INK

79%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,081 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • 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

79%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,081 reviews
gameplay96 positive mentions
story11 negative mentions
  • Unique gameplay mechanic of revealing platforms by splattering ink adds an interesting twist to the platforming genre.
  • Visually appealing with vibrant colors and a soothing soundtrack that enhances the gaming experience.
  • Challenging levels that provide a sense of accomplishment upon completion, making it engaging for players who enjoy difficult platformers.
  • Controls can feel floaty and imprecise, leading to frustrating deaths that feel unfair rather than skill-based.
  • The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in under two hours, which may not justify the price for some.
  • Lack of an options menu to adjust settings such as volume and resolution, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • gameplay303 mentions

    The gameplay of "ink" is characterized by its unique mechanic of using ink to reveal hidden platforms, creating a visually engaging experience. While the core platforming mechanics are reminiscent of titles like "Super Meat Boy," many players find the gameplay repetitive and the controls imprecise, leading to frustration. Overall, the game offers a short but challenging experience, with a mix of innovative ideas and traditional platforming elements, though it may not fully capitalize on its central mechanic.

    • “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.”
    • “A solid platformer that surprised me with its simple mechanics yielding surprisingly deep gameplay.”
    • “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.”
  • music216 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and ambient qualities, enhancing the overall aesthetic and gameplay experience. Many reviewers appreciate the unique and soothing soundtrack, which complements the colorful visuals and helps to alleviate frustration during challenging levels. However, some players note that the music can become repetitive over time and express a desire for more options 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.”
    • “A beautiful game with an even more magical soundtrack.”
    • “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 is 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.”
  • graphics155 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful, minimalist aesthetic, featuring vibrant colors and simple geometric shapes that enhance the overall experience. While some players appreciate the calming visuals and how they complement the gameplay, others criticize the lack of depth and variety in the graphics, suggesting that the simplistic design may detract from the game's potential. Overall, the art style is seen as a significant draw, contributing to a unique and visually appealing platforming experience.

    • “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.”
  • story26 mentions

    The game "ink" is characterized by a complete absence of story or narrative elements, focusing solely on precision platforming gameplay. Reviewers note that while the concept is fresh and the gameplay can be enjoyable, the lack of characters or plot may leave players seeking a more story-driven experience feeling unsatisfied. Overall, the game prioritizes mechanics over storytelling, resulting in a straightforward but limited experience.

    • “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's not a story to ink.”
    • “There is no story here, just a fun idea made into a short game.”
    • “This game does not have any sort of story.”
  • replayability20 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the challenge of collecting hidden items and achievements, others find it limited due to its short length and simple level design. Many agree that the inclusion of collectibles and achievements adds some replay value, but the lack of additional features like a level editor leaves some wanting more. Despite these drawbacks, the game is generally considered enjoyable enough to warrant multiple playthroughs for completionists.

    • “This game is a blast and has good replay value to it, particularly with the challenges presented by the various achievements.”
    • “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.”
    • “Almost no replayability.”
    • “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.”
  • emotional17 mentions

    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 maintain determination through challenging levels. The unique mechanic of revealing the environment by touching surfaces adds an intriguing layer to the gameplay, though it can lead to moments of luck-based navigation that may heighten tension. Overall, the emotional experience is a blend of challenge and relief, driven by both the game's mechanics and its auditory atmosphere.

    • “I really also 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 need luck, until I figured out the pattern.”
    • “Interesting concept; you have to reveal your surroundings by touching it... very interesting.”
  • atmosphere14 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique visuals and calming, atmospheric music that enhances the overall experience. While the soundtrack is enjoyable and complements the pixel art style, some players noted a desire for more variety across the game's different worlds. Overall, the combination of sound and visuals creates a captivating and slightly eerie ambiance that resonates throughout the gameplay.

    • “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.”
  • grinding13 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly when pursuing difficult achievements and collectibles. While some enjoy the challenge of harder levels, many feel that the novelty of the game's mechanics wears off quickly, leading to a repetitive experience that detracts from overall enjoyment. The need to farm cards and search for invisible collectibles adds to the sense of monotony, making it hard to recommend for those seeking a more engaging gameplay experience.

    • “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.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its colorful and lighthearted approach, contrasting with the darker tones found in other titles. Players frequently express enjoyment and laughter, even in the face of challenges, highlighting the game's ability to evoke a fun and entertaining experience. The quirky enemy interactions and amusing gameplay mechanics contribute to a consistently humorous atmosphere.

    • “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!”
  • stability9 mentions

    The game's stability has been criticized for its numerous bugs and inconsistent mechanics, particularly regarding enemy interactions and platforming controls. Players report issues such as unpredictable character deaths, unreliable solid blocks, and erratic jumping behavior, which detract from the overall experience. While some find the game challenging and enjoyable despite these flaws, many feel that the instability significantly hampers gameplay.

    • “The game is very colorful and beautiful because of its other mechanics, but I personally cannot comprehend so many people loving a game which 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.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting constant stuttering, lag, and crashes due to memory leaks. Performance issues are particularly noticeable when enemies are present, leading to speculation about potential bugs or improper use of hardware. Overall, many users feel the game is unoptimized, even on modern systems, and express surprise at its poor performance given its apparent design choices.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received criticism for being perceived as a cash grab, with some users feeling that it lacks depth and quality, leading to initial frustration and a negative impression.

    • “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.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

61% average critic score

Buy INK

Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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