slay the Spire's Silent with a focus on shuriken and poison, and Weaver, who attach threads to enemies for unique combos.
After completing certain quests in Inkbound, players can unlock two more Aspects, Clairvoyant, which centers around a mechanic of specialized orbs, and Obelisk, which uses a mechanic called crush. Regardless of Aspect, all players will start a run with three moves - called Bindings - and over the course of a run will be able to augment or ascend them, which improves things like range and damage. Vestiges can also be found or bought over the course of a run, which are similar to Monster Train's Artifacts, adding specific bonuses within combat such as gaining Shield or currency upon slaying an enemy.
Combat in Inkbound is much different than Monster Train, allowing players to move freely throughout the battle. Both movement and Bindings cost Will, which fighters have a finite amount of each turn. The Needless will aim most of their attacks similarly to MOBA skill shots, and can also deal ive damage by stacking status effects like frost or shock. Players can make things easier with potions they've picked up, and before battle can also eat fish that grant special boons. Will must be managed carefully, with a turn ideally ending outside the range of enemy attacks and the damaging ink slowly filling the area.
Alongside various quest rewards, players will earn SP throughout their Inkbound journey for completing various milestones, such as defeating a certain amount of enemies. SP is used in the game's store to purchase character cosmetics and emotes to use during online play, and extra unlockables can be accessed by purchasing a season . It should be noted that even on solo runs, Inkbound requires players to be connected to the internet, possibly to keep SP amounts up to date.
It's clear that Shiny Shoe has grown in the three years since Monster Train's release, with Inkbound showing influence from the deckbuilder's strategic focus and fantasy world building while still managing to feel like a fresh experience. The game's tactical style, immense amount of unlockables, and co-op capabilities open up a whole host of possibilities where every run will have new challenges and synergies. Players will get to experience the Sea of Ink for themselves when Inkbound releases in early access later this month.
Source: Shiny Shoe/YouTube
Inkbound will release in early access on Steam May 22. Screen Rant was provided with a Steam code for the purpose of this preview.
