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It's impossible to keep track of every promising game that rises to the top of Steam Early Access. But on the flip side, everywhere you look nowadays is proof of the service's success: Valheim, Rust, Baldur's Gate 3, Factorio; all became hits through the model. So when an Early Access title nears its 1.0 release with fans already in tow, I pay attention.
Case in point. While Realm of Ink's stint in Early Access flew under my radar, the 2.5D roguelite racked up thousands of positive reviews pre-release – and, even better, just launched in full across PC, PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch. While Realm of Ink harkens to Hades' isometric hack-and-slash action, it caught my eye with its art style. There's a lush, hand-drawn feel to the whole thing, as if the entire game was painted in flowing strokes. The visuals, developer Leap Studio tell us, are inspired by Chinese Ink brush paintings, with NPCs and settings inspired by the country's folklore and literature
As for what Realm of Ink is about, the game follows swordswoman Red. While hunting the mysterious Fox Demon, Red learns that her world is set within a book and her destiny supposedly pre-ordained by its pages. Now self-aware, Red fights within the titular realm of ink to untangle her fate from the book's designs. Like Hades, Realm of Ink plays with the cyclical nature of roguelites with a hub area between runs – here, Red returns to an inn where she can unlock new forms for her battle-ready pet and mix and match builds, all in service to getting a step ahead of the book's plot.
If that interests you as much as it did me, I'd recommend checking out the below trailer to get a feel for Realm of Ink's hack-and-slash style. I'm particularly impressed by the customization on offer.
There are "dozens of different forms, weapons, and enhancements" to unlock, reads the game's Steam page, meaning there are countless potential builds to play around with. That's one of my favorite things about roguelites: while I find building characters in the likes of Diablo 4 and Elden Ring to be stressful due to their long-term consequences, the bite-sized nature of roguelite runs means I can try something because it looks fun and not have to worry about messing anything up permanently. In that regard, Realm of Ink looks set to lay out a feast – on top of all that, there are over 200 artifacts available to twist each playstyle even further.
Similarly, each run hits the sweet spot for replayability, taking place across four gorgeous environments with a challenging boss in each. The formula looks set to fill the hole in my life left by Hades 2, and with Realm of Ink launched as Steam Dec Verified, it seems like a brilliant fit for the handheld.
Speaking of which: if you're tired of me describing Realm of Ink, how about playing it for yourself? The game is now available across PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store), PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch, and better yet, is far from a full-price release at $24.99. Better yet, Realm of Ink is celebrating its 1.0 with a 10% launch discount on PC, which runs between May 26 and June 5.
If you're looking to line up the next meaty roguelite to sink your teeth into – or are merely charmed by this one's beautiful ink-wash style and premise – I'd recommend checking out Realm of Ink's website or Steam page.
