The game actually runs on Linux under Wine, on a system much weaker than the so-called "minimum" requirements. Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770S CPU @ 3.10GHz, with its integrated GPU, is enough - even at 4K resolution.
First impressions: the long next-next-next tutorials are annoying. Animations are funny. Controls are less than perfect - you need to use keyboard arrows to scroll the page if you want to move a beast more to the right than would normally be visible. Thus, four stars.
I'm incredibly happy to inform, that Inkulinati fulfilled my biggest expectations - fun gameplay, easy-to-learn rules, adding something original to one of my favourite genres (turn-based strategy/tactic games) and aesthetically pleasant 2D graphics. Truth be told, I was neither a big fan nor a big enemy of medieval marginalia, but this characteristic style in the case of Inkulinati is working really fine.
I admit that despite managing the only resource (ink), it's rather a tactic game, not a strategy. But for a title, where you're playing on relatively small maps (or rather should I say "levels"), it has a satisfactory level of "tactical depth". I especially enjoy a variety of "beasts" - they are vastly different not only in terms of look but also in their functionality on the battlefield.
The game has some minor lacks - not very intuitive moving the camera when you're issuing orders, a debatable system of "randomized" damage (it's quickly moving indicator, which you need to stop, and depending on where it stops, your troop will deal more or less damage). And while hot-seat multiplayer is a great option (a big plus for that), it would be nice to have also some internet options (but this will probably be added later).
But despite those issues, I still have a lot of fun with this game. I hope it will grow nicely to the "full release" day.
Feel a bit bad about leaving a negative review here as you can tell that the developers really tried to make an interesting and fun game, but it feels unfinished. There are too many times where it gives a ton of handholding for basic stuff like movement, but then presents you with missions where there's literally only one way to win and it's up to you to figure it out by sheer repetition. Like when introduced to the snail you basically are told move it forward, eat the enemy. Then you get stuff like defeat 3 demons with 2 cats, here's a new bleeding mechanic we're not even going to tell you about, good luck. You always feel like you won more by luck than skill and then just barely.
Another issue is the text. Even set to large the main gameplay stuff like damage is tiny, but if you zoom in then the helpful hints clutter up the whole screen. When you hit excape the game doesn't actually pause. Not a dealbreaker for a turn based game, but if I'm in the middle of clicking the damage meter I'd like to actually stop everything if I need to immediately put things on hold.
I feel like if this game were updated so that every battle isn't anxiety inducing, tutorials are actual tutorials where it matters, and a few UI improvements it could easily be 4-5 stars.
Pro
1. Artistic Design: Excellent. The figures and animation are authentic and smooth. It keeps the flavour of the original illustration drawing while adding more micro facial expressions to the figures. A couple of historical figures like Dante certainly make the game more fun to play with. Great work for all the artists.
2. Rouge style map add more possibility for replayability
3. The ruleset is simple while keeping the depth at the same time, and won't be too discouraging for novice
4. Humor: I really appreciate the little humour in the game, starting from little animals' skills (Like farts) to dialogue with the master
Cons
1. Price: The game is still a bit expensive for the earlier access version. Although personally, I understand it is reasonable for a small game company, and I did purchase the support pack for the appreciation of the developers' hard work, it is probably still a little bit overpriced for the game now, considering the lack of other content (such as mini ink master customization) and function (possible online or LAN mode）
2. Replayability: At the moment, I have to say it is a little bit low for solo playing. I haven't finished a complete journey at the moment. But if choosing different ink masters won't affect the journey dialogue and some minor changes to the plot. The repeatability of the journey might be a little bit high. If the player chooses Loony when facing the master having some funny dialogue other than alewife or others, it will make the new journey more fun. I hope the difference between the little ink masters is more than just looking. Their skills or other game interaction should be based on their background story as well
Inkulinati is a turn-based tactical rogue-like. You control a tiny rendition of your avatar and an army of creatures on the battlefield, a piece of paper where you and your enemy will draw creatures and obstacles (other than the ones already present on each map at the start). You'll have to manage your resource (ink) to create creatures, but you also have some actions which cost no ink, but might have a cooldown.
Each creature has different attack ranges, health, cost and so on, and you and the enemy take turns moving one around the map, attacking or interacting with the environment.
The gameplay mechanics are relatively simple, but the interactions created through the various abilities and the positioning of your troops give a wide range of possibilities and tactical challenges. As you progress through the campaign, you'll be able to pick up new units, powers, and expand your ink/health pools, while you meet various enemies and maps, often themed very appropriately. Your miniature avatar (in the battles where it is present) must be kept alive to win, and the same is true for the enemies, so its well-being is a priority, and you must always plan around this.
The "medieval manuscript" style of the game is a joy to see, and works well with the music to create a great atmosphere. The way the creatures emote and move never fail to make me smile. The silly humour of the story also fits with the presentation, which is pretty much all someone could ask in a game where the narrative isn't a significant focus.
In its current state, there are a few flaws (some battles/skills are unbalanced, the amount of content might be too sparse, as it often happens with rogue-lites and some combos can be frustrating to play around) but it's a truly fun game.
I'd recommend this one to all players who like this style of combat and tactics. I bet just watching a few minutes of gameplay should be enough to tell if the game is for you, just as the demo was enough for me.
《光照墨将》是一款在中世纪手稿上用墨水绘制的回合策略游戏，不要小看兔子屁股，它们可能比狗子手里的剑还有杀伤力。
