Inkshade

About

Inkshade is a single player role playing game with horror and mystery themes. It was developed by Studio Vezelle and was released on August 14, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Inkshade is a single-player horror turn-based strategy game where you command a crew in a mysterious board game, aiming to conquer a continent and sail into cursed skies. With a gripping plot, atmospheric world, and fantastic visuals paired with a phenomenal soundtrack, each run offers unique challenges requiring strategy, tactics, and persistence. Recruit fallen foes, solve puzzles, and upgrade your pieces to ultimately defeat the enigmatic game master.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 517 reviews

gameplay78 positive mentions

grinding34 negative mentions

The game features a dark and immersive atmosphere, reminiscent of Inscryption, with excellent sound design and visuals.
The gameplay loop is engaging, combining tactical combat with exploration and puzzle-solving elements, providing a satisfying progression system.
The character design and unique units add variety to the gameplay, allowing for strategic planning and decision-making.

The game can feel grindy, especially in the early stages, as players must upgrade units significantly to progress, which may lead to repetitive gameplay.
The darkness in certain areas can hinder visibility, making it difficult to spot important items or enemies, which can be frustrating.
The story and character development may feel shallow or predictable, lacking the depth that some players might expect from a narrative-driven game.

gameplay
199 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many praising its strategic turn-based mechanics and engaging atmosphere, often drawing comparisons to games like "Inscryption." However, several players noted that the core gameplay loop can become repetitive and lacks depth, leading to a sense of boredom over time. While the tactical elements and puzzle-solving aspects are appreciated, issues with AI behavior and difficulty balancing detract from the overall experience for some players.
- “The gameplay is fun, easy to learn, and is insanely satisfying to find the right tactics per unit.”
- “The unit upgrade system and all the different pieces make for an addictive gameplay loop that rewards true tacticians who exploit every location on the board.”
- “The gameplay is engaging and nuanced, with puzzles that do very well to get your brain working, and enough mystery and lore to keep the intrigue high.”
- “The gameplay is where it falls, and the gameplay is most of it unfortunately... enemies in general are way too overtuned, the balancing is a joke, and a tactical gameplay that gets boring really quickly after facing the same exact stages again and again without any payoff.”
- “I genuinely tried to enjoy the game because its visuals and design are great and clearly a lot of work went into the atmosphere and delivery, however the gameplay is just poorly thought out and it's simply boring.”
- “The core gameplay loop goes from frustratingly impossible to trivially easy very suddenly, with very little sense of progression in between.”
atmosphere
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
35%
3%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, immersive qualities, with many reviewers noting its captivating visuals, sound design, and a sense of mystery that enhances exploration. While some players find the gameplay lacking or tedious, the overall ambiance is described as enchanting and reminiscent of titles like "Inscryption," successfully creating a unique and engaging experience. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics, the atmospheric elements are consistently highlighted as a standout feature that enriches the gaming experience.
- “The atmosphere was foreboding and dreadful in a delightful way.”
- “The atmosphere is impeccable, and the puzzles offer a good break from the main gameplay cycle.”
- “The visuals and sound design establish a delightfully creepy atmosphere that makes me more eager to explore with every room that's unlocked.”
- “I understand the devs want to set a certain atmosphere, but some parts of the game require me to screenshot, alt-tab out, and then paste into image manipulation so I can actually see what's going on.”
- “It really wants to be Inscryption, and gives a decent try at it, but it just doesn't match up in terms of atmosphere, complexity of gameplay, or replayability value.”
- “No, I love the atmosphere and creep factor, but it was so dark and the darkness was weirdly shiny and reflective?”
story
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
58%
3%
The game's story, while inspired by "Inscryption," is praised for its unique identity and engaging narrative that unfolds through exploration and puzzles. Players appreciate the atmospheric setting and the balance between strategy and storytelling, although some express a desire for deeper plot development and a more satisfying conclusion. Overall, the story is described as captivating and enjoyable, with a mix of eerie vibes and intriguing lore, making it a worthwhile experience despite some criticisms of its depth and pacing.
- “An amazing gem that has a creepy/mysterious vibe throughout the whole game; the story is interesting without needing to go too in-depth, and by the end, most loose ends should be tied up without needing to delve too deep into anything to try to make sense of things.”
- “The story is great, the puzzles are great, and the ending sequence made me forget all about my issues I had with the game for a brief moment.”
- “The story, while straightforward, is still exceedingly captivating.”
- “The story felt shallow.”
- “Where it disappointed me most was the story and ending.”
- “There was plenty of opportunity to subvert expectations but I felt like I knew what was coming the whole story through.”
graphics
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
40%
5%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning visuals and unique art style, which effectively create an immersive atmosphere. Many players appreciate the charming aesthetics, including the dark and eerie environments, as well as the intricate design of game elements like wooden pieces. However, some users noted performance issues and readability challenges, particularly in darker settings, which detracted from the overall experience.
- “This game is absolutely stunning in the visuals, story, and game design.”
- “The art style is also unique with the hand-carved game pieces and dark eldritch environments.”
- “The atmosphere and visuals are very well made, paired with the sound design making for an experience which is easy to get lost in.”
- “For an indie game with simplistic 3D graphics, you'd think that it would run smoothly, but I had to lower the graphic settings and the performance was still subpar.”
- “The aesthetics are fascinating, puzzles are clever (though admittedly not terribly difficult), and the strategy gameplay was fun through the whole romp.”
- “But it seems many forget that there's a lot more to a game than aesthetics.”
grinding
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
97%
The reviews highlight that the game features a significant amount of grinding, particularly in the early stages, where players often feel stuck and under-rewarded for their efforts. Many users find the progression system tedious and slow, with a focus on grinding for upgrades rather than strategic gameplay. While some appreciate the challenge and eventual pacing improvements, the overall sentiment leans towards the grinding aspect being overly punishing and detracting from the enjoyment of the game.
- “Meta-progression is necessary but not tedious since you have such a variety of units you can try out and tinker with strategies; with good strategy, you shouldn't find yourself struggling too much for scrip.”
- “The grinding in this game feels rewarding because every session brings new opportunities to experiment with different units and strategies.”
- “I appreciate how the grind is balanced; it encourages exploration and experimentation without feeling like a chore.”
- “The only big criticism I have is that the early game is very slow and grindy to get enough currency to upgrade your units enough to get past the early levels, especially since the game master upgrades his pieces as you upgrade yours.”
- “It was impossible to advance past the first couple of fights without upgrading your units a lot, which made it feel very grindy for very little reward.”
- “Early game is brutally grindy and stonewalls you until you essentially pass a script check, there's far too many useless and redundant units to act as newbie script sinks.”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
31%
9%
The music and sound design in the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting the atmospheric soundtrack and immersive sound effects that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the creativity and emotional depth conveyed through the music, particularly noting standout tracks like the boss theme and the ending song. The combination of stunning visuals and captivating audio creates a unique and engaging atmosphere that significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
- “The soundtrack is incredible; I find the little sounds the wooden pieces make (especially the 'bonk' when they hit each other) to be really fun and sometimes creepy, and I love all the dark and somber visuals.”
- “The atmosphere is absolutely immersive; the sound design and music are enchanting, and the narrator's dialogue and presence are wonderfully executed.”
- “A unique and highly enjoyable experience with excellent sound design, music, and visuals.”
- “The soundtrack is ASMR and the atmosphere is enchanting.”
- “Dripping in atmosphere, and the soundtrack adds so much to it.”
- “The atmosphere, the music, sound design.”
replayability
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
68%
12%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its limited replayability, with many reviewers noting that it lacks the depth and complexity found in other titles like Inscryption. While some players enjoyed the initial experience, they felt that once completed, there was little incentive to replay, aside from potentially starting new save files or pursuing achievements. Suggestions for improvement included the addition of new game modes or difficulty settings to enhance replay value.
- “Finally, it has tons of replayability.”
- “It is well worth the price and has near infinite replayability as each encounter goes as well as the captain chooses.”
- “Game has lots of challenge modes for replayability (meaning the main game/story isn't bloated or grindy just for the sake of it).”
- “It really wants to be Inscryption, and gives a decent try at it, but it just doesn't match up in terms of atmosphere, complexity of gameplay, or replayability value.”
- “Now to the cons, there is no replayability unless you get creative.”
- “That said, I completely finished the game in only 11 hours and it really doesn't have any replayability.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization is notably poor, requiring high-end hardware to achieve playable frame rates, even with reduced graphics settings. Players have reported significant performance issues, particularly during boss encounters, where frame rate dips are common despite the game's simplistic 3D graphics. Overall, it is clear that the game needs substantial performance optimizations.
- “For an indie game with simplistic 3D graphics, you'd think that it would run smoothly, but I had to lower the graphic settings and the performance was still subpar.”
- “I will say that the game might need some performance optimizations, especially around the boss encounters, as I noticed some slight dips in FPS and overall performance in those areas due to the amount of elements present.”
- “Optimization: you're going to need a really powerful machine; with a 4060 Ti, I often got around 20-30 FPS with low shadows.”
- “Optimization: you're going to need a really powerful machine (with a 4060 Ti, I often got around 20-30 fps with low shadows).”
- “The game might need some performance optimizations, especially around the boss encounters, as I noticed some slight dips in fps and overall performance in those areas due to the amount of elements present.”
- “The game might need some performance optimizations, especially around the boss encounters, as I noticed some slight dips in fps and overall performance in those areas due to the amount of elements present.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a mix of frustration and humor, as players express feelings of annoyance and emotional damage from their interactions. Despite the lack of meaningful choices or rewards, the game's design elicits strong reactions, making the experience memorable.
- “10/10 emotional damage.”
- “Storyteller took one look at me, smacked me out of the game for touching too much.”
- “10/10 would annoy the abyssal creature by touching everything again.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending moments of laughter with unsettling surprises, often simultaneously. The dialogue, particularly with the quirky trinkets and the engaging game master, adds a layer of comedic charm that enhances the overall experience.
- “It keeps repeat runs feeling fresh, and there were several moments that both made me laugh and freaked me out, sometimes at the same time.”
- “He also has a lot of dialogue with many of the trinkets of the location itself, but can be funny at times as he doesn't like his stuff getting touched.”
- “The GM is such a character and his interactions are quite funny and interesting.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the character development for its impressive design, highlighting the unique and striking aesthetics of the small wooden game pieces that represent each unit.
- “The game features great character design.”
- “I love the designs of each unit; they're little wooden game pieces that have strikingly good character design for being so small.”