Developer Yaza Games, along with their publisher Daedalic Entertainment have announced Inkulinati launches via early access this winter.

Their strategy game with a mediveal twist launches via early access on Steam and Xbox Game Preview in winter 2022. A full release is planned on PC (via Steam and GOG), Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, as well as Xbox Game Pass.

The news was confirmed with a brand new trailer, check it out:

Here’s a rundown of the game:

Assume the role of a mighty Inkulinati who wields the power of Living Ink: magic that brings illustrations to life on the page. On the game’s 2D book-battlefields, the inked creatures follow their masters’ commands, fighting against beasts controlled by rival Inkulinati. To gain an edge over their enemies, players can collect new Living Ink and tinker with their bestiary to find strategic compositions for their next duel. New servants can be unlocked throughout the game, adding peculiar abilities to the Inkulinati’s arsenal, such as human-eating snails or lodging trumpets in bottoms.

Players must move their teams with foresight and cunning to beat their opponents— among them some medieval superstars, such as Death and Dante Alighieri. As Inkulinati, you have the power to personally intervene in battles, but so do your opponents! Thanks to special abilities, they can squash hostile troops with their bare fists, draw up obstacles or move their own fighters across the map at the snap of a finger. Thus one action can turn the tide of the whole battle.

Players can ready their troops to delve into the game’s demanding single-player campaign, with the goal of rescuing their master, or challenge other Inkulinati locally in a revival of the old-school hot-seat-mode. The game features intricate maps that influence duels, allows for different gameplay styles (e. g. aggressive vs calculating) and captivates with a unique art style— and a special kind of dark humor.

If you’re really eager to get your hands on Inkulinati, you can play it at the Xbox Booth at Gamescom!