Inkulinati Demo Preview – Come for the Concept, Stay for the Strategy

Inkulinati, from indie developer Yaza Games, is a turn-based battle game with a one-of-a-kind concept, unique visuals, and plenty of strategy. The public demo is live on Steam and you should definitely try it out. The idea behind the game was so good that I was hooked from the very beginning of the demo, and the gameplay kept me engrossed until the end. It’s an instant wishlist game for me, and here’s why.

Inkulinati Concept

Inkulinati is based on the illuminations and illustrations in the margins of medieval manuscripts. You control a Tiny Inkulinati who uses Living Ink to draw Beasts. These Beasts battle alongside your Tiny Inkulinati against your opponent and their army of Beasts, each of whom has unique abilities and powers. 

Your goal is to defeat the opponent Tiny Inkulinati while protecting your own at all costs using your Tiny Inkulinati’s Powers, Beasts, and the environment to your advantage. As each turn progresses, the battle story develops on the page, and the humorous writing is worth reading. 

You advance through the storyline by winning wild Beast Battles and Duels against another Tiny Inkulinati. The game starts simple, but each turn-based battle evolves in complexity, demanding more and more strategy as you progress through the story.

Fortunately, you also earn additional Beasts and Powers along the way, so you have all you need to smash your opponent in battle. But your strategy is key to victory in Inkulinati, so you’ll have to use all your tools to your advantage.

At the game’s start, you must progress through the Basic Lessons at the Academy. This walkthrough tutorial gives you basic information about game controls, Beasts, and strategy. Upon completing the Basic Lessons, you can begin the main story or go on to learn deeper strategic concepts in the Advanced Lessons. 

There was more than enough for me to digest in the Basic Lessons on my first playthrough, and the Advanced Lessons were way over my head then. But I’m sure they would have helped me in the last level of the demo, so I’ll go through them next time, now that I’ve grasped the basics.

I can’t wait for the full version of Inkulinati to come out on Steam this winter. The demo’s turn-by-turn strategic battles with complex Beasts hooked me for hours, and the story is just getting started. I’m a sucker for a unique concept, and dueling medieval marginalia is about as original as it gets, but there’s a lot of deep strategy involved, too. If you like turn-based battle games, you’ll love Inkulinati. 

Have you tried the Inkulinati demo? Let us know in the comments! And before you go, be sure to check out our other reviews and previews, including Hokko Life and The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Review.