Unleash the Power of the New Star Captain Class in the Terrifying Starship Update

In May 2023, Shiny Shoe released its cooperative RPG roguelite, Inkbound, on Steam Early Access. With positive reviews on Steam, the game offers a multiplayer experience using the successful formula from Shiny Shoe's indie hit, Monster Train. Now, Shiny Shoe is excited to announce a major update for Inkbound called the Starship of Terror. This update brings a brand new class, environment, enemies, and game modes. Recently, Game Rant interviewed Shiny Shoe's creative director, Andrew Krausnick, who shared details about the upcoming additions to Inkbound. The highlight of the Starship of Terror update is the support-focused Star Captain class, alongside a daily challenge mode filled with mutators, an improved progression system, and various quality-of-life enhancements.

Inkbound's Star Captain: The Best Supporting Role

According to Krausnick, the Star Captain's support abilities fill a void in Inkbound's multiplayer roster. While the Obelisk class, which wields dual shields, offers some tanking skills, there has been a lack of traditional healing roles. However, instead of having a typical cleric or magic-based healer, the Star Captain possesses a formidable drone mechanic that aids allies and swiftly eliminates enemies:

"...every time you provide support, heal an ally, or use any ability (even those outside your class), you will receive a drone. When you launch your next attack, the drone will also attack, enabling you to fulfill the role of a support captain if desired."

Inkbound's Star Captains Can Focus on Frostbitten Ranged DPS

The drone mechanic created by the Star Captain cleverly addresses the issue of healer fatigue, enabling players to support their allies while maintaining an impactful offensive presence against enemies. Moreover, this mechanic ensures that the Star Captain remains a viable option for solo play, as Inkbound caters to both single-player and multiplayer experiences. In addition, Krausnick mentioned that when designing each Inkbound class, they took a comprehensive approach, considering both the defining characteristics and mechanics of the class, as well as their role as team players.

Star Captains who opt for resolving their issues using superior firepower will find great utility in the frostbite mechanic of the game. In line with the healing and support functions, the Star Captain’s drones hold significant weight in exploiting this status effect:

"For those who prefer to embrace the role of a fierce laser-wielding captain, there are two options to consider: bouncing laser bolts and frostbite stacks. Frostbite, a mechanic in our game, causes afflicted enemies to incur amplified damage upon subsequent hits. Drones are instrumental in triggering this effect and removing stacks for additional damage."

In earlier versions of Inkbound, frostbite was a feature that has been revived by Shiny Shoe with the core systems of the Star Captain. They have also introduced new items that allow the other classes in the game to make better use of frostbite. Krausnick mentioned that players on Shiny Shoe's Discord server have shown a particular interest in a unique and effective frostbite build with the Mosscloak class, which is similar to the classic rogue archetype.

Similar to other roguelike games, the ability to create different builds and engage in theory crafting is an important aspect of the gameplay in Inkbound. The choices players make in their ability ascensions will determine whether the Star Captain's focus is on ranged damage or healing. Each class in Inkbound has three base abilities that can be upgraded along various upgrade paths, and players also have the opportunity to acquire abilities that are not specific to any particular class.

New Foes in Inkbound

Introducing the Star Captain and their newly acquired abilities to Inkbound also brings along a host of fresh dangers and adversaries. Each level in Inkbound is intricately constructed within magical books that reside in the vast Athenaeum library, which is home to numerous volumes containing whole worlds. The "terrors" in the Starship of Terrors specifically refer to experimental creatures that have broken free and taken control of a derelict spacecraft featured in a sci-fi novel.

The preview footage of the game presents a formidable new guardian boss known as the mimic. This boss has the ability to mimic a specific player class and utilize some of their own skills against them. Other newly introduced foes in the game include the massive mantaloop, a creature that stomps its way through the levels, and the slimps, small stabbing creatures that aim to overpower players with their swarms. These later adversaries not only appear in the starship level of the game but also make appearances in other books within Inkbound's Athenaeum as part of the game's seasonal mechanics.

Inkbound is available via Early Access on Steam.