Bendy and the Ink Machine

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 8,148 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Bendy and the Ink Machine Game Cover
Bendy and the Ink Machine is an easy recommend to anyone looking for a clever and visually unique little puzzler with some pretty dang fun chase sequences and combat scenarios liberally sprinkled throughout.
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"Bendy and the Ink Machine" is a first-person puzzle-action horror game. You play as Henry, a retired animator returning to his old studio, where he encounters creepy cartoon characters brought to life by the ink machine. The game is divided into five chapters, each with unique challenges and chilling discoveries about the studio's past.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 8,148 reviews
story906 positive mentions
stability193 negative mentions
  • story1,822 mentions

    The story of "Bendy and the Ink Machine" is often praised for its intriguing and unique narrative, which combines elements of horror with a nostalgic cartoon aesthetic. Players appreciate the depth of the lore and the gradual unfolding of the plot, although some criticize the reliance on fetch quests and the sometimes convoluted storytelling that can detract from the overall experience. While the game excels in atmosphere and character design, opinions vary on the execution of the story, particularly in the later chapters, where some feel it loses focus and coherence.

    • “The storytelling in Bendy and the Ink Machine is expertly crafted, with a plot that unfolds gradually, keeping players engaged and eager to discover the secrets hidden within the studio's walls.”
    • “The story is wonderful, the puzzles are so interesting, and the overall feeling of the game is fantastic.”
    • “Developed by Joey Drew Studios, this indie gem takes players on a twisted journey through the eerie hallways of an abandoned animation studio, unraveling a mysterious plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
    • “The story is very underwhelming and messy.”
    • “The story and game world are vague and uninteresting, the quests are repetitive and boring, and the level design is not well thought out.”
    • “The fetch quests are tedious and only exist to waste time.”
  • graphics1,046 mentions

    The graphics of "Bendy and the Ink Machine" are widely praised for their unique and nostalgic art style, reminiscent of early 20th-century cartoons, which effectively creates an eerie atmosphere. Many players appreciate the stunning visuals and character designs, noting that the game's aesthetic is a significant draw, despite some technical issues and bugs that can detract from the experience. Overall, the combination of captivating graphics and a compelling story makes it a standout title in the indie horror genre.

    • “The visuals of this game are stunning, everything from the character’s designs to the map are top notch.”
    • “The art style is very unique, you don't see sketchy-realism too often.”
    • “The graphics are clever enough but graphics do not make a game.”
    • “Graphics are terrible, I thought it would be like some cartoonish animation, but instead it is very poorly animated 3D, everything is dimly lit, flickering, and washed out.”
    • “The graphics become boring very quickly, the combat system is clunky, and the story stops making any sense whatsoever right from the start, even for a surreal game like this.”
    • “The devs appear to be so enraptured with their graphics that they forgot to include many of the other things that make up a game.”
  • gameplay724 mentions

    The gameplay of "Bendy and the Ink Machine" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and repetitiveness, often revolving around fetch quests and basic combat mechanics. While some appreciate the unique art style and atmosphere, others criticize the gameplay for being tedious and lacking depth, particularly in the earlier chapters. Overall, the game is seen as more focused on its narrative and aesthetic rather than delivering engaging gameplay, leading to a divide among players regarding its overall enjoyment.

    • “Fun gameplay, awesome graphics, and some great boss fights.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, Bendy and the Ink Machine offers a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and suspenseful encounters with the game's ink-based monsters.”
    • “Its unique art style, compelling narrative, and well-executed gameplay make it a must-play for fans of horror and those seeking a fresh take on the fusion of gaming and animation history.”
    • “The gameplay is boring and uninspired.”
    • “The gameplay is abhorrent.”
    • “The gameplay itself (unfortunately) often feels like an afterthought.”
  • atmosphere349 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Bendy and the Ink Machine" is widely praised for its unique blend of eerie visuals, haunting sound design, and nostalgic cartoon aesthetics, creating a captivating and immersive experience. Many players appreciate the game's ability to build tension and suspense through its art style and ambient sounds, although some note that the atmosphere can diminish in later chapters due to repetitive gameplay and confusing story elements. Overall, the game's atmospheric qualities are considered its strongest feature, making it a standout in the horror genre.

    • “The atmosphere and sound is fire.”
    • “The use of ink as a central theme adds a layer of intrigue and eeriness to the overall atmosphere, making every corner of the studio feel both nostalgic and foreboding.”
    • “The combination of the eerie art style, haunting soundtrack, and ambient sound effects effectively creates an atmosphere that envelops players in a sense of dread and wonder.”
    • “It sucks all the atmosphere out of the game when you do.”
    • “The horror atmosphere had me in the beginning, but lost me super quickly after that.”
    • “Well... after the 1st half of the 2nd chapter all of that mystery and atmosphere starts fading away... and just keeps fading away to the point where the game becomes not scary at all.”
  • music225 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and eerie qualities, effectively enhancing the horror experience with a nostalgic, vintage style reminiscent of 1930s cartoons. While many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to create tension and immersion, some express frustration with specific music puzzles and the overall memorability of the tracks. Overall, the combination of sound design and music contributes significantly to the game's unique aesthetic and emotional impact.

    • “The combination of the eerie art style, haunting soundtrack, and ambient sound effects effectively creates an atmosphere that envelops players in a sense of dread and wonder.”
    • “The music and sound design are excellent.”
    • “The overall gameplay, atmosphere, and music is a 10/10, no questions asked.”
    • “Chapter 1 was great, but I can't get past that stupid music puzzle in chapter 2.”
    • “The voice acting is incredibly dry, the music is very cliché, and the environments aren’t engaging.”
    • “But contrary to my initial thoughts, there is basically no notable music to speak of, and the game itself is sort of clunky and feels bad to play (for the wrong reasons).”
  • stability198 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous players reporting persistent bugs and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay, particularly with the save system. Many users experienced game-breaking issues, such as lost progress and softlocks, leading to frustration and repeated restarts. While some players noted a smooth experience, the overall consensus is that the game remains a "buggy mess," detracting from its otherwise enjoyable aspects.

    • “Very smooth and no glitches throughout the game.”
    • “Runs great on deck, by the way.”
    • “It was quite bug-free for me.”
    • “Please do not buy this, it is a buggy unfinished mess of a game.”
    • “I want to say good things about this game but the amount of times I've had to restart the whole game because of a softlock and the game not saving properly is infuriating, the game is an absolute buggy mess and damn near unplayable.”
    • “The game is a buggy mess.”
  • grinding112 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overwhelmingly tedious, primarily due to repetitive fetch quests and simplistic combat mechanics that detract from the overall experience. Many reviews highlight that while the initial gameplay can be engaging, it quickly devolves into monotonous tasks and backtracking, leading to frustration and a loss of immersion. Despite some redeeming qualities in story and aesthetics, the tedious nature of the gameplay significantly impacts player enjoyment.

    • “No tedious stealth or hiding from a monster - they left out all the boring parts and kept only the good stuff.”
    • “The environments are small enough where it's not too tedious to go back and forth, but then you have the combat.”
    • “It's not all too scary, but the artwork was fun and the little missions weren't too tedious.”
    • “After an engaging start, the game ruined my enthusiasm by making me do 4 tedious fetch quests back-to-back.”
    • “The tasks are mostly tedious busywork.”
    • “Everything you do in this game is absolutely tedious and goes on for way too long, whether it's circling a maze for an hour to find one item you just can't seem to find.”
  • humor63 mentions

    The humor in the game is often described as a blend of dark and lighthearted elements, with players finding amusement in the quirky characters, funny dialogue, and unexpected moments that lighten the horror atmosphere. Many reviews highlight the comedic aspects of the ink monsters and the absurdity of certain gameplay mechanics, which can lead to laughter rather than fear. Overall, the game successfully balances its scary moments with humor, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate a mix of thrills and laughs.

    • “This chapter manages to balance its tense and scary moments with a few well-placed humorous ones in a way that doesn't feel like tonal whiplash.”
    • “The parts that were supposed to be scary made me laugh.”
    • “No moments ever shocked me or actually made me feel dread and more often than not, I was actually laughing at all the generic horror tropes that appear throughout from the ambiguous and edgy writing scrawled on the walls to the conveniently placed lockers that instantly cause your pursuer to just turn around and leave.”
  • replayability57 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its hidden collectibles and multiple endings that encourage exploration and achievement hunting. However, many reviewers note that once the story is known, the incentive to replay diminishes significantly, leading to a consensus that while there are elements that can enhance replay value, overall it may not be compelling enough for repeated playthroughs.

    • “The replay value is high, as there are hidden collectibles and secrets to discover, encouraging multiple playthroughs.”
    • “This game is so full of secrets that it offers a ton of replayability to find everything.”
    • “On the bright side, I thought the story was wonderful, I finally beat the game and got that ending, and man the replay value is off the charts because you go through the game with a way to detect secret words in ink that you couldn't see the first time.”
    • “I don't know what makes the game's replayability bad, but I do have an idea, which is the fact that once you beat the game, there is no incentive to go back into the game unless you're trying to get all the achievements or if you're going back with that 'machine' that allows you to see all the hidden ink messages on the walls, but other than that it isn't really that fun to replay the game.”
    • “Looking back, I see slow movement and it's sort of a one-time thing; once you know the story, nothing else is there to keep the replay value.”
    • “Unfortunately, the total length is surprisingly short, concluded by a strangely sudden ending and leaves little to no incentive for replay value.”
  • character development56 mentions

    The character development in the game is highlighted by its unique and visually striking character designs, which blend charming and menacing elements reminiscent of classic cartoons. While many players appreciate the aesthetic and creativity behind the characters, some express disappointment in the lack of deeper narrative and character growth, suggesting that the game could benefit from more compelling storytelling. Overall, the character design is frequently praised as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and appeal.

    • “The character designs are both charming and menacing, as iconic cartoon characters take on a more macabre appearance.”
    • “Bendy and the Ink Machine may be one of my favorite games, from its story to its beautiful hand-drawn-like world and its character design.”
    • “Shocking character development, especially from such a small studio.”
    • “Well it is (or at least can be for some people) the situations can be very tense almost like something is breathing down your neck and the character design can be really freaky.”
    • “The voice acting is fascinating, the character design is terrifying and the landscape lends itself very well to being in a horror game.”
  • optimization35 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players experiencing stuttering, frame rate drops, and performance issues even on capable hardware. While some users report smooth performance, others highlight severe lag and bugs, particularly in specific chapters and during certain gameplay segments. Overall, the consensus indicates that the game is poorly optimized, leading to frustrating experiences for many players.

    • “Performance-wise, flawless, no hitching or the like.”
    • “Honestly just an awesome game, graphics are amazing, many options for optimizing graphics and performance.”
    • “Everything worked perfectly, the game runs smoothly.”
    • “Optimization is also an issue; I have a medium spec PC and can only hit just 110 FPS in a low poly, cartoony styled game. Even then, the crosshair has some interpolation issues, making it look like mouse movement is locked to 30 FPS, while straight walking without crosshair rotation is fine.”
    • “Chapter 4, while showing a cooler side of gameplay and story direction, made me experience many performance and saving issues. I even had to restart most of the chapter due to a save glitch.”
    • “Bendy and the Ink Machine has plenty going for it as a new horror installment on Nintendo Switch, such as the way it builds a growing sense of dread and despair throughout its five chapters while using an animation style that’s meant to evoke the safety and joy of childhood memories. However, it’s let down by some irritating design decisions and frustrating performance issues.”
  • emotional26 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game elicits mixed responses from players, with some finding it nostalgic and heartwarming, while others feel it lacks depth and emotional investment. Many appreciate the atmosphere and music, which create tension, but criticize the slow movement and gameplay mechanics that detract from immersion. Overall, while there are moments of emotional resonance, many players report feeling underwhelmed or disconnected from the characters and story.

    • “The whole atmosphere of the game made me feel more submerged into it.”
    • “This game brings a lot of nostalgia for me personally, not enough to be emotional but it just had that feeling, you know?”
    • “This is clearly a really thought-out game from inside and out, with a really heartwarming story and a colorful cast of characters with amazing gameplay and chemistry between the characters.”
    • “What a waste of time; such a boring story.”
    • “Boring story and gameplay.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization of the game is criticized as exploitative, with many reviewers labeling it a cash grab that relies on nostalgia rather than delivering quality gameplay. Users express disappointment in the game's reliance on ads and suggest that it fails to provide a worthwhile experience, recommending alternative titles instead.

    • “Is it a horror game or a cash grab for kids who got bored of FNAF?”
    • “This game sucks, it's literally used as a cash grab similar to the Banana Splits movie based on nostalgia of an old time period. The game is super boring, and if you want a good horror game, play Resident Evil or The Last of Us. In terms of indie games, play something else like Cuphead; this game is not worth anyone's money.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

Buy Bendy and the Ink Machine

Play time

6hMedian play time
239hAverage play time
5hMain story
14hCompletionist
4-200hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs

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