Inkborn Early Access Review
Disclaimer: Wingsplain received a free review copy of Inkborn during early access. We thank Acram Digital for this generous opportunity.
Inkborn is the first original title from Acram Digital. They have a history of creating digital adaptations of board games such as Charterstone, a Stonemaier Games title. I was surprised to receive this review opportunity through the Stonemaier reviewer program. It turns out that Jamey Stegmaier is credited as a Design Consultant for Inkborn.
I was intrigued by this opportunity because I’ve always wanted to see what a Stonemaier Games deck-building game might look like. While Inkborn isn’t a Stonemaier title, Jamey stated that many of his design philosophies made their way into the final version of this game.
Inkborn Is A Rogue-Like Deck-Building Game
As I stated in my Balatro Review, “Rogue-Like” games as a genre pit you against ever-increasing challenges until you eventually just lose to the sheer strength of the opposing numbers. Your loss is inevitable, but the items and abilities you’ve unlocked along the way give you better tools for your next run.
If you’re familiar with Slay the Spire (STS) from Mega Crit, you’re going to immediately feel the influence that game has had on Inkborn. I am a big fan of STS, and I’ve sunk 276 hours into that game. I was excited to see what Inkborn had to offer as I await the release of STS 2.
Upon starting the game, I was immediately met with somber music and a warning: “This journey will be hard, and you will fail.” It looks like they are being very transparent about their gameplay philosophy here. It will be interesting to see just how difficult Inkborn becomes in its final state.
The Theme of Inkborn
The theme of the Inkborn is unique and well done. Paper, Ink (blood), Pens (weapons), and Origami build the world. Writing, Ideas (potions), Books, and Quotes (artifacts) flesh it out.
The look of the game is basic but very on point. Enemy designs are clever. I especially like the Duct Tape Amalgamation. Think of a crumpled up wad of paper wrapped in duct tape. This monster’s gimmick is that it’s sticky tape steals the last card you used against it each round. When it attacks you, it also steals one of the cards from your deck. Once the monster is defeated, you get all your cards back.
A smaller detail that I found interesting is that both you and the enemies “bleed” ink when you take damage. The more damage that is done, the more ink that is spilled. At first, I thought I was seeing things, but eventually I realized this effect was happening.
Inkborn’s music is very good and fits the theme well. It might be my favorite part of the game so far. I can’t help but be reminded of my time with The Witcher 3 when I hear the soundtrack. Those soft drum beats behind a violin take me back to that game.
Inkborn Combos Shake Up The Formula
Combos are an interesting addition to the formula of this style of game. The combos are hidden until you unlock them, so this gives you incentive to experiment. This reminds me a bit of Balatro and its catalog of unlockables.
I’ll avoid spoilers, but sometimes the only way you can damage an enemy is through combo attacks. This really felt like a curve ball when I encountered it for the first time. I really had to start thinking outside the box and engage the enemies in a way that was counter to my build and what I felt was optimal play patterns.
“The Fog” prevents you from making long term plans. You have to make a lot of tactical decisions on your way to finding the path that leads to the boss. This navigation reminds me of Arcanium.
You have to make smart decisions here. You can continue to build your strength by traveling all around the map but the frequent combats will wear you down. Doing too much may cause you to lose to the boss. Furthermore, the game penalizes you with curses if you fill up your Chronicle Meter. So if you manage to land a powerful build, you can’t just run around the map farming everything without some negative consequences.
The Flow Of The Game
When a battle starts, you and the enemies take turns making attacks, strengthening allies, or placing negative status effects on each other. As you acquire more cards, you’re going to want to build a deck that works toward a unified theme.
Optimizing your deck and becoming hyper efficient is the key to victory in this type of game. Knowing when to upgrade cards or cull them from your deck when given the opportunity is a key decision that will often need to be made.
“Ideas” are potions in this game, and many of them are temporary. You get one each time you defeat an enemy, and they go away at the end of the fight. This incentivizes you to get aggressive with your potions as opposed to other games that entice you to hold onto them as long as possible, waiting for that exact perfect moment to use it. I like the liberal potion rewards in this game.
Curses are detrimental cards that are added to your deck at times, but they, too, can be combo-ed for beneficial effects. I like this implementation for curse cards, and it’s not something I’ve seen before in this type of game. In this instance, they did a good job of lessening the “feel bad” moments that rogue-likes often like to destroy you with.
When a battle ends, you are rewarded with a choice of cards to add to your deck, some gold, and, in the instance of a boss or an “elite” monster, a permanent Idea that you can take into future battles.
Inkborn currently has three Acts. You don’t need to spend a lot of time on Act 1 or 2 to get a build that will defeat those bosses. These Acts can feel a bit short, and in this regard, the game reminds me of Monster Train, another fine rogue-like deck-building game.
What I like and Don’t Like
I really like that one of your starting cards, The Great Nib, automatically upgrades as you “level up” your character during a run. These upgrades feel very rewarding when they happen and result in a feel good moment I appreciate.
Ideas (potions) seem a bit too expensive in shops. I’ve never been compelled to invest in the available Ideas and instead, I will upgrade cards or remove cards using my hard earned money.
I wish there were a way to spend gold while on the map during each act, like a special shop. Currently, you are only able to spend your gold in town, which you visit in between acts. Seeing that gold number go up as you travel the map and prepare for the boss, with no way to spend it, can feel a bit bad at times. Especially if you are feeling weak and are limping into the boss fight.
Act 3 was added in the latest update in November of 2025, and there appears to be a big difficulty spike there. I’ve yet to make it to the Act 3 boss. I don’t know if I just haven’t cracked the formula yet or an adjustment needs to be made somehow. Having reached the level cap and having unlocked many of the available cards, I haven’t found another way to get stronger in order to tackle the increased challenge. This could be a me problem.
The Cost of Inkborn
As of the writing of this review (January 2026), Inkborn is currently priced at $19.99 US on Steam. For budget conscious players, I can’t recommend buying this game in its current state for this price. There are portions of the game that are unfinished, and they need to be fleshed out more. They are currently locked, and it says they will be added in a future update
If you are a fan of this genre of game like I am, Inkborn can give you a taste of what you love while you continue to wait for the release of Slay The Spire 2. In this regard, it’s like you’re investing in the game’s future, kind of like a Kickstarter campaign. Player investment today helps create the game of the future.
Inkborn Final Thoughts
Inkborn has a lot of good ideas, and it has a very solid foundation. I’ve spent just over ten hours playing, and I’ve reached the level cap of ten. That being said, this game is definitely in the beginning stages of its life and needs some more meat on the bone. Acram Digital has posted the game’s roadmap HERE.
If Acram Digital can continue down this path with diligence, I anticipate that Inkborn will be a solid addition to the rogue-like deck-builder genre.
I’ve had fun exploring the theme and the mechanics of this game, and I look forward to much more in the future. I’ll be watching Inkborn’s development with anticipation, and I’ll comment on future updates and the final release of the game.
