Shiny Shoe, the developer of the best card game of 2020 (opens in new tab)Monster Train builds on that success Inkbound (opens in new tab)a tactical roguelike RPG with an emphasis on co-op play and some hints of live service ambitions.
Shiny Shoe traded Monster Train’s Demons from Hell for “Binders”, the defenders of the Atheneum, “a world containing every story ever written”. This premise seems to give Inkbound a variety of environments to explore and combat, including “nightmarish carnivals, ancient ruins on the brink of volcanic annihilation, and more.”
Shiny Shoe describes Inkbound’s combat system as a mix of action-RPG gameplay and something more tactical and methodical, with “snappy and quick” twists but also the ability to fully weigh every move.
Inkbound also promises the same compelling build-crafting that Jody Macgregor mentioned in our initial Monster Train review (opens in new tab), this time in the form of character abilities as opposed to trading cards. While co-op is “rewarded but not required,” cooperative play seems to be a big focus for Shiny Shoe, with an emphasis on skill combinations between players and different members of a party that embody different adventure roles.
Shiny Shoe also appears to be taking a live services approach with the game, stating in its press release, “This is a living game that gives us an opportunity to nurture our community over the long term.” The goal is to bring new surprises to Binders every week – be it deadly new enemies, powerful loot, or even entirely new biomes.”
That’s certainly a tall order for a smaller developer, but perhaps a much more viable idea for an indie roguelike than for a triple-A action game like Crystal Dynamics’ Avengers. Inkbound is currently scheduled for release sometime in 2023.
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