Bendy and the Ink Machine Didn’t Stick the Landing, But Thrives on Atmosphere
On February 10, 2017, indie developer Kindly Beast released the first chapter of a puzzle horror game called Bendy and the Ink Machine. Although it featured fewer visceral scares than some horror indie games, Bendy and the Ink Machine's cel-shaded art style and eerie concept caught a lot of attention. The game made a huge splash among fans of horror games even before the rest of the episodes had come out. Episodes two and three appeared to take the tension and thick atmosphere to even greater heights, but episodes four and five ended up bringing the franchise crashing back down to earth. However, despite the lackluster ending, Bendy and the Ink Machine is still a modern classic of indie horror deserving of celebration.
Like many indie horror games, Bendy and the Ink Machine starts with a simple concept. In this case, that concept is the idea of a malicious living cartoon character seeking revenge on its creators. The titular Bendy is drawn in the simple, rounded style of a 1930s cartoon character. His combination of stark blacks and faded yellows evokes the feeling of an era now past in a way that is at once nostalgic and uncanny. The rest of the game follows suit, leading to one of the most unique and iconic worlds in recent horror gaming.
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Although Bendy is easily the breakout character, Bendy and the Ink Machine focuses on the misadventures of Henry Stein, a former traditional animator who has returned to his old workplace. A mysterious invitation from his former friend Joey Drew has lured Henry back to Joey Drew Studios. In the note, Joey states that he has something to show Henry there—a sentence that becomes far more sinister once Henry enters the old studio building. Chapter one
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