With so many entries gunning for the title of 'best roguelike,' Realm of Ink almost feels like something truly unique, despite its clear inspirations. Standing out with a gorgeous art style reminiscent of Chinese ink-wash, with fast-paced action that will delight Hades or Dead Cells fans, it's a hidden gem in a packed genre. And it's one you won't want to miss when it finally gets its 1.0 launch.
Currently in early access, Realm of Ink immediately felt familiar to me. The game sees you dodging across an arena crowded with enemies, where each doorway leads to a variety of rewards. You play as a swordswoman called Red who's hunting down a Fox Demon, and I loved building up her skills with randomized power-ups, hoping I'd be strong enough to defeat each successive boss. Each run is a chance at victory, but equally, it's a learning experience that remains valuable with every resurrection.
At the start, it does seem almost too similar to Supergiant's colossal hit. Not only does the camera work almost identically, but you dodge and weave around a crowd of foes with the spacebar, aiming and dishing out light or heavy attacks with a left-click, right-click combo, before heading to the exit and getting a choice of rewards. You could choose to stockpile coins to buy powerful items from merchants, or you could take a chance at a rare Ink Gem, allowing you to effortlessly combo skills at off-guard enemies. Every small choice adjusts your chances of winning your run.
Fortunately, after your first few runs, Realm of Ink's unique qualities start to shine. The Wuxia-like approach to the world, setting, and characters all feels distinct, and while the gameplay is clearly inspired by genre competitors, developer Leap Studio also has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, too. The 'pet' system gives you a powerful little companion called Momo that can switch between various forms as you combine and change your Ink Gem loadout, kind of like an Eeveelution from Pokémon.
There's no shortage of Hades-like roguelikes in the indie sphere right now: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, Reignbreaker, and some elements of Shape of Dreams, to name just a few. Realm of Ink, however, offers enough originality to stand on its own, while offering the same tight controls and excellent 'builds' for each run that Supergiant's masterpiece delivers. Even without discussing the familiarity, Realm of Ink looks seriously impressive, with a distinguished ink-wash visual that really pops.
You can buy Realm of Ink on Steam right now - whether you play on PC or through Steam Deck and other handhelds - before the full 1.0 release date arrives on Tuesday, May 26. It's also available on console. If you're a sucker for a good roguelike like me and you've been looking for something to enjoy after plenty of Hades 2 runs, this isn't one to pass on.