Inkbound keeps the spirit of Monster Train rolling with its hybrid gameplay

digitaltrends.com:

In 2020, developer Shiny Shoe came out of left-field with a surprise hit called Monster Train. The Slay The Spire-inspired card game was unique in that it fused the idea of a deck-builder into that of a tower defense game. The hybrid genre premise turned out to be a stroke of genius, taking it out of Slay the Spire’s shadow and helping the studio make a name for itself.

Its follow-up game, Inkbound, is a little different. It’s a top-down, multiplayer roguelite set in a fantastical world. Though it doesn’t have cards, there’s one signature feature that makes it clear this is a Shiny Shoe production: It is another genre mosh pit. In addition to being a roguelite, it’s a tactics game that draws inspiration from MMO and MOBA combat. You might even confuse it for a Diablo-like dungeon crawler at first glance.

In a hands-off demo showcasing the game’s multiplayer, Shiny Shoe explained how the studio’s hybrid games came to be. Like Monster Train, Inkbound is the child of a heavily iterative process that sees Shiny Shoe borrowing from the games its team members love to make something that feels entirely new.

Inkbound looks familiar, but it’s complicated to explain. It’s a class-based game where up to four players team up and jump into a fantasy world where stories become reality. By hopping into the “inkwell,” they enter roguelike runs where they’ll collect upgrades, fight monsters, and choose a path through the world using their “quills.” Simple enough so far, right?

In true Shiny Shoe fashion, the game gets more creative in combat. When bumping into enemies, players enter a unique tactics experience. As enemies sit in place, players can run around the arena freely and unleash attacks. However, they have a mana bar with 10