Inkulinati

A medieval strategy game with a bizarre art style arrives on all systems. Inkulinati is a fast-paced 2D strategy game with great progression and a vast amount of variables you can control. Farting donkeys may draw you in, but the deep strategy will make you stay.

Are there better, more complicated tactical strategy games out there for the Switch? Absolutely, but few of them are quite as entertaining as Inkulinati. In fact, none of them let you use a creature’s butt quite as frequently or as effectively. The absurd humour doesn’t stop the game from offering some unique tactical options, even if it errs on the easy side for our liking.

Inkulinati is an art history course disguised as a weird, wonderful roguelite.

Inkulinati is a fantastic strategy game and one that is refreshingly accessible to players not immersed in that genre. The sheer charm of the whole aesthetic is clear to see and the units all have a huge amount of personality. The range of skills and possible approaches ensure that the battles remain enjoyable throughout whilst mechanics like the boredom stat encourage you to mix things up as you go. All in all, this is one of the best strategy games I’ve played in a while and you should definitely be prepared to get medieval.

The setup of the game: That you are drawing creatures that are fighting someone else’s drawings in the margins flows through the general vibe of the game. It’s surprisingly engaging and quite tactical while also being pretty loosey goosey and fun without taking up months of your life like a Paradox game. It’s just a chill good…ahhhhhhhhhhhhh god, it’s chili night and I’ve had that one stored up for hours. Might wanna open a window for that one, you’re gonna need a couple turns to get rid of that, heh heh.

nkulinati is a good strategy experience that is lacking in variety at present but that should be improved over the coming months. However, it does provide a good deal of enjoyment in its present form.

One of the main areas that Inkulinati shines is in its fantastically unique and colorful art style. The entire game is portrayed as doodles on the pages of old Middle Age texts, which makes the entire experience instantly stand out in a crowded turn-based market. Players may instantly fall in love with its many characters, style, and presentation as a whole, but even with all of that, the core gameplay loop may not be enough to keep them coming back for hours on end. And on top of that, those first few hours may push some interested players away before they jump into the real adventure.

After being in early access on multiple platforms, Inkulinati delivers a satisfying game with an original art style in its full release. The colorful, humorous character art and animations are impressive and entertaining. A lot of effort went into creating a dense and intense combat system. However, Journey Mode becomes predictable within a few runs and could have been more innovative. The lack of online multiplayer is unfortunate too, especially for a game based on dueling. Inkulinati is a fun page-turner, but it’s still in need of several revisions.

A rare balance of playfulness and genuine strategic depth, plucked from the margins of history.