Bendy And The Ink Machine
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''Bendy and the Ink Machine'' is an episodic
survival horror game Survival horror is a Video game genre, subgenre of horror games. Although combat can be part of the gameplay, the player is made to feel less in control than in typical action games through limited ammunition or weapons, health, speed, and visio ...
developed and published by Joey Drew Studios. It was initially released to
Game Jolt Game Jolt is a social community platform for video games, gamers and content creators. Founded by Yaprak and David DeCarmine, it is available on iOS, Android, and on the web and as a desktop app for Windows and Linux. Users share interactive ...
on February 10, 2017, as the first of five chapters, with a full worldwide release on October 27, 2018. The game was also released for
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,
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, and
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on November 20, 2018, being published by
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, for
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and Android on December 21, 2018, and for
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, and
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on May 9, 2025. Inspired by the ''BioShock'' game series, the game is set in the fictional Joey Drew Studios. The player controls Henry Stein, a retired animator who receives a letter inviting him back to his old workplace. Stein discovers a series of strange paranormal activities caused by the titular Ink Machine. In the game, players navigate through a first person perspective and need to complete certain tasks to proceed, such as combat, collecting objects, or solving puzzles. Players can also find audio logs recorded by the studio's employees to understand the game's history. ''Bendy and the Ink Machine'' was well-received upon its initial release. Praise centered on its vintage aesthetic and story, although its puzzles and combat mechanics were less popular. In the months following its release, the game quickly gained a large following from exposure on platforms like
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and
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and eventually was approved through
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in mid-2017. Merchandise, as well as a mobile spin-off, was later introduced to further promote the game. Mike Desjardins, the game's programmer, and co-creator described the game as an "accidental success". A sequel, ''
Bendy and the Dark Revival ''Bendy'' is a horror game series and media franchise created by Paul Crawford and Mike Desjardins, credited respectively as theMeatly and Mike D. Overview Gameplay The ''Bendy'' games are set at the fictional studio of Joey Drew Studios, ...
'', was released on November 15, 2022, while a film adaptation, directed by
André Øvredal André Øvredal (; born 6 May 1973) is a Norwegian film director and screenwriter. He is best known for directing the films '' Trollhunter'' (2010), '' The Autopsy of Jane Doe'' (2016), '' Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark'' (2019) and '' The La ...
, is in production.


Gameplay

''Bendy and the Ink Machine'' is a first person survival that resembles several cartoons in the 1920s to 1940s. The player plays as Henry Stein, a retired animator who returns to his old workplace, Joey Drew Studios, and discovers that a machine has destroyed the entire studio and brought certain cartoon characters to life. The game mixes combat with puzzle mechanics. Players explore through a first-person view and have limited physical actions such as running and jumping. Different items can be collected, some of which are required to perform various tasks before proceeding. Cans of
bacon soup Bacon soup is a soup made with bacon. Generally a number of vegetables are added and often a thickening agent such as pearl barley, lentils or corn flour. It can be added to Italian minestrone soup to enhance the flavor. Many variations exist, ...
can also be collected for achievements and to restore Henry's
health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...
if he is injured. Combat is primarily focused around a variety of different melee-based weapons, such as an
axe An axe (; sometimes spelled ax in American English; American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for thousands of years to shape, split, a ...
,
pipe Pipe(s), PIPE(S) or piping may refer to: Objects * Pipe (fluid conveyance), a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules ** Piping, the use of pipes in industry * Smoking pipe ** Tobacco pipe * Half-pipe and quarter pipe, semi-circular ...
,
plunger A plunger is a device driven by or against fluid pressure. In plumbing, the term plunger commonly refers to handheld tools used to clear blockages in drains and pipes. Plumbing plungers consist of a rubber suction cup attached to a stick (''sh ...
,
wrench A wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn objects—usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts—or keep them from turning. In the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand ...
, or
scythe A scythe (, rhyming with ''writhe'') is an agriculture, agricultural hand-tool for mowing grass or Harvest, harvesting Crop, crops. It was historically used to cut down or reaping, reap edible grain, grains before they underwent the process of ...
, though the scythe is not accessible in normal gameplay. Additionally, there are long-range weapons such as a
tommy gun The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy gun", "Chicago typewriter", or "trench broom") is a blowback-operated, selective-fire submachine gun, invented and developed by Brigadier General John T. Thompson, a United States Arm ...
or bacon soup cans. In-game enemies have different strength levels and resilience to damage, forcing players to be tactical about keeping out of reach and striking when necessary. Failure to do so will result in a death. Henry can retreat inside Little Miracle Stations whenever enemies are nearby in order to recover or remain out of sight. If he takes too much damage, he can escape from the ink that consumes him and
respawn Spawning in video games refers to the process by which entities, such as player characters, non-player characters, enemies or items, are generated and placed into the game world. Closely related concepts include respawning, which involves reint ...
at one of the numerous statues of Bendy that act as
checkpoints Checkpoint may refer to: Places * Border checkpoint, a place on the land border between two states where travellers and/or goods are inspected * Security checkpoint, erected and enforced within contiguous areas under military or paramilitary cont ...
. The player can save their progress by interacting with time card stations. In addition, players can find numerous audio logs throughout the studio that give more details about the game's story, particularly concerning the fate of the studio and its employees, similar to the systems used in games such as ''
BioShock ''BioShock'' is a 2007 first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston (later Irrational Games) and 2K Australia, and published by 2K. The first game in the ''BioShock'' series, it was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 ...
''. Some of these logs can be missed and require further exploration to uncover the secret areas they often reside in. During the final chapter, players unlock the Seeing Tool, which is a device used to view secret hidden messages that would be invisible without it. After completing it, players can also use it in the previous four chapters during replays.


Plot


Chapter 1: Moving Pictures

In the year 1963, Henry Stein, co-founder and former animator at Joey Drew Studios, is invited back to the studio by his former friend and business partner, Joey Drew. Henry enters the studio and finds it abandoned and splattered with ink, as well as the mutilated corpse of what appears to be a figure of Boris the Wolf, one of the studio's fan favorite characters. Henry discovers that the mess was caused by the Ink Machine, a device Joey created after Henry had left with the purpose of generating real-life versions of the studio's cartoon characters. Henry repairs the machine and activates it by collecting items left behind by the studio staff, but is then attacked by a monster taking an ink-based form of the studio's mascot, Bendy, called the Ink Demon. As Henry tries to escape, the floor collapses and he falls into the studio's lower levels, now flooded with ink. He drains the ink, finds an axe, and enters a room with coffins and a pentagram drawn on the floor. When he steps on the latter, he hallucinates several images of Bendy in quick succession and then passes out.


Chapter 2: The Old Song

Henry wakes up, retrieves his axe, and searches for a way out. He eventually comes to the music department and discovers an exit at the bottom of some stairs, but the stairs are flooded and blocking the door. After battling ink creatures known as Searchers, Henry finds music director Sammy Lawrence's office and finds a pump switch inside that could drain the ink at the stairs, but his office is blocked by a massive ink leak. Henry finds two valves that lower the ink pressure, one of which is held by a Searcher with a hat (actually the studio's lyricist Jack Fain) that he must defeat. At one point, he must learn to play Sammy's favorite song to open a door to reach the second valve. After stopping the leak, Henry drains the ink at the stairs. While approaching the stairs, however, he is knocked out with janitor Wally Frank's dustpan by Sammy, who has turned into an ink humanoid with a Bendy mask. After Henry wakes up, Sammy reveals he intends to sacrifice Henry to the Ink Demon, whom he worships as a deity, so that he can be free of the ink. As Sammy begins the ritual, though, he is attacked by the Ink Demon and presumably killed. Henry breaks free and flees from Bendy into a storage room, locking the door behind him, while being chased by the Demon. Venturing into the room, he finds an alive and peaceful ink version of Boris the Wolf.


Chapter 3: Rise and Fall

When he wakes up, Henry finds himself in a small safehouse. He finds Boris and cooks a pot of bacon soup for him in exchange for a lever needed to open the exit. The two leave the safehouse to find another way out of the studio. After using a flashlight to make their way through a dark area, they come across the studio's Toy Department and find a back room full of merchandise for Alice Angel, the studio's lead female. After Boris is briefly separated from Henry, he gives him a Gent pipe to use as a weapon. Henry is then confronted by an ink version of Alice, who jumpscares him. He is then presented with a choice of two paths; the one chosen by the player will affect which of two easter eggs they'll be able to access, and the other will become blocked off. Reaching Level 9, Henry and Boris discover multiple mutilated clones of Boris and other ink monsters collectively called the Butcher Gang, which Alice has been harvesting to improve her appearance. Meeting Alice, who is torturing one of the monsters, Henry is instructed to complete several tasks for her in exchange for being allowed to escape the studio. She provides him with various tools, which he must use to carry out her instructions while avoiding or fending off enemies. As Henry completes the tasks, it becomes apparent that Alice is actually Susie Campbell, the character's original voice actress who became obsessed with Alice to the point of believing she was her character, and grew vindictive after she was replaced by another actress, Allison Pendle. She has since taken Alice's form after being corrupted by the ink. After Henry fulfills her needs, she sends him to the elevator where he can leave, but forces it to fall after discovering Boris, whom she wants to harvest as he is the most perfect Boris. The elevator crashes, knocking Henry out. As Boris tries to wake Henry up, Alice kidnaps Boris and takes him away.


Chapter 4: Colossal Wonders

Waking back up from passing out and Boris' abduction, Henry leaves the broken lift and explores the cavernous archives of the studio to find and rescue Boris. After Alice taunts Henry over loudspeakers about Boris' capture, Henry comes across a lounge filled with Lost Ones, people infected by the ink who show no hostility. After fleeing through the vents, Henry discovers that Joey planned to open a Bendy-themed amusement park called Bendy Land, with the help of famed amusement park designer Bertrum Piedmont. Henry deduces that the haunted house attraction is the way to go and traverses the storage area to find the switches to power the ride up. He activates the four power switches by playing carnival games, sneaking past the Butcher Gang, destroying an octopus ride with which an ink-corrupted Bertrum has merged himself, and escaping from "the Projectionist," an ink-corrupted creature with a movie projector for a head who was formerly studio projectionist Norman Polk. Henry watches the Ink Demon fight the Projectionist and tear his head off. Once on the haunted house ride, Henry is shocked to discover that Alice has transformed Boris into a vicious monster. Unable to turn him back to normal, Henry is forced to kill Boris, who fades away. An enraged Alice tries to attack and kill Henry herself, but is killed from behind by another, fully sane version of Alice Angel and a robot-handed clone of Boris.


Chapter 5: The Last Reel

The new Alice and Boris, dubbed Allison Angel (Allison Pendle) and Tom (Thomas Connor, the lead engineer of the Ink Machine), lock Henry in a makeshift prison, as they aren't sure if they can trust him. Henry manages to gain Allison's trust, and she gives Henry a Seeing Tool, which is used to see hidden messages; Henry sees a message that says Allison will leave Henry for dead (which is later proven true). Later, the Ink Demon discovers Allison and Tom's location, and Tom (still distrusting Henry) convinces Allison to leave Henry behind so they can escape, knowing that they can't get him out before the Ink Demon arrives. Henry manages to escape the prison on his own after discovering a secret room with a weapon behind the wall, thanks to the hidden messages. Once he escapes, Henry sees Allison and Tom escaping on a barge through a river of ink. He follows them on a second barge, with a massive Bendy hand chasing behind him. Henry arrives in a shanty town built by the Searchers and the Lost Ones. There, he is confronted by an injured Sammy, who deliriously believes Henry is the Ink Demon and tries to take revenge for almost killing him. Sammy overpowers Henry and tries to kill him, but is killed by Tom, who finally trusts Henry and equips him with an axe. With Sammy out of the way, the Searchers and Lost Ones he was keeping at bay become violent and start attacking. Henry, Allison, and Tom work together and defeat the wave of monsters. Henry leads the way onward, but falls into the administration offices on a lower level. Henry tries to escape through the film vault, but the entrance is flooded. He works to reconnect the pipe system to drain the ink, all while hiding from the Butcher Gang. Once in the film vault, a message reveals that a film reel has been stolen by the Ink Demon. Allison and Tom arrive and join Henry on his quest to find the Ink Demon. They discover that Bendy's lair is a massive version of the Ink Machine. Henry is forced to go in alone, as the entrance is surrounded by ink, which could reabsorb and kill Allison and Tom. Inside, Henry finds a message from Joey, who talks about his downfall and how Henry can fix the darkness by showing the Ink Demon the stolen reel, titled "The End". It's revealed that the Ink Machine was used in a combination of occult magic and technological alchemy to create real-life mascots for Bendy Land, but the Ink Demon was abandoned in the depths of the studio, as unlike the other creations, which are made from the souls of the staff, he was made from scratch and soulless as a result, locked away in a prison-like throne room filled with cartoons in a vain attempt to imprint the desired traits onto him. The Ink Demon arrives and transforms into a massive monster, known as Beast Bendy, knocking Henry into another room and giving chase. Henry escapes the Ink Demon and returns to his throne to play "The End" reel, which broadcasts the words "The End" on several screens, causing the Ink Demon to dissolve as his story comes to a close. Afterwards, Henry is transported to Joey's house, who talks about how the two went on different paths, and how Joey's path burned because of his ambition. He summons Henry to the studio and the events of the beginning of the game play again, revealing that Henry is caught in a
time loop The time loop or temporal loop is a plot device in fiction whereby Character (arts), characters re-experience a span of time which is repeated, sometimes more than once, with some hope of breaking out of the cycle of repetition. Time loops are co ...
called the Cycle. In a
post-credits scene A post-credits scene (also known as a stinger, end tag, or credit cookie) is a short teaser clip that appears after the closing credits have rolled and sometimes after a production logo of a film, TV show, or video game has run. It is usually ...
, the camera zooms in on a signed picture from Henry of Bendy, Boris and Alice Angel. Offscreen, a young girl (implied to be Joey's niece) asks her "Uncle Joey" to tell her another story.


Characters and voice cast

* Henry Stein (voiced by theMeatly) is a co-founder and animator of Joey Drew Studios, who created the characters in the Bendy cartoons. He is the main
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...
, who has returned to Joey Drew Studios after 30 years. * Joey Drew (formerly voiced by David Eddings, currently voiced by Dave Rivas) is the founder and CEO of Joey Drew Studios. Prior to the games events, Joey went bankrupt and the studio collapsed from its former glory. * Wally Franks (voiced by theMeatly) is Joey Drew Studios' relaxed janitor. Besides Henry, he is the only character to appear in all 5 chapters via audio logs. He is most known for his phrase "I'm outta here!" * Thomas Connor (voiced by Mike Mood) is a gruff and grouchy mechanical engineer from Gent Enterprises who was hired by Joey Drew Studios to build the Ink Machine. He is married to Allison Pendle. In the game, he has been corrupted by the ink and turned into a Boris clone, who goes by Tom, friend of Allison. He is shown to be hostile towards Henry. * Sammy Lawrence (voiced by Aaron Landon) is an antagonist of Bendy and the Ink Machine and the former music director of Joey Drew Studios, who started to go insane. By the events of the game, he has been corrupted by the ink and worships Bendy as a deity. * Norman Polk (voiced by theMeatly) is the elusive and observant projectionist of Joey Drew Studios. By the events of the game, he has been turned into the Projectionist, a humanoid monster with a projector head. * Susie Campbell (voiced by Alanna Linayre) is the original voice actress for Alice Angel, who became obsessed with the character, and went crazy when she was replaced by Allison Pendle. By the events of the game, she has been corrupted by the ink and turned into a twisted version of Alice. * Alice Angel (voiced by Lauren Synger) is the lead female in the Bendy cartoons. In the game, she is a twisted form of the original character, taken form through her voice actress Susie Campbell. * Jack Fain (voiced by Bookpast) is the main lyricist at Joey Drew Studios and Sammy's second-in-command. In the game, he has been corrupted by the ink and transformed into a Swollen Searcher. * Shawn Flynn (voiced by Seán "Jacksepticeye" McLoughlin) is a toymaker and the merchandise director at Joey Drew Studios. * Grant Cohen (voiced by Will Alex "DAGames" Ryan) is Joey Drew's exasperated accountant. * Bertrum Piedmont (voiced by Joe J. Thomas) is a famed British theme park designer, who built the Bendy-themed amusement park, Bendy Land and rejects his treatment by Joey Drew. In the game, he has merged with an octopus ride. * Lacie Benton (voiced by
Lani Minella Lani Jean Minella (born July 28, 1950) is an American voice actress, voice director, and producer mostly working in the games industry. She is also the founder and owner of the voice-acting agency AudioGodz. Career After college, Minella started ...
) is an engineer working under Bertrum Piedmont. Minella also voices a cheeky, childish Searcher named Heidi in the sequel Bendy and the Dark Revival. * Allison Pendle (voiced by Lauren Synger) is the second voice actress for Alice Angel, replacing Susie Campbell. She is married to Thomas Connor. In the game, she has been corrupted by the ink and transformed into a kinder form of Alice Angel named Allison, friend of Tom. Additionally, there are multiple characters in the game with no featured dialogue: * The Ink Demon is the main
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
. TheMeatly was not a programmer and thus Mike Mood joined the production as he saw potential in the game. ''Bendy and the Ink Machine'' was inspired by the ''BioShock'' series. The first chapter, "Moving Pictures", took five days to be finished. The game was then released for free on
Game Jolt Game Jolt is a social community platform for video games, gamers and content creators. Founded by Yaprak and David DeCarmine, it is available on iOS, Android, and on the web and as a desktop app for Windows and Linux. Users share interactive ...
on February 10, 2017, being one of the first games that were released on the platform. Originally, the project was "for fun", according to Mike Mood, but it later became viral and incentivized them to develop a second chapter, "The Old Song", which was officially announced in March 2017 and took six weeks to be finished. It was released on April 18, 2017, and also added a remastered version of the previous chapter, an updated menu, subtitles, achievements, etc. The game was approved by
Steam Greenlight Steam is a digital distribution service and storefront developed by Valve. It was launched as a software client in September 2003 to provide video game updates automatically for Valve's games and expanded to distributing third-party titles in l ...
on February 28, 2017, and was then released on
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on April 27, 2017. "Chapter 1" was made available for free, while "Chapter 2" was released as a DLC for $6. The third chapter, "Rise and Fall", was announced on production in May 2017. It was developed by six people in at least four months, and the reason for its long development, according to Mike Mood, was because he needed to create a framework "to make the process smoother". Its trailer was released in August 2017, which showed an animated short intitled "Tombstone Picnic" and showed Henry running from Ink Bendy in a room. However, Mike Mood stated it was used only for the trailer's chase sequence and for test purposes. It was released on September 28, 2017, while the previous two chapters also received remastered versions. On October 27, 2017, the game had a crossover with ''
Hello Neighbor ''Hello Neighbor'' is a stealth game developed by Dynamic Pixels and published by tinyBuild. Initially released as public alphas from 2016 to 2017, it received a full release for Windows and Xbox One on December 8, 2017, and later for PlayStati ...
'', making changes like replacing Ink Bendy and Sammy Lawrence with the Neighbor, as well as replacing Ink Bendy's chase music with the Neighbor's. The crossover lasted until October 31. The ''Hello Neighbor'' side of the crossover can be accessed through the Steam beta system, while the ''Bendy and the Ink Machine'' side of the crossover is widely believed to be lost media, although it can still be downloaded through Steam's depot system. The fourth chapter, "Colossal Wonders", was firstly confirmed in production on November 17, 2017. It also included remastered versions of the first three chapters, which included enhanced soundtracks and textures. It was released on April 30, 2018. Originally scheduled for April 28, it was delayed due to technical problems on Steam that disallows to make releases during weekends. The fifth and final chapter, "The Last Reel", was firstly confirmed in production on June 4, 2018. Later, it was announced that it would be released in October, and that it would be received for free for players who have bought the previous chapters. A special edition, titled ''Bendy and the Ink Machine: Jacksepticeye Edition'', was given to YouTuber Jacksepticeye before the fifth chapter released to the public, which included all five chapters. The chapter was released on October 26, 2018. The game received a final bundle on the next day, titled ''Bendy and the Ink Machine: Complete Edition''. Chapters 2–4, which were previously available as downloadable content, became free, while the game became paid. On January 29, 2018, TheMeatly officially announced that ''Bendy and the Ink Machine'' would be released to consoles. The
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...
and
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was first released in North America, parts of Europe, Austra ...
ports were published by
Rooster Teeth Games Rooster Teeth Games was an American video game developer, publisher and distributor based in Austin, Texas, serving as Rooster Teeth's video game division. It was focused on "bridging the gap between independent game developers and the worldwide ...
, originally intended to be released on October 26, 2018, while the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
port was scheduled to release on November 20, but both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One's release dates were pushed to the same date for Nintendo Switch's release. On December 15, 2018, a mobile port was announced by TheMeatly and Joey Drew Studios, and it was released on December 21, 2018.


Reception

According to the aggregating review website
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, ''Bendy and the Ink Machine'' received "mixed or average reviews" on its console ports. The website ''
Rock, Paper, Shotgun ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' is a British video game journalism website. It was launched in July 2007 to focus on PC games and was acquired by Gamer Network, a network of sites led by ''Eurogamer'', in May 2017. History ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' ...
'' considered the first chapter one of the best free games from the week. The game's storyline and setting were mostly praised. Most reviewers noted that the game's art style resembles the "
Steamboat Willie ''Steamboat Willie'' is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It was produced in black-and-white by Walt Disney Animation Studios and was released by Pat Powers (producer), Pat Powers, under the name of Cele ...
" era of Disney's cartoons, with ''PlayStation LifeStyle'' describing Bendy as an "obvious parallel" between other cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse or Betty Boop. Liam Martin of ''Express'' said that the game's theme is that "classic cartoons are more sinister than we remember". Sean Warhurst of ''ImpulseGamer'' also viewed the game's visuals as the game's "biggest strength" and said its graphics engine "complements the artistic direction". This was also discussed by Barry Stevens of Entertainment Focus, who said that "the game has a really unique art style and really pulls off the old animation studio feel with everything being drawn in a 30s style". Most websites considered the game's gameplay mechanics repetitive. ''TheXboxHub'' described the game's combat mechanics as "frustrating", since most of its enemies die in only one hit. ''VGCultureHQ'' said that some range weapons in the second chapter, such as a gun or a slingshot, "would help make lengthy combat sequences feel more fair and less of a risk". However, it also stated that the boss battles in the game feel "intense". The puzzles, according to ''The Digital Fix'', were repetitive, saying that "It's something we've done a million times before". ''VGCultureHQ'' complained that the game's chapter lengths were "too short" and without a "fair balance", considering that it could be completed in four hours; the first and final chapters could be "finished in just under a half-hour", while the other three chapters "may take longer". According to ''Hely on Horror'', the first chapter serves as a "tutorial", as it guides the player to "interact with the environment and solve simple puzzles", the second chapter is where combat is introduced, but the third chapter is where players are thrown into the action. Steven Asarch of ''Player.One'' felt the third chapter's task list to be a "lazy attempt for developers to pad hegame for length without adding any additional content", and that if future chapters focused more on character development, "they could truly be masterpieces". The game has been frequently compared with ''
BioShock ''BioShock'' is a 2007 first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston (later Irrational Games) and 2K Australia, and published by 2K. The first game in the ''BioShock'' series, it was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 ...
'', due to, according to ''PlayStation LifeStyle'', the game having an "antique style". ''Nintendo Life'' noted similarities to the feeling of ''BioShock'', from "the revelations that are made of Henry's past to the retro aesthetic that clings to every corner of the game's dilapidated setting". However, it also compared it to ''
Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
'', and ''
Outlast ''Outlast'' is a 2013 first-person psychological survival horror video game developed and published by Canadian independent studio Red Barrels. It revolves around freelance investigative journalist Miles Upshur, who decides to investigate Moun ...
'', considering it a "fusion". The game was also compared with ''
Cuphead ''Cuphead'' is a 2017 run and gun video game developed and published by Canadian developer Studio MDHR. The game follows its titular teacup-headed character and his brother Mugman, as they make a deal with the Devil to pay casino losses by r ...
'' and ''
Epic Mickey ''Epic Mickey'' is a 2010 platform game developed by Junction Point Studios and published by Disney Interactive Studios for the Wii. It was released in November 2010 in North America and PAL territories. The game focuses on Mickey Mouse, who a ...
'', for their homages to "rubber hose" animation and the style of 20th-century cartoons.


Sales

By 2017, the game achieved 750,000 downloads on Steam, according to ''Player.One''.


Awards

The game has received the "Best Horror Game" award by
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
and is listed as #1 in "18 Best Horror Games of 2017". The mobile port received the "Game of the Day" award on February 23, 2019. T''ouchArcade'' nominated the mobile port as the "Game of the Week" on December 21, 2018.


Legacy

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
was a big contributor for the popularity of ''Bendy and the Ink Machine''. Many gamers such as
Markiplier Mark Edward Fischbach ( ; born June 28, 1989), known online as Markiplier, is an American YouTuber, filmmaker, and actor. One of the most popular YouTubers on the platform, he is known for his "Let's Play" videos of indie horror games. He wa ...
and Jacksepticeye were seen making "Let's Play" videos of ''Bendy and the Ink Machine'', which reached millions of views. Many YouTube musicians also made fan songs for ''Bendy and the Ink Machine,'' the most popular being DAGames' "''Build Our Machine''", which has been viewed more than 100 million times. Some of the most popular fanmade songs were later included in an album entitled "''Bendy's Inky Megamix''", which was made to help raise donations for United Ways COVID-19 relief charity at Tiltify. Some of these fan-made songs were included in the game, including DAGames' "''Build Our Machine''", Kyle Allen's "''Bendy and the Ink Machine Song''", Random Encounters' "''Bendy and the Ink Musical''", and JT Music's "''Can't Be Erased''". This caused the game to have a giant fanbase, which Mood described as different from the most fanbases, calling other games' fanbases sometimes "toxic". The game also attracted an audience of children, whose attention was mostly given to the character Bendy, although the game is T-rated. According to Mike Mood, what the made the game so popular was because of its characters. It also surged merchandise from the game, such as toys, shirts, etc., which can be bought on the game's official store. Books and comic books were also released.


Spin-offs

A mobile spin-off called ''Bendy in Nightmare Run'' was announced on January 26, 2018. It was released on
iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...
on August 15, 2018, and on Android on September 27. The game is an
endless runner Endless runner or infinite runner is a subgenre of platform game in which the player character runs for an infinite amount of time while avoiding obstacles. The player's objective is to reach a high score by surviving for as long as possible. Th ...
style game involving the player characters of either Bendy, Boris, or Alice collecting Bacon Soup while running away from large bosses chasing the player character. A spin-off called ''Boris and the Dark Survival'' was released on February 10, 2020, on ''Bendy and the Ink Machine''s 3-year anniversary. The game is a
prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term ...
, taking place before the first chapter of the original game. It revolves around Boris the Wolf searching through the different levels of Joey Drew Studios looking for supplies for his safehouse while escaping Ink Bendy, Twisted Alice, the Projectionist, the Butcher Gang, or Borkis, a yellow-eyed version of Boris. The game also received several updates after its release. The latest one, ''Symphony of Shadows'', was released on June 30, 2020.


Joke games

On October 23, 2018, Joey Drew Studios posted on Twitter an image announcing a joke game, entitled ''Black Ink Possession'', parodying ''
Red Dead Redemption 2 ''Red Dead Redemption 2'' is a 2018 action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games. The game is the third entry in the ''Red Dead'' series and a prequel to the 2010 game ''Red Dead Redemption''. The story is set in a fictiona ...
''. During April Fools in 2020, the emprise poster a trailer of another joke game, ''Bendy Royale''. It parodies '' Fortnite: Battle Royale'', where it was meant to be a battle royale with Bendy and the Ink Machine characters being playable. Subsequent joke games and other media have been posted on Joey Drew Studios' channel with the likes of a supposed show known as ''Bendy: Ink Chronicles'' which was meant to be a live action adaptation of the original ''Bendy and the Ink Machine''. The most recent joke game posted to the Joey Drew Studios channel is a game titled ''Bendy: Campus Crush'', which parodies a stereotypical
visual novel A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustratio ...
.


Crossovers

A Halloween crossover mod, ''Hello Bendy'', was released for the game on October 27, 2017, for a limited time, featuring the ''
Hello Neighbor ''Hello Neighbor'' is a stealth game developed by Dynamic Pixels and published by tinyBuild. Initially released as public alphas from 2016 to 2017, it received a full release for Windows and Xbox One on December 8, 2017, and later for PlayStati ...
'' antagonist, who takes the role as Bendy in all previous three chapters and Sammy Lawrence for ''Chapter 2''. The mod's menu features the advertisement of pre-ordering the game ''Hello Neighbor''. The mod expired by the end of October that year. Co-creator Mike Mood has talked about wanting to do a crossover with ''
Cuphead ''Cuphead'' is a 2017 run and gun video game developed and published by Canadian developer Studio MDHR. The game follows its titular teacup-headed character and his brother Mugman, as they make a deal with the Devil to pay casino losses by r ...
'', which also was popular at around the same time and also uses
rubber hose animation Rubber hose animation was the first animation style that became standardized in the American animation field. The defining feature is a curving motion that most animated objects possess, resembling the motion and physical properties of a rubber ...
.


''Bendy and the Dark Revival''

Another game, ''Bendy and the Dark Revival'', was announced on April 14, 2019. However, Mike Desjardins stated on February 13, 2019, that it would not serve as ''Bendy and the Ink Machine 2''. A gameplay trailer was released on June 24, 2019, announcing the game's release for Fall 2019. However, in December 2019, a new trailer was released to say that the game was being delayed and will release sometime in 2020. Another trailer was released on June 1, 2020, revealing that the game would be released in its entirety with all five chapters included, unlike the first game which was released episodically. The trailer also suggested the game would come out in the latter half of 2020. However, on November 30, 2020, the developers announced that the game would be releasing in 2021, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The developers also cited that the game will be ten times bigger than the original game and that they didn't want to rush the game. The game was, however, delayed once again to 2022 without being announced. On October 31, 2022, the official Bendy social media accounts announced that a trailer for Bendy and the Dark Revival would be uploaded the following day. The game was officially released on November 15, 2022. While serving as a sort of reboot, with characters getting new designs (such as Joey and Bendy), the game is a continuation of the original game.


''Bendy: Secrets of the Machine''

Another game, Bendy: Secrets of the Machine, was released on 14 April 2024. The player explore Gent's creation, solving puzzles and uncovering mysteries in the realm of Dark Puddles, where past, present, and future intertwine. Released on Steam as a free game, revealing a game called "''B3ndy''".


Potential television adaptation

In 2020,
Derek Kolstad Derek Kolstad (born April 4, 1974) is an American screenwriter and film producer. He is the creator of the ''John Wick'' franchise, which began in 2014. He continued to write for the first two sequels of the franchise and is mainly known as a ...
, creator of the ''
John Wick ''John Wick'' is an American media franchise created by Derek Kolstad. It centers on a neo-noir action thriller film series featuring titular character portrayed by Keanu Reeves. Wick is a legendary hitman who is reluctantly drawn back int ...
'' franchise, stated that he has interest in making a television adaptation based on the game.


Film adaptation

On Christmas Day 2023, the ''Bendy''
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account announced that a film adaptation of the video game is in production with
Radar Pictures Radar Pictures, Inc. is an American motion picture production company that was formed in 1984 by Ted Field, after obtaining the assets of Interscope Communications. History In 2000, Interscope Communications was spun off after Field bought out ...
. On Halloween 2024, it was announced that
André Øvredal André Øvredal (; born 6 May 1973) is a Norwegian film director and screenwriter. He is best known for directing the films '' Trollhunter'' (2010), '' The Autopsy of Jane Doe'' (2016), '' Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark'' (2019) and '' The La ...
was hired to direct the film, while Double Down Pictures joined in the production of the film.


Notes


See also

* ''
Cuphead ''Cuphead'' is a 2017 run and gun video game developed and published by Canadian developer Studio MDHR. The game follows its titular teacup-headed character and his brother Mugman, as they make a deal with the Devil to pay casino losses by r ...
''


References


External links

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