Inkbound News

Welcome to the Gods and Relics update! This update to Inkbound includes two new aspects, the major new Vestige Set feature, Steam Achievements, the removal of in-game monetization, and more. We’ve tried our best to capture accurate patch notes that include all the changes. If you’re interested in all the details, read on!



This patch will be released at approximately 10 am PT (GMT-7) on October 27th, 2023.

The game will have 2-3 hours of downtime starting at approximately 7 am PT on October 27th for the team to prepare the update.



[h3]New Aspect: Chainbreaker[/h3]
The Chainbreaker smashes their way to victory with nothing but their fists and pure tenacity.

Uppercut enemies right in the face with new powerful Combo mechanics in this new Aspect that is all about in-your-face fisticuffs. You can read more details about the Aspect in a deep dive available here.

To gain access to the Chainbreaker you’ll need to complete the short unlock quest. Talk to Sundance in the Atheneum to get started.



[h3]New Aspect: Godkeeper[/h3]
The Godkeeper fights to defend the written Gods of Yore using their divine Purespear to keep their opponents at bay.

This spear-based fighter can attack enemies near and far with a combination of spear thrusts and throws. To maximize their potential you’ll have to position yourself carefully to ensure optimal damage output. You can read more about the Aspect in a deep dive available here.

To gain access to the Godkeeper you’ll need to complete the short unlock quest. Inspect the Impaled Spear in the entrance to the Proving Grounds to get started.



[h3]Vestige Sets[/h3]
Vestige Sets are a major rework of how players increase in power during a run. Each Vestige has one or more Sets that it belongs to. Upon collecting a certain number of Vestiges with matching Sets, the Set will confer a bonus. The more you invest into a specific Set, the bigger the bonuses grow. Here’s a simple example.

The Vestige Mossed Spyglass is now part of the “Precision” Set. You can see the Set icons in the Vestige description.



If you draft Mossed Spyglass, you’ll get a point into the Precision Set. Hovering the icon will give you the full details.



Upon getting two points in Precision, you’ll gain +10 Crit Chance. Upon three points, you’ll get an additional +15 Crit Chance. And so on.

As a part of this, the design of many Vestiges have been reworked.

There are many new sets with many new types of functionality. We hope you’ll have fun exploring all the new build options!

[h3]Steam Achievements[/h3]
We’ve added 28 Steam Achievements in this update with a mix of progression and challenge Achievements.

Want to give this one a try?





[h3]Sea Breaches Improved[/h3]
We’ve heard from players that Sea Breaches were not offering interesting enough choices and rewards. We agree. In this update, all Sea Breaches have been redesigned with stronger rewards and more interesting choices.

[h3]Refreshed Victory Board[/h3]
We’ve fully refreshed the Victory Board with 108 new objectives and new cosmetics to unlock by completing them.

(The cosmetic rewards from the prior Victory Board have been moved into the Cosmetic Vault.)

[h3]Updated Ranks[/h3]
We’ve redesigned Ranks 11 through 20 with new challenges. If you were at Rank 11 or higher on either the Solo or Group track before this update your Rank will be reset to 10 so you can climb the refreshed Rank ladder. Completing Rank 20 in each track will earn you a special Nameplate.

Some of the earlier Ranks were also redesigned to smooth out the increase in challenge rank-by-rank.

[h3]Run Reward Structure Updated[/h3]
Binding drafts now show up after battles instead of on their own reward islands. The goal with that change is to improve game flow.

Binding Augment drafts no longer show up as guaranteed rewards, you’ll have to choose battles with those rewards to earn them. The goal with this change is to increase the impact of upgrade choices. In concert with this, common Augments have been removed from the game, and thus Augment power is higher in general.

[h3]Run Quests Removed[/h3]
We decided to replace the concept of Run Quests with the goals in the Vestige Set system. Overall we liked that run quests gave goals that contributed large amounts of power in return for completing their effect, but often they were either too easy or too hard with little middle ground, and this was made worse in multiplayer. Many sets have aspirational bonuses that reward putting in effort to achieve them, and feel more organic as a result than run quests did.

[h3]Font of Wisdom Removed[/h3]
Like Run Quests, we aimed to simplify the way players earn stats by putting them primarily into Vestiges and Vestige Sets. Independently drafting stat upgrades via Fonts of Wisdom has been removed from the game. In general Sets feel like ‘specialized stats’, with each point driving towards new build possibilities. That said, some Sea Breaches still offer the Font of Wisdom style stat upgrades, for those that miss it.

[h3]Trinket Design Revisited[/h3]
Due to various design changes described above we needed to revisit the design of our existing Trinkets. A variety of the current Trinkets have been refreshed with new functionality to accommodate the addition of Vestige Sets and the removal of other systems.

[h3]Change Your Aspect & Trinkets in the Sea of Ink[/h3]
Ever enter a run and wish you could change your Aspect or equipped Trinket? Well, now you can. We’ve added the ability to change these before entering the first Book of the run.

This can be especially useful if you use Matchmaking to enter a run and want to coordinate with a co-op partner before entering the first Book.

[h3]Seasonal Quests and Return of Season 1 Content[/h3]
We’ve moved all story-related Seasonal quests to the “main questline” and, from now on, only plan on adding story quests to the main questline and not removing them at the end of the season. This means that Season 2 quests will not go away at the end of the season. We’ve also added back all Season 1 quests to the main questline for new players to experience. For players who played any Season 2 content, all Season 1 content will be automatically completed to avoid progression issues, but we will have the ability to reset your story progress in a future update so you can experience all previous seasonal content.

[h3]Removal of Monetization[/h3]
As outlined in detail in an earlier post, we have fully removed in-game monetization in this update. Leveling Passes have been removed and have been converted into optional cosmetic-only “supporter pack” DLC sold via Steam. The in-game store has been renamed to the Cosmetic Vault. You can earn Vault Dust (formerly Shinies) to unlock cosmetics and there is also a chance that a cosmetic chest will drop after defeating a Guardian.

Various cosmetics and Vault Dust can be earned via normal gameplay by leveling up. These unlocks are collected via the Logbook’s Season tab.

See the linked post above for full details on the migration.



Want to see all the little details? Click here for the full list.

We’re just a few more days from Inkbound’s Next Major Update! On October 27, 10:00 AM PT, Inkbound’s update will go live. Please note, however, that the game will be down for a bit beforehand, so please make sure to save your run as soon as you see the countdown for when the servers will be down.

On October 27, you’ll get to explore TWO new player classes. Last week, I showed off The Chainbreaker, which you can read all about here.

This week, I have another surprise for you. I introduce to you the SECOND of the TWO NEW ASPECTS coming to Inkbound on October 27:

THE GODKEEPER



A Binder once chosen by the Gods of Yore as their champion in the Godscourt Games, the Godkeeper fights to defend these written deities using a divine spear to keep their opponents at bay.

The Godkeeper is one of TWO new aspects coming to Inkbound in this Next Major Update. Like the other aspects, it has three new core Bindings. The first, Impale, is a two part Binding, dealing damage to one enemy before dealing half damage to the one behind it. This Binding will require maneuvering to get right!



The next Binding, Celestial Spear, is one I myself am really excited for! Here is the description of it:

Throw your spear, dealing 40 damage and creating a Celestial copy where it lands. Allies can select the spear, teleport to it and inflicting Smite on the closest Enemy.

Doesn’t that sound awesome?! You not only attack but place a spear on the ground that Allies can pick up and use!



Finally, the third core Binding is Whirlwind. An swinging attack that deals a strong first round of damage before dealing half damage to secondary enemies.



Both THE GODKEEPER and THE CHAINBREAKER will be available for you to explore on October 27th, 2023 when the Next Major Update goes live at 10:00 AM PT. As a reminder, both leveling passes will only be available as cosmetics only DLCs starting on October 27th. If you have the leveling passes before then, you will already have all the content.

Excited for The Godkeeper? Come share your thoughts either on Steam or Discord. Finally, want to see exclusive concept art of the newest player aspect? Sign-up for our newsletter for more!

As always, thank you so much for supporting Inkbound and the Shiny Shoe team. I hope you’re as excited as I am for this next update!

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

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!