Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 79 | 40 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 91% | 85 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 90% | 84 | 348 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 29, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 348 total reviews in window · weighted 203.7 up / 22.5 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (20)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 60
“Realm of Ink is a capable isometric action roguelite that offers a ton of variety and customization options. However, the satisfying action is offset by a lackluster story and a severe lack of polish outside of the gameplay elements.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“In the end, Realm of Ink doesn’t try to outdo the giants of the genre. It just focuses on what it does well, strong combat, a distinctive visual style, and systems that keep you engaged longer than you expect. It’s not perfect, and it doesn’t need to be. It just needs to be fun enough to keep you coming back. And for me, it did that.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Realm of Ink is a game that demonstrates tremendous potential. Its inspirations are evident, but the team has managed to create something that goes beyond simple imitation, introducing interesting mechanics, a distinctive artistic identity, and a highly engaging progression system. Of course, not everything is perfect. In the later stages of the game, especially during the final chapters, the sheer number of visual effects and enemies on screen can still impact combat readability. Some area-of-effect attacks can be difficult to read, and the final boss features particularly aggressive phases that may occasionally lead to frustrating situations. Despite these shortcomings, Realm of Ink already rests on an extremely solid foundation. The gameplay is satisfying, build variety is impressive, and the progression system remains rewarding without becoming excessively demanding. If you’re a fan of action roguelites and are looking for an alternative to Hades II, Realm of Ink is definitely a title worth checking out.”
read full review ↗ - 68
“While it has a reasonably attractive look, and fares well enough for a roguelike slasher, it lacks the oomph of its more refined contemporaries”
read full review ↗ - 78
“Realm of Ink, folks, is a pretty cool roguelike with some good ideas to capture players' attention. Although some parts are less polished than others, I believe the overall experience is quite positive.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“A stylish and enjoyable roguelite with enough charm to rise above its flaws. Realm of Ink delivers a stylish and engaging experience, carried by its striking ink‑wash visuals, satisfying combat, and a world that’s easy to sink into. The weaker story, inconsistent voice work, and occasional performance dips hold it back, but even with its flaws I have enjoyed playing it. There’s a charm to its atmosphere and a confidence in its design that make the journey worthwhile, especially for players who appreciate roguelites with strong combat and a distinctive artistic identity.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Realm of Ink stands out in a saturated genre thanks to its stunning art and deep mechanics. Despite some performance and control issues, it's an experience well worth playing.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“If Hades is your favorite game, you should also give its blood- and ink-splattered competitor a try. Realm of Ink offers great combat, a rich selection of professions, and interesting skill-switching mechanics.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Realm of Ink is a very good roguelite that plays well and uses East Asian mythology as a great basis to tell its story. Being able to create some really powerful builds and demolish enemies, but it can also be considered a rather easy experience despite higher difficulty settings.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“In its 1.0 release, Realm of Ink is the most visually distinct action roguelite the genre has produced since Hollow Knight proved that a strong artistic identity is a real competitive edge. The Chinese sumi-e ink art, applied with absolute consistency across combat, character design, skill effects, and UI, creates an experience that is instantly recognizable and completely unreplicable by any other title in today's library.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The combat system itself is quite enjoyable for a while. But the intense accumulation of various bonuses and extra effects during a run makes it hard to keep track of things, both in the menus and during fights.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Realm of Ink, from developer Leap Studio, is a deeply entertaining action roguelike that excels through its visuals, stacked buff system, and variety of customizable elements.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Invision Community
Indie Games Devel
Nindie Spotlight
Pizza Fria
Life is Xbox
Andrenoob
SECTOR.sk
TheSixthAxis
GameHall
Gaming-Village
Digital Chumps…and 8 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Version 1.07 Update NotesJun 29, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.05 Update NotesJun 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.04 Update NotesJun 5, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.03 Update NotesJun 2, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.02 Update NotesMay 31, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.01 Update Notes & Future PlansMay 28, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- 1.0 Out NowMay 26, 2026
- Spring Update – Patch 1.0 Release NotesMar 31, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- 【Ink-Stained Spring】Update is here!Mar 19, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Regular Update: Bug Fixes and Optimizations – 260109Jan 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Winter Update – Patch 3Dec 31, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Winter Update – Patch 2Dec 22, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- December Version – Patch 1Dec 18, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Final Chapter: Ascend the Celestial Gate – Realm of Ink’s Fifth Arc Now Live!Dec 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Autumn Version Patch #2Oct 30, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- October Patch #1Oct 16, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- The second wave of the August routine update is here!(with some previews)Aug 22, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- August Update LogAug 4, 2025
- July Regular UpdateJul 17, 2025
- Summer Update: Patch 3Jul 4, 2025
- Summer Version Patch #2Jul 1, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Realm of Ink - June Update AnnouncementJun 25, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- June Update Coming Soon – Realm of InkJun 20, 2025
- Small update announcement on April 14thApr 14, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- 4/3 Update Patch NoteApr 3, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- 4/1 Update Patch NoteApr 1, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Realm of Ink Nirvana Theme update is here!Mar 28, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- New Year, New Look: Production Progress UpdateJan 25, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Realm of Ink 1.0 Release Delayed to MarchDec 27, 2024
- Early Access Patch 11 NotesDec 26, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Early Access Patch 10 Notes & Christmas Theme Skin!Dec 23, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Early Access Patch 9 NotesDec 20, 2024
- Realm of Ink Early Access - Major December Update Now Available!Dec 18, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Early Access Patch 8 NotesNov 29, 2024
- Early Access Patch 7 NotesNov 27, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Realm of Ink Early Access - Major November Update Now Available!Nov 26, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Early Access Patch 6 NotesNov 1, 2024
…and 15 earlier patch announcements.