I got some hands-on time with this intriguing, slightly unsettling tactical roguelite a while back, and with its PC debut on the horizon, I can finally share a few more details.
It’s called Inkshade, a roguelite tactics game from Studio Vezelle that puts you in command of small wooden figurines as they maneuver across hex-based maps.
It casts the player as a captain forced to contest a sinister wooden board game against a shadowy game master. Battles unfold on hex-tiled dioramas where victory is never assured, and the only constant is the black ink coursing through every piece.
Between matches, the captain wanders candle-lit rooms beyond the desk, uncovering puzzles, lore, and fresh classes of miniatures that broaden strategic options.
Progress hinges on a roguelite loop. Each run reshuffles encounters, yet permanent progression comes from refining and upgrading a stable of distinct pieces.
Each match unfolds on a hex-grid tabletop where a crew of wooden miniatures, your pieces, carry out turn-based orders. Between battles, you leave the desk to roam locked rooms, solve puzzles, and discover fresh piece classes, feeding a meta-progression layer that lets you refine and upgrade your permanent roster.
Pieces come in distinct classes that emphasise roles such as tanking, crowd control, or long-range harassment. Their statistics upgrade along branching paths, and the cost of boosting a stat varies from class to class, making it tempting to specialise some units while leaving others as flexible all-rounders.
A few pieces hide unusual perks: one emits light on dark boards, another lobs attacks over walls and fellow miniatures. Even mid-run, you can expand the roster by recruiting fallen foes; the ink coursing through their wooden bodies now serves you.
The public Steam demo already showcases five optional challenge rules that stack for higher difficulty: Double Pain (enemies deal double damage), Unleashed (extra and elite enemies spawn), Berserk (all enemies start aggressive), Copycat (your upgrades apply to enemies) and One Run to Rule Them All, which strips away accumulated upgrades and forces careful on-the-fly improvement.
Recent demo patches also added a “hex-site” encounter node where a mysterious stranger sells boons, curses, or mutations that reshape every piece on the board, deepening tactical choices within a run.
Studio Vezelle describes itself as an independent, one-person outfit focused on atmospheric single-player experiences; Inkshade is the studio’s first commercial release but follows prior smaller projects from the same developer.
Inkshade is due out on PC via Steam on August 14, 2025. In the meantime, give the demo a shot and wishlist it. Below the launch trailer.
About This Game
The creature behind the desk insists that you play their wooden board game. And in this game, you are a captain looking for the mysterious realm known only as the abyss. To reach such a place, you’ll need to conquer a continent, acquire an airship, and sail into cursed skies. Or rather, assemble a crew and have them do it for you.
It will take more than one attempt to defeat the game master and achieve victory, and every run will be different from the last. However, with strategy, tactics, and tenacity, you will be destined to reach your goal.
- Refine and upgrade a collection of distinct pieces and deploy them in a turn-based strategy board game. These pieces are your crew, and they will do as you say.
- Find new classes of pieces as you solve puzzles and explore the murky chambers beyond the desk. Please ignore the dark stains on the carpet.
- Add new pieces to your collection in the middle of each run by recruiting fallen foes. Whether or not they joined voluntarily is irrelevant, since they will bleed for you all the same.
