INK

About INK

INK is a single player and multiplayer arcade platformer game. It was developed by zackbellgames and was released on August 5, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

INK is a fast-paced platformer about using colorful paint to uncover your surroundings. Defeat all enemies in the room and reach the goal! However, the terrain is invisible, so you need to discover the terrain by physically bumping into it, by performing a double jump or by, well, dying.

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79%Audience ScoreBased on 1,081 reviews

gameplay99 positive mentions

story12 negative mentions

Unique and innovative gameplay mechanic of revealing platforms by splattering ink.
Challenging levels that provide a satisfying sense of accomplishment upon completion.
Colorful visuals and a soothing soundtrack enhance the overall experience.

Controls can feel floaty and imprecise, leading to frustrating deaths.
Game is relatively short, with only 75 levels that can be completed in a few hours.
No options menu to adjust settings like volume or resolution.

gameplay
304 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33% positive mentions, 64% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions
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 precision platforming reminiscent of "Super Meat Boy." While many players appreciate the challenge and aesthetic appeal, some criticize the repetitiveness and limitations of the ink mechanic, which can lead to frustration due to imprecise controls and a reliance on trial and error. Overall, the game offers a solid yet short platforming experience that may appeal to fans of the genre, though it may not satisfy those seeking deeper gameplay complexity.
- “Challenging, but fun precision-platformer with a coloring mechanic that brings something new to the genre.”
- “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.”
- “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 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.”
- “Frankly, the mechanics were pretty much exhausted by the end of the game, and the central mechanic of revealing the levels as you went through them with ink just didn’t lend itself to certain sorts of complicated puzzles.”
music
217 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55% positive mentions, 39% neutral mentions, 6% negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and ambient qualities, effectively complementing the colorful visuals and gameplay. Many players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to enhance the overall experience, providing a soothing backdrop that helps mitigate frustration during challenging moments. However, some users note that the music can become repetitive over time, and a few 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, minimalist platformer with excellent music and ambience.”
- “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.”
- “The music is repetitive.”
- “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
153 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48% positive mentions, 49% neutral mentions, 3% negative mentions
The graphics of "ink" are widely praised for their colorful and minimalist aesthetic, which effectively enhances the gameplay experience. While many reviewers appreciate the unique art style and the way it integrates with the mechanics, some criticize the simplicity and repetitiveness of the visuals, suggesting that they could have been more innovative. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as charming and enjoyable, contributing positively to its appeal despite some concerns about control and gameplay mechanics.
- “It runs smooth as butter, the levels are designed impeccably, the enemy hit boxes are 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 graphics are simple but oddly enjoyable, and the visuals are colorful and also simple, which works in the game's favor.”
- “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.”
- “There is not much in the way of graphics, just simple squares and circles with brilliant neon colors.”
story
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11% positive mentions, 45% neutral mentions, 44% negative mentions
The game is criticized for its lack of story depth, with multiple reviews noting that it is a precision platformer devoid of any narrative or character development. While some players appreciate the focus on gameplay, they express a desire for a more engaging storyline to enhance the experience. Overall, the consensus is that the game prioritizes mechanics over storytelling, resulting in a minimalistic approach that may not appeal to those seeking a rich narrative.
- “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.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20% positive mentions, 65% neutral mentions, 15% negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the challenge of collecting achievements and hidden items, others find the experience limited due to short gameplay and design flaws. Many reviews highlight that the level design and collectibles can enhance replay value, but the lack of additional content, such as a level editor, leaves some players wanting more. Despite these criticisms, 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.”
- “It has excellent level design, and a lot of replayability, as any other puzzle-platformer.”
- “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.”
emotional
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of frustration and calmness; players often feel frustrated by the punishing design choices, such as instant death 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 exasperation when players struggle with slippery landings and the need for precision. Overall, the emotional experience is a blend of tension and satisfaction as players navigate through the game's artistic challenges.
- “I really enjoyed the soundtrack of the game; it made me feel much more calm and determined when I got frustrated with a level.”
- “Interesting concept: you have to reveal your surroundings by touching them... very intriguing.”
- “You start off every level in a blank room and paint the room via double jumping, slaying enemies, and touching walls, which is very similar to Super Meat Boy's blood trail.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50% positive mentions, 29% neutral mentions, 21% negative 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 art is very unique (wonderfully pixel-y and rainbow in a charming way), and the music adds to the atmospheric effect.”
- “The music is fantastic, very calming and atmospheric, which certainly helps with keeping your cool while playing.”
- “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
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative 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 gameplay becomes repetitive and lacks enjoyment as it progresses, with the ink mechanic and invisible collectibles contributing to the overall sense of tedium. Despite its appealing visuals and music, the grinding experience detracts from the game's potential fun.
- “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
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its colorful and lighthearted approach, contrasting with the darker tones of other titles. Players frequently find themselves laughing, even during challenging moments, thanks to amusing enemy interactions and quirky gameplay elements. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with engaging mechanics, creating a fun and entertaining 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
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions
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 both challenging and unfair. While some players acknowledge that these issues require patience, the overall sentiment leans towards disappointment in the game's stability.
- “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.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29% positive mentions, 28% neutral mentions, 43% negative 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 improper use of hardware resources. Overall, many feel the game is unoptimized, struggling to maintain a smooth frame rate even on modern systems.
- “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
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative 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 features, such as a proper menu, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “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.”