On August 04, 2025, indie developer Kindly Beast released the first chapter of a puzzle horror game calledBendy and the Ink Machine. Although it featured fewer visceral scares than some horrorindie games,Bendy and the Ink Machine’s cel-shaded art style and eerie concept caught a lot of attention. The game made a huge splash among fans of horror games even before the rest of the episodes had come out. Episodes two and three appeared to take the tension and thick atmosphere to even greater heights, but episodes four and five ended up bringing the franchise crashing back down to earth. However, despite the lackluster ending,Bendy and the Ink Machineis still a modern classic of indie horror deserving of celebration.
Likemany indie horror games,Bendy and the Ink Machinestarts with a simple concept. In this case, that concept is the idea of a malicious living cartoon character seeking revenge on its creators. The titular Bendy is drawn in the simple, rounded style of a 1930s cartoon character. His combination of stark blacks and faded yellows evokes the feeling of an era now past in a way that is at once nostalgic and uncanny. The rest of the game follows suit, leading to one of the most unique and iconic worlds in recent horror gaming.
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A Brief History of Bendy
Although Bendy is easily the breakout character,Bendy and the Ink Machinefocuses onthe misadventures of Henry Stein, a former traditional animator who has returned to his old workplace. A mysterious invitation from his former friend Joey Drew has lured Henry back to Joey Drew Studios. In the note, Joey states that he has something to show Henry there—a sentence that becomes far more sinister once Henry enters the old studio building. Chapter one is spent building tension as Henry wanders through the run-down halls and stumbles across Joey’s secret: the titular Ink Machine, a device that can bring cartoon characters to life. What could be a whimsical concept takes a turn for the worse as a nightmarish version of Bendy is born into the real world.
The story takes many twists and turns from there, some of which are only revealed in theBendy and the Ink Machinebooks. However, the ending of Chapter one when Henry must flee from the intimidating Ink Bendy is easily the most memorable part of the whole game. With the appearance of the game’s very first hostile presence,Bendy and the Ink Machinewent from a fun stylized outing to a surreal nightmare in one fell swoop. The later appearances of characters like Boris the Wolf and Alice Angel capitalized on Bendy’s introduction to shock the player. This scene gave the game an incredibly strong start, even if the finale didn’t quite stick the landing.
The Max Fleischer Connection
While some have comparedBendy and the Ink Machine’s big-eyed cartoon characters tothe Disney animated canon, a better comparison would be to the work of Max Fleischer. The American animator was well-known for bringing characters like Popeye, Betty Boop, and Superman to the big screen. His work had notorious energy to it and often focused on bizarre things happening to characters who may or may not have deserved it.
Alice Angel is clearly inspired by Betty Boop, but even characters like Bendy and Boris have more in common with Fleischer’s high-contrast, movement-filled artwork than the pastel wonderlands Disney was creating. Other modern cartoon-inspired games likeCupheadalso drew on Fleischer’s work, for better or worse.Bendy and the Ink Machinemay have made a good decision with its atmospheric approach to gameplay, small on-screen cast, and human characters whose faces were often deliberately obscured. More than that, however, this game deliberately set out to attack the nostalgia surrounding 1920 and 30s-style animation.Bendy and the Ink Machineis, at its best, a journey into the depravity and desperation for success that lies underneath the Dancing Demon’s facade.
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A Game Worth Celebrating
Of course, no game is always at its best, andBendy and the Ink Machineis no exception. As the chapters continued to roll out, it became increasingly clear that Kindly Beast was writing by the seat of its pants. But although the game features some questionable design choices, a confusing and underwhelming ending, and rather stripped-down characters, its excellent art design and thick and oppressive atmosphere are still very memorable. Its particularbrand of meta horrorhas stuck in the minds of players long after the game’s disappointing ending.
This may not be a surprise–the concept of malicious living cartoon characters haunting the abandoned studio that brought them to life is one that lingers. Beyond that, the world ofBendy and the Ink Machineis just fascinating overall. From the slick, stylish graphics to the slowly-building atmosphere to some spectacularly memorable inky messes, there’s a lot to appreciate about this title. It gave fans some iconic sights such as the grisly dissected corpse of Boris, the twisted and menacing Projectionist, and the half-melted corrupted Alice Angel. Regardless of its flaws,Bendy and the Ink Machineis more than worth celebrating. The twisted story of Joey Drew Studios, its mistreated employees, and its tormented creations went down in gaming history for good reason. This creepy indie game paved the road for later, equallystylized titles likeInscryptionthat build on top of its concepts of untrustworthy creators and menacing creations.
Beyond that,Bendy and the Ink Machinestill has a lot going for it. Although the story ended up being confusing and full of holes, particularly around the ending, the experience is still worthwhile. Joey Drew Studios is filled with a thick, threatening atmosphere, and Bendy, Boris, and Alice Angel’s designs are all expressive, playful, and full of potential. If fans of the franchise are lucky, that potential will continue to be explored in expanded universe materials and subsequent games. With thesequelBendy and the Dark Revivalnow in production, it’s a good time to celebrate the nightmarish world thatBendy and the Ink Machinecreated.
Bendy and the Ink Machineis available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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