INK

70%
Game Brain Score Based on 479 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
INK Game Cover
Although you may find other games that could fulfill INK’s purpose, INK’s music, art direction, and spastic gameplay do enough to create a small world of originality that I’d personally like to see a sequel to.
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INK is a fast-paced platformer where you reveal the environment by bumping into it or with paint-shooting double jumps. Dying leaves a paint trail, making it easier to navigate after multiple attempts. The game features 75 levels, challenging bosses, and the ability to jump on enemies to defeat them, providing an intense and exciting gameplay experience.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

70%
Audience ScoreBased on 479 reviews
music72 positive mentions
story7 negative mentions
  • Unique concept of revealing platforms through ink adds a fresh twist to platforming gameplay.
  • Visually appealing with vibrant colors and a soothing soundtrack that enhances the experience.
  • Challenging levels that provide a satisfying sense of accomplishment upon completion.
  • Controls can feel imprecise and slippery, leading to frustration during difficult sections.
  • The game is relatively short, with only about 2-3 hours of gameplay, which may leave players wanting more.
  • Lack of options for adjusting settings such as volume and resolution can detract from the overall experience.
  • music117 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful, calming, and ambient qualities, effectively complementing the colorful visuals and gameplay. While many players appreciate the soundtrack's soothing nature, some note that it can become repetitive over time, and a few express a desire for more volume control options. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant highlight, enhancing the overall experience of the game.

    • “The music is a beautiful and calming electronic ambient soundtrack that fits the game perfectly and never feels repetitive or annoying.”
    • “The music is fantastic, very calming and atmospheric, which certainly helps with keeping your cool while playing.”
    • “The soundtrack is extremely well made and simply beautiful.”
    • “Makes it impossible to talk with my friends or listen to my own music while playing.”
    • “But just plain annoying, the music is also extremely repetitive; I'm glad I'm near the end of this game.”
    • “The music can get a little repetitive after long play sessions, and so far there isn't a menu option to turn it down/off, or to remap the keys.”
  • gameplay113 mentions

    The gameplay of "ink" is characterized by its unique painting mechanic, which allows players to reveal platforms as they progress, creating a visually engaging experience. While the game offers challenging and fast-paced platforming reminiscent of titles like "Super Meat Boy," many players find the controls finicky and the overall experience short, with some mechanics becoming repetitive. Despite its shortcomings, the game is praised for its solid core gameplay, colorful aesthetics, and the introduction of new mechanics throughout, making it a worthwhile challenge for platformer enthusiasts.

    • “This fast-paced platformer has a beautiful art style and fun but challenging gameplay.”
    • “Fun and creative platformer with tough gameplay in later levels for people willing to take on the challenge.”
    • “Ink takes a new and neat concept, mixes it with tried and true gameplay, and never overstays its welcome by introducing interesting challenges on a regular basis.”
    • “The game is too short; there aren't enough gameplay elements to keep you hooked in. The ink gimmick gets old super fast, and the controls are terrible.”
    • “The game simply has some finicky mechanics that increase the requirements of your inputs, making it needlessly difficult to control.”
    • “The mechanics are boring, the levels are small, and movement is so hard and fast that it isn't any fun.”
  • graphics45 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and unique art style, which combines simple geometric shapes with vibrant colors, creating an aesthetically pleasing experience. Players appreciate the smooth performance and the way the visuals enhance the gameplay, particularly through mechanics like painting the environment. While some find the simplicity charming, others feel it can lead to a lack of character and clarity during intense moments.

    • “It runs smooth as butter, the levels are designed impeccably, the enemy hit boxes are fair (even slightly more than fair), and the art style is soothingly beautiful.”
    • “Visually, the game is absolutely beautiful, and that’s very impressive because the graphics are simple geometrical shapes, but the splatter of the ink is what really makes this game look so unique.”
    • “The art style is a joy - splattering the world with ink as you bounce around is very satisfying.”
    • “The graphics aren't amazing, but then again they don't necessarily need to be.”
    • “Loses appeal when played for too long; the art style makes the game seem a little empty at times, and enemies and player icons are just squares.”
    • “The practical use of the featured art style is a novel idea, but somehow the title still lacks a distinctive sense of character - even with all the vivid colors on display.”
  • story12 mentions

    The game "ink" is characterized by a complete absence of story and character development, focusing solely on delivering a pure platforming experience. Reviewers note that while it lacks narrative depth, this is typical for many platformers, which often prioritize gameplay over storytelling. Overall, players seeking a rich narrative will find "ink" lacking, as it embraces an abstract and minimalist approach.

    • “Really, with how many platformers there are these days, it's kinda necessary for them to have something special about them to make them stand out, whether it's story, gameplay, or graphics.”
    • “To describe to you my experience with ink, I must tell you a story.”
    • “This story is about a man named Stanley, who was a fairly normal gamer who lived in apartment 427.”
    • “There is no story here, just a fun idea made into a short game.”
    • “It lacks story and characters, but honestly, all of these sorts of games do, just to varying degrees.”
    • “No story or characters to speak of, but great arcade-like platforming action.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the hidden secrets and collectibles that encourage revisiting levels, others find it limited. The level design is praised, but opinions vary on whether the replay value justifies the experience.

    • “It has excellent level design and a lot of replayability, just like any other puzzle-platformer.”
    • “It adds a layer of replayability despite the small, simple level design.”
    • “There are hidden secrets in some of the levels, which do give you a bit of replay value.”
    • “Almost no replayability.”
    • “Another glaring issue is replay value.”
    • “Limited replayability, but (for me) worth the asking price for sure!”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it consistently entertaining even during challenging moments. Many describe it as a source of laughter, often leading to a mix of amusement and frustration, which enhances the overall enjoyment of the gameplay.

    • “Very funny game.”
    • “Even as I die repeatedly, I'm laughing and having fun.”
    • “Great game, I am laughing and cursing constantly like a madman!”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is consistently calm and peaceful, enhanced by fantastic and fitting music that complements the visuals. However, some players noted a lack of variance in the atmosphere across the three different worlds, expressing a desire for more diversity in both music and environmental design. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its tranquility and aesthetic appeal.

    • “The music is fantastic, very calming and atmospheric, which certainly helps with keeping your cool while playing.”
    • “Great atmosphere and design.”
    • “The world and atmosphere stay the same throughout the game.”
    • “I would have loved to see a little more variance in music and atmosphere between the game's three different worlds.”
    • “The game has a very calm and peaceful atmosphere, like Thomas Was Alone or Proteus.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Users report that the game's stability is compromised by buggy enemy interactions and controls, leading to frustration with unclear mechanics and a lack of control during gameplay.

    • “The enemies felt buggy because it's impossible to tell how they kill you.”
    • “Jumping on enemies feels uncontrollable and buggy.”
    • “The controls can be slightly buggy.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some enjoy the challenge of harder levels and achievement farming, others find the experience tedious and feel that the initial excitement diminishes over time. Overall, the game can be seen as a one-time experience unless players are committed to collecting everything.

    • “While a very pretty game with a cool concept, it becomes needlessly tedious and the awe of ingenuity quickly wanes.”
    • “If you're not collecting everything and achievement farming, it can be a one-and-done game.”
    • “I quite liked it, and enjoyed grinding through the harder levels as well, even if I prefer the puzzlier levels over those with tracking missiles around every corner.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of frustration and intrigue, as players navigate challenging mechanics that require precision in movement and exploration. The unique concept of revealing the environment through interaction adds a layer of engagement, evoking a sense of discovery and accomplishment as players progress through the levels.

    • “The game evokes a deep emotional response as you navigate through each level, transforming a blank room into a vibrant space filled with your actions.”
    • “The concept of revealing your surroundings by interacting with them creates a unique emotional connection to the environment.”
    • “Each jump and interaction feels meaningful, as you paint the world around you, making every moment in the game emotionally impactful.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Users have reported that the game's performance is laggy, which has come as a surprise to many.

    • “The laggy performance is quite shocking.”
    • “The game suffers from severe optimization issues.”
    • “I experienced frequent frame drops that made gameplay frustrating.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

61% average critic score

Buy INK

Play time

3hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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