Inkbound takes players on a journey through procedurally generated storybook worlds, battling monsters that are set on unraveling the nature of reality itself. Players can dive in solo or party up via online co-op in hybrid real-time/turn-based encounters. All the while, heroes become more powerful the deeper they progress in each roguelike run.

Inkbound takes place in The Atheneum, a world that contains all the stories that have ever been written. Here, anything that's written in Ink can become real -- such as nightmarish carnivals, ancient ruins on the brink of volcanic annihilation, and more. The heroic Binders, charged with maintaining these stories, can go anytime and anywhere so long as it has been written. And if it hasn't, perhaps they'll create tales of their own.

Shiny Shoe has designed a combat system that blends the kinetic brawls of an ARPG with the deep strategy of a tactics game. Turns are snappy and quick, but players can slow down and take time to fully evaluate their current threats. Players choose the optimal times to rush enemies for melee strikes or to best position themselves for a perfectly aimed ranged attack. 

Developer Shiny Shoe announced that on October 27, 2023, not only will Inkbound’s Next Major Update go live, but there will also be major changes made to the leveling passes.

What kind of changes? 

Well, the leveling passes are going away.

That’s right! Starting on October 27th, all in-game monetization will be removed from Inkbound.

What does this mean?

First, the Leveling Pass feature will be fully removed. If you already own ‘The Story Begins’ or ‘The Starship of Terrors’ premium passes, do not worry! You will immediately be granted all rewards from the premium track of the leveling passes you own. 

It’s our goal to create games we can invest into and update beyond release. As developers we enjoy expanding our games over time, combining our creativity with community feedback to add new content and fun.

For that reason, we launched Inkbound with two in-game monetization features to support the ongoing development of the game - the Leveling Pass and the Cosmetic Shop. We tried to make these as generous and straightforward as possible while simultaneously being 100% optional, cosmetic-only, with no impact on gameplay, and with no FOMO.

However, it’s clear that industry and player sentiment is trending against the presence of these features. For that reason we are removing in-game monetization completely. Content from the existing Leveling Passes will be turned into cosmetic-only optional “supporter pack” DLCs sold on Steam. The rest of the cosmetic content will continue to be available in-game and earned via playing.

To anyone reading this who purchased anything in-game - thank you, truly. We hope you’ve enjoyed your time with Inkbound so far and we’ll do our best to release a strong 1.0 sometime next year. Anyone who has made any purchases will receive additional bonus rewards as a part of this transition as a thank you for your support.

What is ‘Vault Dust?’

Purchasable in-game currency, currently named ‘Shinies’ will be removed from Inbound. Instead, you will be able to earn ‘Vault Dust’ through gameplay, which can then be used in the shop, now called the 'Cosmetic Vault.' 

What will happen to my Shinies?

Shinies will be converted into Vault Dust. Additionally, players who bought Shinies before October 27th will be given a Vault Dust amount equivalent to twice their original Shinies purchase.

What type of DLCs will these be?

The premium track of the existing Leveling Passes will be converted into cosmetic-only “supporter pack” DLCs available on Steam. These DLCs are optional and a way to support further Inkbound content.

Next Major Update

• Two new Aspects
• Vestige Set Bonuses
• Revamped Bosses
• Steam Achievements
• Game Balance 2.0
• Updated Sea Breaches
• Updated Rank System
• More Daily Challenge Mutators
• Trinket Updates

The Future:

• More Aspects
• Controller Support
• The Full Story - Explore the Scribe’s story.
• Steam Deck Support
• Localization
• More Earnable Cosmetics
• Improved accessibility
• Another Villain
• Vestige Lore Unlocks
• Stat tracking - record your all-time bests

Summary of in-game monetization Changes

Cosmetic Shop

• This feature will continue to exist but the currency will only be earnable via gameplay. The “Buy Shinies” button will be removed.
• The “Cosmetic Shop” will be renamed to “Cosmetic Vault”.
• The in-game currency will be renamed from “Shinies” to “Vault Dust”. Your existing Shinies will be converted into Vault Dust.
• If you ever bought any packs of Shinies with real money we will give you an additional 2x amount of Vault Dust. For example, if you purchased 1,000 Shinies in the past, regardless if you spent it or not, we will grant you an additional 2,000 Vault Dust.
• After defeating a Guardian there will be a chance a chest will appear with a random cosmetic reward from the Cosmetic Vault that you don't already have.

Leveling Pass

• The Leveling Pass feature will be fully removed.
• Anyone who owned either The Story Begins premium pass or The Starship of Terrors premium pass will immediately be granted all unclaimed rewards out of the premium track.
• Additionally, anyone who owned either The Story Begins premium pass or The Starship of Terrors premium pass will be granted 1,000 Vault Dust for each pass they owned.
• We are moving the cosmetics contained in the premium tracks into cosmetic-only optional “supporter” Steam DLCs. If you bought either of the premium Leveling Passes in the past you already own all the content in the associated DLC.
• The premium outfits from The Starship of Terrors that are currently in the in-game Cosmetic Shop are going to move into the new DLC. Anyone who previously purchased one of these outfits will be fully refunded for each outfit - 1,250 Vault Dust each. (Of course you will also keep the outfit.)
• If you own The Starship of Terrors premium Leveling Pass you will also be granted all of The Starship of Terrors premium outfits that are currently in the Cosmetic Shop. That way there is no need to purchase the associated DLC because you will have all the content contained within the new Starship of Terrors supporter pack DLC.
• The free tracks in the existing Leveling Passes will be moved into the Cosmetic Vault and will thus still be earnable via gameplay.
• Upon the release of the update there will be a new free track of rewards available to all players that are earned by leveling up. The unlocks will include various cosmetic items and Vault Dust. The UI for this has been simplified and moved into the Logbook.
• At the end of each Season all seasonal free rewards will move into the Cosmetic Vault and can be earned from there. There is no FOMO. If you miss the rewards during the Season you can unlock them via Cosmetic Dust (earned by leveling up) or in the random drops after defeating a Guardian as described above.

Inkbound is now available through Steam Early Access for $19.99, and will remain so for about 1-2 years.

Inkbound has been built around cooperative play, which further enhances its tactical elements. Binders can work together to debuff enemies and follow up with devastating attacks. Or perhaps one Binder can hang back, keeping their party healthy during the battle. Every roguelike run is different, pushing players to learn from and adapt to each exciting new challenge. Co-op is rewarded, but not required. Binders can embark on their own solo adventures, but banding together is the safest way to take on the toughest challenges and acquire Inkbound's best loot.

Key Features:

• WRITE YOUR OWN DESTINY: Discover the magical Atheneum and the infinite worlds contained within to protect it and become the fabled Inkbound. Or break free from your station and unravel the real story behind your creation.
• FIGHT FOR YOUR STORY: Arm yourself with the brute strength of a Magma Miner or the swift attacks of a Mosscloak to survive. Embark on procedurally generated runs and weigh the risks of one path versus the potential rewards of others. Choose wisely, your survival depends on it.
• CREATE YOUR STYLE: From a hat shaped like an astronaut cat to bat wings, unlock new amazing items with each run. Fight through rich, atmospheric worlds with outfits that will be sure to impress your fellow warriors!
• A LIVING GAME: Experience a gripping story and combat that changes monthly, weekly, even daily! A living game, no two days are the same in the expanding world of Inkbound.
• ENHANCE YOUR POWER: Learn exciting ability Bindings, choose powerful forgotten Memories, and equip loot from legends to become the Inkbound hero no one thought you could be. And a bonus feature you loved in Monster Train: discover hundreds of character builds by mixing and matching classes.

Inkbound is coming to PC (Steam) in 2024/2025.