Inkslinger Reviews

I'm a sucker for typing games and have played just about all the ones Steam has to offer. This one, like Epistory, has a diagetic reason for you to be typing -- in Epistory it's because you're using words to re-create the world after a disaster, while here it's because you are a supernatural creature who brings people's wishes to life by writing letters for them. I love the mechanic, simple as it is, and the worldbuilding is evocative and fantasy-Victorian in the way of the Fallen London / Sunless games. I also love the way that you slowly build up an understanding of your clients and of the plot as you play through the narrative. The game had its flaws. The cutscenes are very slow and unskippable, and you have to sit through them numerous times if you're trying for multiple endings. There is some ESL weirdness in a few of the vocabulary choices, which matters a lot because the words you choose decide whether you "succeed" or "fail" at writing a letter (though the results are interesting either way). And finally, the [spoiler]scansion[/spoiler] with the [spoiler]poetry client[/spoiler] is pretty bad, which made a very creative chapter of the game kind of cringe to read. Finally, a trigger warning: [spoiler]The game does warn that there are references to violence but it is important to note that a major plot point is sexual violence.[/spoiler] I bought this game for a dollar during the summer sale and I'm glad I did; it's a creative take on both the typing genre and the pseudo-Victorian aesthetic. But it's definitely not for everyone, and its flaws detract from the experience more than I would have hoped.

Wow, pretty interesting visual novel! I just had a quick playthrough after buying this on sale for 49¢ and not expecting much, but this one is good! Will definitely play this through.

Absolutely loved this game. But it's not for everyone. If you're intrigued by the art of writing, language, and nuance then this could be a great experience for you. It is very difficult to express meaning through words. The art of the written word to convey meaning is almost a lost art. This game picks up that art and makes it a journey. Where does it end? It will depend on how you interpret the writing. You will have to pay attention to this one but if you're interested in writing and language and pay attention then this is a rewarding experience, well worth the small price for such a unique twist on turning communication into a game.

Eerie and unsettling, utterly original. The most well-written and evocative game I have played since... Return of the Obra Dinn? Whereas most games aiming at some ludic equivalent of the Weird Tale settles for hackneyed gameplay tropes and blunt Lovecraftian clichées, Inkslinger gives you that perfect glimpse into a strange universe, beautiful and mad, delivered through mechanics that are intuitive, yet foreign and bizarre.

There's some ingenuity on display. The gameplay is very unique - typing words representing styles and with each keystroke your character types more of what you're supposed to write. I've never seen anything like this. Also, the soundscape is an excellent companion. That said, the game's narrative didn't grab me, and in general I didn't feel any hook at all. I imagine I'm just not the target audience, which is surprising considering I like reading, writing, and text-heavy games. Maybe I just didn't get to the good part - but the start lost me quite quickly. I'm leaving a negative review to say: hey, even though you might think this game is for you, pay attention to the aesthetic. Do you like it? If yes, then by all means, get this game. I tend to look past the aesthetic to get to the core of the game, and it turns out the aesthetic here is a good indicator of the general colour and flavour of the story, so to speak - as such, I should've paid more attention. Cheers to the dev(s) for such a creative way of playing it words!

I unfortunately found it to be very buggy (I had to uninstall and reinstall to even play it) but it's a short game, very evocative. Many trigger warnings, though. [spoiler]Sexual assault, child sickness, child murder.[/spoiler]

Fun and unique indie game with an interesting and refreshing mechanic and fitting art style. Not to mention, the supporting characters and the twists I've unlocked are a perfect mixture of funny and tragic, respectfully. My only criticism is, besides being rather short (which I don't mind personally), is the lack of a skip button. I've only been able to get one ending because it's such a pain to sit through cutscenes where every word of narration is typed out slowly and needs a prompt to get to the next. I don't mind replaying the actual gameplay, but some kind of visual novel type auto-skip would help me a lot to experiment and get different endings. TL;DR I'd definitely recommend getting it on sale if you enjoy story-based games with distinctive mechanics and twists. There's not really anything like it out there.

After hearing about this game on a podcast I thought it would really click with me and got it on the Summer Sale, I love the worldbuilding and the setting and the writing, and the way you have to interpret the requests. However I have a problem with the game. The speed at which the text advances is just a bit too slow for my reading speed, which ends up being quite annoying (I saw an article that said you can speed it up by holding Enter, but it never worked, and I desperately kept trying other keys to no avail). This is just a minor issue when first getting through the game, but there's multiple endings, and you have to replay the game to get them all, with the slow text, and no skipping any already-read dialogue. I just can't imagine doing it, so I'll stick to one ending. I know that the speed and pacing is probably very deliberate, and I shouldnt be complaining about it slowing down a less-than-one-hour experience, but when any other game has a slow text crawl problem it's annoying, so its even more annoying when a whole game revolved almost entirely around dialogue does too. I do think this is a good game with a compelling story that people should try out, but I cannot possibly fully recommend it without the speed being addressed. Just letting me advance the dialogue with Enter or adding a setting for text speed would do so much for my enjoyment of this game, and would make me want to revisit it.

[b]Inkslinger[/b] is a very unique indie game that deserves so much more recognition. It focuses on a single concepts, pinpoints what it wants to do and does it masterfully. And that concept is single: you're an Inkslinger, a very specific being that not only can but must write letters for the inhabitants of Isle Shammer, lest their inkveins wither. If that setup seems vague, that's because it is. The only things you learn about yourself and the game are gleaned through tidbits of conversations and parts of the letters you write for your clients, which is a wonderful way to create a story that takes place in a world way bigger than itself. Gameplay-wise, there isn't much to do in [b]Inkslinger[/b]: you make a handful of choices between several words in order to convey different feelings and styles of writing, which can more or less correspond to what your client is expecting of you. You're got all the time in the world to type and you can't game over, only get a different ending according to what you did. It makes for a unique experience where failure isn't a state you want to avoid, but a different way of going through the game. Since it's so short, at around 40 minutes a playthrough, you're encouraged to try out stuff a few different times. The most interesting part of [b]Inkslinger[/b] is undoubtedly its writing. It IS a game about writing, after all, and you can feel the dev's love for words. A few different writing styles can be seen but everything is very carefully worded, with vocabulary, figures of speech and rhetorical devices aplenty. This makes for a delightful reading experience if you like words. I didn't enjoy the actual story of the game as much as I would have liked to, unfortunately, but getting to live in the world it's set in for a short while was well worth the experience anyway. I absolutely recommend giving [b]Inkslinger[/b] a try. It's a short and cheap game that you can finish under two hours and get refunded if you happen to not like it, but I think you will if its description seems appealing to you. There is really nothing else quite like it on Steam! [code]Find more reviews of small and overlooked indie games that deserve more recognition at our [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/40624114-Hidden-Indie-Gems]Hidden Indie Games[/url] curator page![/code]

I didn't expect much from a text game, but to my surprise, it's one of the most enjoyable narrative games that I played in months - I would even suggest using headphones because the sound design is just so good. The trailer does not give the game justice, I think it's very atmospheric and even haunting to some extent, it just has that foreboding feel when you play it. It only has about 40 minutes of content for one playthrough, not counting multiple endings, so it's closer to 2 hours for completion. The way the game tells a story is very creative as you have to help people by conveying their thoughts into letters. The characters will present you with multiple words, and you have to type the most appropriate one within the context. If you want, you can screw up on purpose and get some funny responses, which may result in a different ending. In a way, the game kind of checks your vocabulary, it starts easy, but some of the characters will talk in poems and metaphors -- I didn't get it on a first try.I am not an authority on writing, English is not even my first language, but I thought the narrative was exceptionally good, and it kept me engaged the whole way. It has a very compelling mystery, and even as I completed different routes, there is some room for interpretation. Overall the writing was pretty heavy on the philosophical side, but I think it had just the right amount to be thought-provoking. Additionally, the game has various visual elements that will play with your perception, adds that psychological touch to it. [h1] Pros: [/h1] (+) I just love the atmosphere in this game, 2 seconds in, I already knew it would be a very immersive experience from start to finish. It seems like there is always a perfect sound for every situation, and the ambiance complements the narrative very well. Decent voice acting when it is present and fun visuals effects - just very moody. (+) I enjoyed the writing a lot. The only nitpick I have is that some responses didn't match the overall tone of the game. On one hand, you have these very intellectual and thought-provoking views, and then you have responses that read like a forum post. The addition of multiple endings is always welcome, gives some replay value. [h1] Feedback: [/h1] [u] Some Nitpicks [/u] - when you start the game it defaults to "new game" instead of highlighting the "continue", which is why I lost progress several times. I suspect that achievements are not working properly. Also, there might be a glitch with the clock event, if you press arrow keys it seems to softlock it. [b] Overall Thoughts: 8/10 [/b] I thought it was a very cool narrative experience, I wish this was the standard for all the text games we get on Steam. You know, actually making something interesting with the choices and not just uploading a story, making something original. Really great atmosphere in the game, and I think everything came together very well. [code]Review By: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31294838-Hidden-Gem-Discovery/ [/code]