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.
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.
INK features a unique mechanic where players reveal invisible platforms by splattering ink, adding an interesting layer of exploration to the gameplay.
The game has vibrant visuals and a soothing soundtrack, creating an engaging and colorful atmosphere.
The levels are designed to gradually increase in difficulty, providing a satisfying challenge without feeling unfair.
The controls can feel floaty and imprecise, leading to frustrating moments where players may die due to lack of control rather than skill.
The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in under two hours, which may leave some feeling unsatisfied.
There is no options menu to adjust settings like volume or resolution, which can detract from the overall experience.
gameplay
610 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
65%
3%
The gameplay of "Ink" is characterized by its unique mechanic of using ink to reveal platforms, creating a visually engaging experience that combines elements of traditional platforming with a trial-and-error approach. While the game offers a solid challenge and introduces new mechanics throughout, many players find the core ink mechanic becomes repetitive and can hinder gameplay, leading to frustration with imprecise controls. Overall, it is a short but visually appealing platformer that may appeal to fans of the genre, particularly those who enjoy games like "Super Meat Boy."
“Its minimalist approach, coupled with the visually stunning mechanic of uncovering the level through splashes of color, provides a unique and engaging experience from the get-go.”
“Fun and challenging without being frustrating, fluid gameplay and graphics.”
“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's not enough gameplay elements to keep you hooked in, the ink gimmick gets old super fast and controls are terrible.”
“The problem is that this clashes with the 'find platforms by jumping' gameplay, meaning often you're either standing in place for a while double jumping 'til you can see, or dying because you didn't see where the next platform was.”
“The main premise of the game – jumping or dying releases ink that reveals the level for you – sounds really interesting in theory, but the problem is that it never gets used beyond that; there's no mechanic where the ink actively modifies the level or adds anything worthwhile to the gameplay besides just letting you see where to go in the first place.”
music
433 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
39%
6%
The music in "Ink" is widely praised for its calming and ambient qualities, effectively complementing the game's colorful visuals and gameplay mechanics. Many players appreciate the soothing soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience, although some note that it can become repetitive over time. While the music is generally well-received, a few users express a desire for more variety and the ability to adjust sound settings.
“The music is a beautiful and calming electronic ambient soundtrack that fits the game perfectly and never feels repetitive or annoying.”
“The soundtrack is marvelous as well to this grand experience of a game.”
“The music is fantastic, very calming and atmospheric, which certainly helps with keeping your cool while playing.”
“Ink would be a rather dull game if there wasn't any music to make up for the lack of things to look at.”
“But just plain annoying, the music also is just 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.”
graphics
312 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
50%
3%
The graphics of "ink" are characterized by a minimalist and colorful aesthetic, utilizing simple geometric shapes that create a visually appealing experience. While many players appreciate the unique art style and the way it integrates with gameplay mechanics, some criticize the simplicity as lacking depth and variety. Overall, the visuals are often described as beautiful and calming, enhancing the game's atmosphere despite some concerns about repetitiveness and control issues.
“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, ink is absolutely beautiful and that’s very impressive because the game’s graphics are simple geometrical shapes, but the splatter of the ink is what really makes this game look so unique.”
“The aesthetic and music give it a much more chilled out feeling than Meat Boy, and even though it's very clearly drawing heavily from Meat Boy, it still feels like a unique experience in its own way.”
“Unfortunately, the game doesn't play with the visuals as much as it could have otherwise.”
“❌ Ink is more style over substance, and with these basic graphics, that's saying something.”
“The graphics... if I can call them graphics.”
story
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
52%
42%
The game "ink" is characterized by a complete lack of story or narrative elements, focusing solely on precision platforming gameplay. Players are tasked with navigating levels to reach exits, but there are no characters or plot developments to engage with, making it a straightforward, albeit potentially repetitive, experience. While some reviewers appreciate the gameplay mechanics, they note that the absence of a story limits the game's appeal, especially in a genre where unique narratives can help distinguish titles.
“On his quest, you enter the several gates of hell, plunging further and further into eternal suffering and damnation.”
“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.”
“There is no story here and overall the game doesn’t push its boundaries too far but instead focuses on offering the best platforming experience it can.”
“This game does not have any sort of story.”
replayability
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the hidden collectibles and achievements that encourage multiple playthroughs, others find the replay value limited due to the short length and simplistic level design. Many reviewers noted that the game is enjoyable enough to warrant a second playthrough, especially for completionists, but some expressed a desire for additional features like a level editor to enhance replayability further.
“It has an excellent level design, and a lot of replayability (as any other puzzle-platformer).”
“The levels themselves are simple enough, but the hidden collectibles and hardcore achievements add some replay value.”
“Price is good for the content you get and has a lot of replayability if you want to do all the achievements.”
“Sadly, there is little of the way of replayability outside of collecting hidden 'hearts' which are revealed in much the same way one reveals levels.”
“Not really any replay value, but most definitely worth the play if you aren't the type who gets frustrated at dying over and over.”
“There is some replay value as there's a hidden item in (seemingly) each level, however I would not be inclined to play through again to collect them.”
emotional
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of frustration and calmness; players often feel exasperated by the punishing design choices, such as instant deaths from touching screen edges, yet find solace in the soothing soundtrack that helps them persevere through challenging levels. The unique mechanic of revealing the environment through touch adds an intriguing layer to the gameplay, though it can lead to moments of luck-based navigation that heighten tension. Overall, the emotional experience is a blend of determination and irritation, as players navigate a beautifully crafted but unforgiving world.
“I really enjoyed the soundtrack of the game; it made me feel much more calm and determined when I got frustrated with a level.”
“A room full of color turrets sometimes made me feel like I just needed luck, until I figured out the pattern.”
“Interesting concept, you have to reveal your surroundings by touching it... very interesting.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
39%
11%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique visuals and calming, atmospheric music that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers note that the combination of charming pixel art and a soothing soundtrack creates a tranquil yet slightly eerie vibe, although some express a desire for more musical variety across different worlds. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as immersive and effective in maintaining player engagement.
“The visuals work wonders for it, and the soundtrack is nice and atmospheric, not stealing from the general focus of the game.”
“The music is fantastic, very calming and atmospheric, which certainly helps with keeping your cool while playing.”
“The atmosphere feels great, even if it has a slightly creepy vibe.”
“For example, some mechanics are nothing more than ‘time everything perfectly’, which in any other game would be fine, but it really doesn’t fit the atmosphere of this game.”
“The world and atmosphere stays 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.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly when pursuing difficult achievements and collecting invisible items. While some enjoy the challenge of harder levels, many feel that the novelty of the ink mechanic wears off quickly, leading to a repetitive experience that detracts from overall enjoyment. The game is often described as a one-and-done experience unless players are committed to extensive grinding for completion.
“More than halfway through all the levels, the game feels tedious and not particularly fun.”
“While a very pretty game with a cool concept, it becomes needlessly tedious and the awe of ingenuity quickly wanes.”
“I can't imagine the developer actually enjoys playing those levels, but he left them in because they can be considered difficult when in reality they are just tedious.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as colorful and light-hearted, contrasting with the darker tones of other titles. Players find themselves laughing even during challenging moments, with amusing enemy hitboxes and a playful atmosphere that keeps the experience enjoyable. Overall, the game is consistently noted for its fun and comedic elements, making it a delightful platforming experience.
“Those other games tend to be a bit more grim or use dark humor, but Ink puts a more colorful spin on this idea.”
“Even as I die repeatedly, I'm laughing and having fun.”
“Great game, I am laughing and cursing constantly like a madman!”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs affecting enemy interactions, platforming mechanics, and control responsiveness. Many find the inconsistent behavior of solid blocks and the unpredictability of character actions frustrating, leading to a gameplay experience that feels punishing and often uncontrollable. While some acknowledge that these issues add a layer of challenge, the overall sentiment leans towards dissatisfaction with the game's stability.
“The game is very colorful and beautiful because of its other mechanics, but I personally cannot comprehend how so many people love a game that punishes you constantly for dying whenever you have no control over your character. The solid blocks are only sometimes solid, and the objectives are buggy at best.”
“For a game selling itself based only on the looks, everything else is either too loud (music), buggy (controls/mechanics), or just not fun/dissatisfying (gameplay). It's so pixelated that the later levels don't even look good.”
“The platforming can be a bit buggy, like doing a double jump when you have not left the ground.”
optimization
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
65%
21%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting constant stuttering, lag, and crashes due to memory leaks, even on modern hardware. Many users suspect that the game is not utilizing their dedicated graphics cards properly and may have been developed with an outdated frame rate in mind, leading to significant performance issues during gameplay.
“I can't imagine that this game would have performance problems running on most machines at 60 fps, so it feels like the developer started building the game with GameMaker's default tick rate, which is 30 fps, which is kind of bizarre.”
“Such laggy performance is a bit of a shock.”
“Game had constant stuttering and lag, and crashed twice from memory leaks.”
“Performance issues when there are enemies on the screen; could be a bug - is the game using my integrated graphics card?”
“Seemingly unoptimized even on modern hardware.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, leading some players to initially consider quitting due to its lack of a proper menu and overall presentation.
“I almost quit on it originally because I received it in a bundle and assumed it was another garbage cash grab.”
“It doesn't have a menu and is an obvious cash grab.”