The Gaming Cavern

So I totally have a soft spot for turn-based combat, that’s no secret. Let me tell you, when I came across Inkulinati and got the chance to review it, my inner gamer was quite pleased. Between the hilarious Monty Python-inspired humor, the medieval art styles and vibes, and the silly names, I really couldn’t get enough. If you’re into becoming the Master of the Living Ink, be prepared to see some strange and funny sights along the way. Overly-aggressive snails, dogs that are a bit too acquainted with pushing people off platforms, paralyzing butts, you name it. One thing is for sure, Inkulinati is a wild ride, but I’ll definitely go for that ride again.

Inkulinati: The Apocalypse is Nigh!

By the quill in your hand and drawn beasts on your side, the fight to be the best master of the Living Ink to ever live is quite the journey. You must defeat some of the most fearsome foes drawn up by the enemy Tiny and even face the temptations of the Golden Liquid brewed up at the Alehouse. Not enough to sell you on the hours of fun you could have in Inkulinati yet? There’s fire. Lots of fire. Still not there yet? Man, think about all the fart jokes you could ever imagine, and then make them medieval.

Inkulinati forces you to access your inner strategist throughout your journey. At times, your best bet might be to use the all-powerful booty of a rabbit beast to force-skip the turn of an enemy beast, or maybe, you need to unleash the power of your frog’s Infecting Spit to slowly take down the health of an out-of-range beast. No matter the situation, there’s a beast ready to release the wrath of their strongest assets against the enemy team and bring you to victory with some hilarious dialogue to go along with it.

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After spending quite a bit of time in the Academy, Inkulinati‘s unique tutorial game mode, I moved onto the Journey Mode, where I moved from node to node on the map, taking part in beast battles, conversations with Master, Tiny battles, and even having a few drinks at the Alehouse. However, the majority of my time spent in Journey Mode was in various battles, bringing the product of my quill and ink to life through thoughtful processes and a strategy that can’t be bested even by Death.

During each battle, you must literally draw up your teammates to battle against the opposing beasts. However, given the turn-based combat mechanics, you really need to put some thought into it. Every time your end turns, if you’re not careful, you open yourself to attacks from enemy beasts, so you must prepare your defenses beforehand. Yes, sometimes that means farting on an enemy to put him to sleep early. However, I’ve noticed that when it comes to Inkulinati, the location of your characters, rather than your strength and special attacks, seems to be of just as much importance, if not more.

Throughout the various Chapters of each fight, you’ll face new challenges, including the Apocalypse. After so many Chapters, great flames will appear on either side of the pages in which you battle. These flames must be avoided, or strategically used to take out an enemy or two with a few good shoves toward the flame. The Apocalypse is, in a sense, an hourglass nearing those last few grains of sand and letting you know that you’re time’s almost up in an “it’s now or never” type of way.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I thought Inkulinati was an invigorating change of pace. The gameplay is certainly enough to keep you entertained and drawn in. The graphics are pretty cool, and sometimes even a bit trippy. The audio matches the whole medieval aesthetic, and the story is absolutely hilarious. There are some areas I would love to see improved over time. For instance, Inkulinati is relatively short, and you get to see the biggest portion of Inkulinati in very little time, and while the quirky dialogue bits after a successful battle are refreshing and definitely something to giggle at, they tend to get a tad repetitive as well.

*Review key provided by publisher and reviewed on PC*