Ink Depths: a free turn-based dungeon crawler with twikoi's creatures

What is Ink Depths?

Ink Depths is a free turn-based dungeon crawler (a roguelike, like Pixel Dungeon) made of twikoi's drawings. Every step you take is a turn, and then every creature takes its turn.

Her creatures live in the tunnels, and each one shows what it will do next: bite, aim, rear up, dig. Red tiles mark where a blow will land, so you can always step out of the way.

Every run is new: the floors are made fresh each time, the mystery fruits are shuffled, some floors hide a surprise (an Ink Well with three gifts to pick from, a trapped treasure, a friend in a cage), and three of her big creatures guard floors 5, 10 and 15.

How to play

Move: tap a tile to walk there, or swipe for one step. On a computer, click a tile or use the arrow keys (Q E Z C for diagonals).
Fight: walk into a creature to hit it. Each one wears a badge: ⚔ 3-4 means it bites for that much if you stay next to it.
Dodge: red tiles show where a blow lands next turn. Step out of the red and it misses.
Treasures: pick things up by stepping on them. Open the bag to hold a weapon, wear two charms, eat strawberries and throw ink stars.
Go down: find the spiral, step on it and tap Go down. Rest to heal when nothing is around.
Guardians wait on floors 5, 10 and 15, and each one leaves a gift to pick. Reach the bottom of floor 15 to win.

Features

Turn-based tactics on a grid: nothing moves while you think.
105 of her creatures as monsters with 8 simple behaviours (stalkers, hoppers, spitters, chargers, diggers, bruisers, throwers, drifters), stats taken from each drawing.
Every creature shows its next move, and red tiles warn you before every big blow.
Fresh floors every run in three places: Strawberry Burrows, Inkwell Marsh and Starry Hollow, plus the endless Deep Sketchbook.
Three big guardians (all drawings she has tees of), with telegraphed big moves.
Floor surprises: Ink Wells where you pick one of three gifts, trapped treasure on a pedestal, and her creatures in cages to set free as friends who fight at your side.
Treasures made of her little drawings: 6 weapons, 8 charms, strawberries, ink stars, sweets and 8 mystery fruits shuffled every run.
Camp: 6 heroes and 7 upgrades bought with ink drops you keep after a fall, plus feats that open deeper treasures.
An Inkdex of every creature, treasure and picture you find, linking to her own pages.

Modes, levels and unlocks

A run: Go down floor by floor with one hero. If you fall, the run is over, but your ink drops stay.
Daily dungeon: The same dungeon and hero for everyone today, with a result to share.
The Deep: After floor 15 the Deep Sketchbook goes down forever, with a guardian every fifth floor.
Camp: Unlock heroes, buy upgrades and see which deeper treasures you have opened.
Inkdex: Every creature, treasure and picture you have found, with links to her pages.

Tips

Let creatures come to you: whoever steps next to the other gives away the first hit.
Fight in corridors so only one creature can reach you.
Spitters rest after they spit. That is your moment to walk up.
Rest before you go down, and always before a guardian's room.
Eat mystery fruit when you are safe and at full HP: a sour one hurts less then.
Take a trapped treasure when your HP is full: whatever bursts out of the walls needs a turn to find its feet.

Who will like Ink Depths?

Ink Depths is for anyone who likes a calm, thinky game: nothing happens until you move, and a run lasts from ten minutes to an hour.

It is also for fans of twikoi's art: almost every one of her creatures lives somewhere down there, and the Inkdex links to each one on her site.

Questions

Is Ink Depths free?

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

Does it work on phones?

Yes. It is made for phones first: tap to walk, swipe for one step, or turn on the arrow pad. Big buttons for the bag, rest and going down. On a computer you click or use the keys.