‘Inkulinati’, A Medieval Strategy Game Where Farts Are Stronger Than Daggers

My horse bends over and lets rip into an enemy rabbit (I’ve always wanted to start an article with that specific sentence), decreasing my opponents defensive stats. Now, I should be able to use my archer to wipe their team in the next round, as long as they don’t have a nefarious plan up their sleeve.

In the words of the developers, Inkulinati is “an ink-based strategy game straight from medieval manuscripts, where a rabbit’s bum can be deadlier than a dog's sword.” You take on an opponent in a 1v1 duel with surprising tactical depth. Ink is used as currency to spawn in units as you play, which can be gained at the end of each round or picked up on specific parts of the battlefield. Naturally, different troops have varying abilities that can be used to outfox your opponent. There’s a lot to learn at first but the basics are fairly simple. 

Check out the Inkulinati gameplay trailer here:

Playing at Gamescom, Inkulinati’s game director Wojtek Janas takes me through several rounds, quite obviously going easy on me in-game. It’s clear to see that there are countless strategies that can work, with different factions available as you progress through the game. One cool feature is that as a battle ensues a script is simultaneously being written on the parchment, describing each move in archaic detail. This can be read in full after each match too. 

Movement is key in Inkulinati too, as the more rounds pass, the smaller the battlefield becomes. It’s possible to move your opponents units around too, or use exploding barrels to do collateral damage. Furthermore, in later levels, there are traps that move around and can damage you. Staying out of the way of danger is as important as keeping an eye on the enemy alien, who’s about to deck you from behind.

Inkulinati / Daedalic Entertainment

I’m a big fan of the quirky art style in Inkulunati and love how the team even employed a ‘Medievalist’ to create a true representation of old manuscripts, without taking itself too seriously. You can literally attack by farting for goodness sake. 

Inkulinati won awards for the ‘Best Indie Game’ and ‘Best Original Game’ at Gamescom 2022 and is coming to Xbox and PC Game Pass and Nintendo Switch this November.