The writing is superb, with convincing characterisation, vivid use of language and beautifully poetic prose during the memories. Most cleverly of all, it intertwines all these aspects into the overarching and tragic narrative of the protagonist in a way that maintains intrigue throughout the playing experience.

Inkslinger tells the stories of individuals and different lands, of industrialisation, murder and civil unrest, it also entertains with abstract memories and tangible recollections. The game does come with a content warning however as it touches on some sensitive subject matter and includes descriptions of violence. The back and forth of letters, details in other jobs and the memories that they illicit gradually reveal an unexpectedly sinister narrative in a really satisfying way. The wordshop is situated in the guild-structured Isle Stammer, but writing words for clients stirs memories, revealing the true past of the Inkslinger and her origins in the nearby and smog-ridden Queendom of Nomania. That being said, completing jobs in different ways will result in varying customer responses and there is so much detail in the narrative that the game certainly has some replayability. It is even possible to test each possibility before committing, allowing for experimentation and allowing players to see some of the more obscure and amusing options without ‘ruining’ the playthrough. Only one task is timed and the gameplay is pretty causal overall, requiring logic and attention to detail rather than speed or accuracy. The controls are simple, intuitive and require just a keyboard.

Each time the player must choose to type a word from a prescribed list, ideally the one that pertains most to the customer’s intentions. They need letters, speeches and other documents written for them and lay out their requirements in stages. Diverse clientele, with eclectic names such as Humstrum, Thunderboil and Beefboy, frequent the wordshop in which the protagonists works.