Inkbound News

We’re seven days away from Inkbound Next Major Update, going live on October 27th, at 10:00 AM PT. You’ll be able to play two new aspects, updated Sea Breaches,and get to try out the new Vestige sets!

[h3]WEEKLY SNEAK PEEK[/h3]

Introducing, for the first time ever, THE CHAINBREAKER!



A Binder once trapped within the depths of Yore to fight at the pleasure of the written Gods reigning there, the Chainbreaker smashes their way to victory with nothing but their fists.

Like the other aspects, it comes with three core bindings. The first is the RUNIC STRIKE. Much like Mission Leader for the Star Captain, the Runic Strike has two phases. The first deals Physical damage, while the second deals Magic.



Next comes INFUSED FIST. With this binding, you punch and do magic and then physical damage. What is exciting about this one is that it pushes back the enemy.



And third, you got GLYPH ERUPTION. Like ‘Infused First,’ you do both magic and physical damage but this time in an arc.



Want to see the CHAINBREAKER in action? Join us for the next Inkbound stream. Excited to play the newest aspect yourself? Leave a comment here or join us on Discord! Finally, want to see exclusive concept art of the newest player aspect? Sign-up for our newsletter for more!

Thank you so much for all your support and enthusiasm for this next major update! I can’t wait to dive into a run and play the latest aspects with you all!

See you in the Atheneum!
~Cami
Community Manager at Shiny Shoe

We’re just over one week away from Inkbound’s free next major update! Today kicks off the DOUBLE XP BOOST in Inkbound!


Starting now until October 27 at 9:00 AM PT, you can double your XP in Inkbound! This is a fantastic opportunity to reach Tier 20 or earn that coveted Victory Board crown!

Hello everyone! I’m Genevieve, one of the concept artists and modelers at Shiny Shoe. I have worked on concepts for quite a few of the NPCs and vestiges, among other assets.

The story of Inkbound involves different worlds and how details can bleed from one book to another affecting the status quo. Unsuspecting residuals that have the potential to change the course of the story. One of my favorite parts of concepting visual assets for design is connecting pieces of lore subtly through symbols and elements. I find that having these subtle connections can make a world feel more real since it is not often when something exists purely separate from everything else. Who knows what decipherable details you can find among all those vestiges.

Besides the vestiges, NPCs are a little world of their own and I’d like to share with you all my creation process for one of the NPCs in the game, the Gardener. One of the earlier designed NPCs who has a deep connection to the lore of Inkbound’s world due to her mysterious past, which can be traced by fragments scattered throughout time.

[h3]Character Lore and Inspiration[/h3]

When starting concept on an NPC, I am given a document from our loremaster Brendan that explains the overall look and feel that the NPC should have and how they fit into the world of Inkbound. For the Gardener, she is described as a free spirit who isn’t bound by rules and is very nurturing towards change and growth. The Gatekeeper, another mysterious being, is her counterpart. Where the Gatekeeper’s design is that of a tall, imposing, ridged man; the Gardener should be someone who is welcoming, a bit chaotic, and loves the ‘happy little accidents’ that boundless freedom can bring. Brendon also provides some specifics for the design, like how the Gardener’s body seems to be blending with the chaos she nurtures. Parts of her are either overgrown with plant matter or replaced by them entirely.

[h3]Concepting Process[/h3]

With these details in mind, I usually start off messing around with silhouettes to get the overall proportions locked in as well as the correct feeling the visual impact of the NPC should have. Her silhouettes are all on the short side since that is how she is described in the design document. I mainly played around with where the bulk of her stature should be and the large shape types in her design; going for more round shapes because of her welcoming disposition but adding some sharp edges here and there due to her free, volatile nature.



After this first stage, I get feedback on what elements of the silhouettes are to be kept as well as any additions I created when playing around with different ideas that are liked by the team. One of these added elements was the smoke pipe. With these notes, I go straight into designing the details for the outfit. In the design document it is specified that she is supposed to be dressed in attire based from ancient civilizations which tend to rely on the overall shape of fabric pieces and how they are pinned in place versus tight-fit, complicated sewing patterns. When coming up with each potential design, I had different ideas of what a sweet grandmother / crazy aunt would wear. Aprons, shawls, heavy jewelry, and beads. Also adding that she is a gardener of sorts, pouches of seeds, gloves, and gardening tool belts. And lastly, she is a powerful binder that loves to create, so there should be thread, ink, and quills.

I mix and mash these different ideas that can spark inspiration for smaller details that serve a function, like an arm wrapping that doubles as a makeshift painting palette or bottles that also work as writing tools. After coming up with several designs, I send them over for feedback and with the ‘go ahead’ I finalize the outfit’s details.



A part of the Gardener’s design is a backpack she carries that contains all manner of tools she uses to create. The pack is meant to have a handmade look that I explored below; mostly messing with different constructions and shapes and then filling the pack with the cluttered chaos of unorganized tools. At this point in process, a noticeable design element on her outfit is quill shapes arranged to look like petals in a flower. I took this design and used it to inform the designs on her pack to keep a unity between it and her outfit’s design. After completing all the elements of her design, and receiving feedback, I moved on to color.



[h3]Color & Finish[/h3]

With color, I have the character’s personality inform some of the main choices. The Gardener is bright and lively but is also mysterious and chaotic. I first explored having warm colors to match her welcoming personality and then added cooler colors to contrast that warmth and hint at a darker side. Red is the main identifying color in the Gardener’s design to contrast with the blue of the Gatekeeper’s attire.



After color is approved, I then render the portrait and it is then added in game for you all to see!



Yay! Hope you all enjoyed learning about my process for the character design of the Gardener.

See you around!

The developers of Indie RPG Inkbound will remove all the in-game monetization from it at the end of this month. Starting October 27, 2023, there will no longer be any battle pass or cosmetic shop inside Inkbound. They were already quite unobtrusive, but now they're going away entirely...
Read more.