Realm of Ink News

[h3]Hello Awakens! [/h3]

Currently, we are putting our main efforts into developing the content regarding Ink Gems, which is the core part of the 'Realm of Ink' gameplay. We are planning to design a total of 20 different Ink Gems, and for now, we have already made 5 Ink Gems, each of them is equally distinctive and powerful!

Despite you will be able to experience the Ink Gems in the very near Closed Playtest(if you have not registered, please check out our last Steam News for instructions on how to partake), we still can't stop the urge to reveal some of the Ink Gems contents to you, so you could have a better insight while participating in the playtest.

[h3]What are Ink Gems?[/h3]
Ink Gems serves as the core build system within the game. Each Ink Gem possesses a unique mechanism, enhancing player attributes and altering the forms of techniques. Through the interplay of Ink Gems in Yin-Yang combinations, players can acquire a diverse array of skill synergies, forming their own distinctive builds.


[h3]Types of Ink Gems[/h3]
There are various types of Ink Gems. Let's walk you through some of the most typical and powerful Ink Gems in the game.

Firstly, we have Spike Ink. Its passive ability grants you bonus max health, damage reduction, and extra damage while attacking the enemies.
And its active ability throws out a giant rock at your mouse's direction to deal damage to all enemies in range.


Next up is Crack Ink. Its passive ability grants you bonus max health, and a shield based on your max health when you enter a new room. Also, your attack will be more powerful when your shield is stacked up.
Its active ability puts down a magical circle, granting a shield with each second you stand inside, and deals a small amount of DoT(Damage over Time) to the enemies within.


Last but not least, we have Poison Ink. Its passive ability allows your light/heavy attack to apply Poison stacks to enemies(which passively deals DOT), and increases poison damage.
Its active ability also puts down a magical circle which deals DOT each second, the enemies inside the circle take 2 stacks of Poison each second.

These are just the tip of an iceberg; there will plenty more Ink Gems for you to explore in the Playtest version!

[h3]Ink Gems Interaction[/h3]
Below, you can see what the Ink Gems interface looks like(you can view this interface in game by pressing V on keyboard or View button on controller, 'Share' button on PS controller), along with the descriptions of active/passive abilities of the two Ink Gems when equipped. The left Ink Gem's active ability is binded to Q on keyboard or LT/L2 on controller, while the right Ink Gem's is binded to E on keyboard or RT/R2 on controller.


Switching Ink Gems: When you hold two Ink Gems, and there is a third Ink Gems on the ground, you could press R or LB/L1 to replace the left Ink Gems, and F or RB/R1 to replace the right Ink Gems.

Decomposing Ink Gems: You could hold on to the F key or RB/R1 for 3 seconds, and you could decompose the unwanted Ink Gems to get in-game currency 'Inkstone' which is for upgrading your Ink Gems. Even if you forget to decompose it, the system will automatically do it for you when you leave the Ink Gems room, so no Inkstone will be wasted! (The amount of Inkstone will not be deducted)


[h3]Ink Gems Upgrade[/h3]
Upgrading one Ink Gems requires 40 Inkstones, which is the same amount every Ink Gem you decompose will give.
Right before the mini boss or the boss room, there is a room where Qingyan(the Ink Gems Mentor, she is a mysterious fox that could unlock the full potential of your Ink Gems) and Jinchi(the Itinerant Merchant) are. You could upgrade one of your Ink Gem through Qingyan and it looks like this:


You could see the comparison of stats of Ink Gems before and after upgrading, so you could decide which one fits better with your build with the upgrade:

If you want more Inkstones, you could choose an Ink Gems room to beat and decompose the unwanted Ink Gem to get 40 Inkstones so you could upgrade the one you want the next time you meet Qingyan.


Ink Gems are the core part of the gameplay. The diversity and uniqueness of Ink Gems provide players with inspiration for constructing various styles, while the combinations of Ink Gems trigger chemical reactions, introducing a rich array of possibilities to the game.

There are many more aspects we'd like to introduce. We will see you in the next devlog!


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Hi Awakens! We are more than happy to announce that the first ever closed playtest for 'Realm of Ink' is about to start very soon! Hence, we would like to ask you to join us in this thrilling hands-on experience!

The closed playtest is scheduled to commence at the end of December (Date TBD). Stay tuned for updates on the exact start/end dates via Steam News, Social Media, and our Discord channel once they are confirmed.



[h3]To sign up, follow these steps:[/h3]

1. Please visit this google form https://forms.gle/PxE8oSWafgsKt9tm8 and complete it.
   
   
2. If selected for the closed playtest, you will receive an email at the address provided in the sign-up form (ensure it is accessible for communication).
   The email will include a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) of the playtest, and an invite link to our Discord channel exclusively for playtesters. Please pay attention to your inbox/junkmail.
   
   
3. Please carefully read through the NDA, and directly reply to our email with:"I agree to the terms outlined in the aforementioned NDA agreement.".
   
   
4. Once we have received your email confirmation, we will send the Steam key for the playtest via email at the first day of the playtest. Then you could activate it on Steam and get your hands on our game!
   

Also, you could join our Discord now to chat with us before the playtest begins.

[h3]Remember to follow our social media:[/h3]

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Exciting news—our game "Realm of Ink" has officially hit over 10,000 wishlists on Steam! Hooray! A massive shout-out and heartfelt thanks to all our supporters who've been with us since day one. We sincerely appreciate every one of you. Thank you for the likes, comments, support, and suggestions you've shared online; it's your backing that has propelled us to this point. We are truly grateful for everything!



Our game announcement has caught the eye and was globally reported by renowned media like IGN, Rock Paper Shotgun, 電ファミニコゲーマー, 巴哈姆特, 80 LV, Gamertsu, and more, their compliments in the articles have greatly encouraged us. We're committed to putting in the effort to make the game even better, ensuring we don't let down your expectations.

And another good news is that we're gearing up for our first closed playtest! If you're keen on our game and itching to get a sneak peek, this is your opportunity for a firsthand experience. We're in the midst of figuring out the sign-up process, and we'll have more detailed instructions coming your way very soon!
Join our Discord for more information!

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Take a look at the following website for media coverage:
IGN: https://www.ign.com/articles/realm-of-ink-announced-for-pc-and-consoles

Rock Paper Shotgun: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/new-roguelike-realm-of-ink-is-hades-by-way-of-chinese-mythology

電ファミニコゲーマー: https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/kikakuthetower/231121j

巴哈姆特: https://gnn.gamer.com.tw/detail.php?sn=259476

80 LV: https://80.lv/articles/a-roguelike-game-combines-hades-gameplay-with-chinese-ink-painting/

Gamertsu: https://www.gematsu.com/2023/11/roguelite-action-game-realm-of-ink-announced-for-consoles-pc

Hades is one of the many GOTY award winners I feel extremely guilty about barely spending any time with. I think I've played a couple of hours tops. Nobody must know! Oh drat. Anyway, despite my lack of expertise, the Supergiant action-roguelite was the first comparison that came to mind while watching the trailer for Realm of Ink, which has just been announced.

It makes use of a similar angled perspective, appears similarly focussed on build customisation, with hundreds of magic items to equip, and sees you playing out the backstories of various mythological personalities - derived, in this case, not from Ancient Greece but China and Buddhism.

Read more

What's up everyone!

First of all, we would like to thank you for coming to our Steam page and checking out our community! We are more than proud to officially announce our extraordinary single-player action rogue-like game Realm of Ink!

Come and meet Red, the Awakened, our swordsman protagonist:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2597080/Realm_of_Ink/



[h2]Why Did We Make This Game?[/h2]
We would like to discuss the philosophical significance of the existence of life by combining the infinite replayability of Roguelike games.


[h2]What Makes Realm of Ink Unique?[/h2]
The exquisite Chinese Ink Style, and various types of Ink Gems, which have unique in-game enhancement, you could carry two Ink Gems at the same time. What makes it different is that, you could switch between different Ink Gems after you enter and clear the 'Ink Gems room'(which will guarantee an Ink Gem drop), so you are not strangled and held back by the Ink Gems you picked up earlier, and you could switch between builds freely! (Spoiler: every Ink Gems has at least 3 unique types of combination, and we plan to have 20 different Ink Gems, which count up to 60 combination in the official patch, which will be coming in 2024)


In addition, we have the Ink Pets system, where every Ink Pets has its unique buff and ability(as usual), and unique looks(once you carry two Ink Gems, the Ink Pets will switch its look depending on the nature of the Ink Gems you picked!)


[h2]Current Status And Future Plan[/h2]
February: We will participate in the Steam Next Fest, make sure you stay tuned and wishlist!
Official Launch: Set to be in 2024.

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