Ink Castle: a free explore-and-find-powers platformer with twikoi's art

What is Ink Castle?

Ink Castle is a free explore-and-find-powers platformer made with twikoi's art. You start small and weak in a castle of ink and paper: 37 rooms in six areas, from the Front Pages down to the Ink Cellar and up to the Petal Roof.

Each power you find opens new ways. The Second Hop reaches ledges that were too high, the Ink Dash tears through paper curtains, the Wall Cling climbs tall shafts, Pocket Size fits through ink pipes and the Petal Float rides the breezes to the top.

Her pictures hang in frames on the castle walls, her creatures wait in the rooms to be met, and her big drawings are gentle guardians.

How to play

Walk with the pad (or the arrow keys / A and D). Jump: tap for a small hop, hold for a big one.
Find powers. Each one is explained when you find it, and the How to play page lists the ones you have.
Thorns poke you back to safe ground; ants and ink drops only bump you. Nothing is ever lost.
Save pages (the ribbons) save your castle and let you travel back from the map. Your finds save at once anyway.
Guardians keep some powers: light their three stars, one at a time, and they let you pass.
The map shows every room you have seen and red dots where a picture or creature is still hiding.

Features

37 hand-made rooms in six areas, joined into one castle you can walk all through.
Five powers, each opening new ways into rooms you have already seen, plus a secret passage or two.
Fair by test: our test plays the castle with the real game rules and checks every room, every power and every picture can be reached, and that you can never get stuck.
Phone first: a thumb pad and big buttons in their own strip under the castle, so they never cover your creature. Keys on a computer.
Her 22 pictures in frames, more than 30 of her creatures to meet, and four gentle guardians.
A daily ink run: a short timed route through the castle with every power, the same for everyone, with a result to share.

Modes, levels and unlocks

The castle: Explore, find the five powers, pass the guardians and reach the last page. Then keep going for every picture and creature.
Daily ink run: Six rooms in a row with every power, against the clock. The same route for everyone today, with medals and a result to share.

Tips

Remember the places you couldn't reach. A new power usually opens one of them.
Hold jump longer to jump higher. You can still jump a moment after running off a ledge.
Red dots on the map mean something is still hiding in that room.
Guardians are gentle: watch their ink for a moment, then go for the shining star.
With the Wall Cling, hold back toward the wall after a leap to climb a single wall.

Who will like Ink Castle?

Ink Castle is for anyone who likes exploring and finding the way: gentle enough for a first platformer, with secrets and a daily ink run for keen players.

It is also for fans of twikoi's art: her pictures hang in the castle, her creatures wait to be met, and the game links to their pages on her site.

Questions

Is Ink Castle free?

Yes. Ink Castle is free to play in your web browser. No sign-up and no ads.

Does it work on phones?

Yes. It is made for phones first: a thumb pad and big jump and power buttons sit in their own strip under the castle. On a computer you play with the keys.