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ink

ink

Battle your way through the spirit world in ink, a new tabletop roleplaying game from Snowbright Studio. Rejoin the lost souls of departed characters as you travel dangerous waters and treacherous isles.
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$19,206 🎉
of $7,000 (USD) goal
409
backers
Project Ended
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What's in the book?


Battle your way through the spirit world in ink, a new tabletop roleplaying game from Snowbright Studio!


"ink tells a tale of the afterlife with all the cozy grace of an old friend. Another masterpiece by Snowbright



Want just the core rulebook? Back at the PDF or Book tier!
Looking to bring the full ink experience to your table? Back at the Deluxe Boorista Box tier!
What's in the book? title

A hand holding a copy of the ink softcover book


The hauntingly illustrated ink core rulebook includes:
  • all of the rules that you need to know to play the game
  • a map of the spirit world and details on the waters and islands of the Ink
  • 6 Shadow forms that players can choose from to grow their supernatural abilities
  • 10 Greater Fiends to challenge players at the end of their epic journey
  • 25 sea monsters and creatures of the Ink to challenge players along the way
  • 75+ different Elixirs and supernatural Powers for players to gain
  • rules for nautical combat, including constructing and upgrading ships
  • rules for rapidly creating dungeon crawl journeys
  • a collection of Boorista owned and operated Elixir shops to drop into your campaigns!

Back at the Book tier to get the full rulebook  for ink. Create your own unending journeys  across the Ink and usher your spirits across  the waters into the Beyond.

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What's in the box?

What's in the box?


Deluxe Boorista Box backers will receive a special collector’s edition ink box set. This box set will only ever be available during the campaign and in-person at select conventions while supplies last. image of book, tokens, cards, stickers coffee and dice with dice box


The limited run Deluxe Boorista Box set includes:
  • a copy of the ink core rulebook
  • 6 custom glass dice made of shattered Shadows
  • 1 ethereal crystal glass Karma die (etched with the ever-watching eyes of the deep)
  • a handcrafted Elderwood dice chest made of oak to store your glass dice in
  • a map of the world of ink
  • a collection of box set exclusive Boorista stickers
  • 40 ink action cards for rapid combat and status effect tracking
  • 50+ ink tracker tokens
  • 24 ounces of inky custom roasted coffee blends* from Many Worlds Tavern to serve to the spirits at your table!

*Please note that we are not liable for any supernatural powers that you may gain from ingesting these caffeinated Elixirs.
This exclusive glass dice set features six inky black dice forged from the remnants of shattered Shadows and an ethereal crystal Karma die. Keep this set safe from Fiends in our custom Elderwood oak dice chest.
inky footer
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How do you play?

How do you play
ink uses a brand new D6-based system that was designed from the ground up to be full of unique but accessible rules. Our design goal was to create a game with deep variability and strategy that is simple to learn and fast to play.

Players roll a set of D6 dice for both skills and combat. The custom glass dice available in the Deluxe Boorista Box make it easy to differentiate rolls based on the design of the dice, but the game can be played with any ordinary set of D6s.



“As characters are already deceased, death in Ink isn’t a hindrance. Instead, Characters can only gain levels when they die.” - Dicebreaker
 
Death Is Just The Beginning
Players level differently in ink than in traditional games. For the history of tabletop roleplaying games, GMs have feared (some more than others) accidentally killing their entire party of players. But in ink, that’s encouraged…

Image of a pile of skulls, text reads, players only level up their characters when the entire party dies
This unique reframing allows players to try creative builds, encourages GMs to send their most horrific creatures into battle, and brings a whole new meaning to the afterlife.

Each time players are defeated, they gain new abilities, Powers, memories, and more as they sail once again across the dark seas of the Ink. With a little luck, they may even be able to recover lost equipment from the forsaken shore where they last fell... before some other creature does.

Shadow Powers
Every character has both a Spirit and a Shadow. Shadows come in a variety of forms and grow in strength as the game progresses.
Image of an angry Shadow, text reads, As Shadows grow, they can unlock increasingly potent and specialized Powers
Want to cast a Shadow that incinerates your foes? How about one that freezes them instead? Shadow Powers act as an “ad hoc class system” that allows players to customize their characters as they play instead of getting locked into a single path at the start of the game.

These Powers have a variety of traits that cause enemies to take on different status effects such as Burn, Chill, Poison, Terror, and Frailty.

But watch out! Other creatures in the Ink can hit you with status effects as well. Tokens and tracker cards included in the Boorista Box Set make it easy to track the Stamina and Status Effects of both characters and enemies. Print and play versions of the cards and tokens will be available to all PDF and Book tier backers.


Karma
Spirits handle skill checks with fast and simple D6 rolls based on proficiency. Shadows use a collection of D6 rolls to determine the success of their attacks and Powers. In both cases, players must also roll their Karma die to either aid or hinder their efforts. Good Karma makes rolls easier, bad Karma makes them harder. A player’s Karma changes throughout the game based on their roleplaying actions.



Combat
There is no “initiative” in ink. Players select their actions simultaneously with the GM. This allows for more rapid combat that better mimics the frenzy of Shadows battling creatures in the Ink.
Image of an angry Shadow. Text reads, During combat and moments of strong emotions, Shadows often change their shape, size and ferocity

The Deluxe Boorista Box comes with action cards that speed up action selection during combat. Print and play versions of the cards will also be available to all PDF and Book tier backers.



Campaign Generation
Don’t have time to prep for game night? No worries. ink includes a rapid generation system for new Journeys. Roll up a series of Keys, Fiends, Elixirs, and more to quickly put together an epic adventure.

Greater Fiends
Players will need more than just combat prowess to defeat Greater Fiends. Each Greater Fiend included in the book has unique powers and defenses that take advantage of their surroundings. Your players will need to think creatively in order to defeat them. Don’t be surprised if it takes a few TPKs to figure out their weaknesses.
Image of a firebird Greater Fiend. The text reads, ink includes a variety of Greater Fiends who jealously guard the only exits from the Ink.
Nautical Combat
Some of the greatest dangers in the Ink lurk just beneath the surface of its dark waters. Spirits will need a ship to travel from island to island across these toxic seas. Ink includes rules for ship creation, sailing, navigation upgrades, weapon and defense upgrades, sea combat, and more.

Better keep your dice protected in something that will float, like the lighthouse dice chest that comes with the Deluxe Boorista Box. This dice chest features the Lighthouse at the heart of the Ink and is crafted out of real oak wood by our partners at Elderwood Academy.



inky footer with a boat
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What happens to characters after they die?

What happens to characters after they die?
They fall into the Ink, of course, and that’s where the adventure really begins.

Bring back the Spirit of a character who died in a prior campaign, revisit a much loved but long departed NPC from games long past, or create a newly departed spirit just for this game. Journey with them as you battle epic creatures and Fiends and help them come to terms with their prior lives among the living. Don’t linger in purgatory too long or your Spirit will become a part of the inky ocean below.
Image of a large Shadow and its Spirt. The text reads, “in ink, every character is made of two parts: Spirit and Shadow

Your Spirit seeks to escape from purgatory but your Shadow may have other ideas. These dark and intangible companions are made up of unbridled emotion. During combat, Shadows take over completely, making for rapid combat sessions full of exciting supernatural powers that have been gained through magical Elixirs found along your journey. 

Never played a tabletop RPG before? Don't worry! You can roll up a brand new spirit just for ink!

Bring your Spirit and Shadow into harmony, work together, and you might just find a way to move Beyond the Ink.


“We love games from Snowbright Studio, and this is no exception. Ink is equal parts adorable and spooky, and we are so excited to play this with more people!” - TeaTRPG


an inky footer with a ghost
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Exploring the Ink

Exploring the ink

The Ink is a dangerous place. This shifting and ethereal world sits atop a sea of seemingly endless toxic black waters. It is said that those waters fill up a great bowl that hangs above the deeper, hotter realms of the afterlife.

The dark, unchanging sky overhead reaches up high enough to touch the Firmament—a great clockwork sky fortress protected by the Astral Keepers. The Firmament blots out all light from the heavens and the living world above. This ancient fortress keeps the lost spirits of the Ink from ever rising up to the gentler realms.

For spirits here, the Ink is all that exists. They must escape this place before they too become part of the dark waters.
An illustration of a rocky lighthouse
A lonely Lighthouse shines at the heart of the Ink and is a common first sight for new spirits.
The seas of the Ink are dotted with small islands called Keys. While danger lurks on many island shores, Keys are also home to Elixir Shops. These restful cafés are staffed by Booristas, spirits that are so skilled that they can brew the waters of the Ink into powerful Elixirs that grant Spirits and Shadows new supernatural powers.

an inky footer with a kraken
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Denizens of the Ink

Denizens of the ink

Spirits are made up of the personality and memories of those who have left the world of the living behind. Spirits may have died any time past, present, or future. Their names may come from all cultures known and unknown. Death holds no prejudice and the Ink counts spirits from all corners of existence among its trapped denizens.
The text reads, Spirits in the ink seek a way out or else risk slowly becoming part of the dark waters below them. Image of a knight peering through a crack and a floating girl looking at a coin.
 
Shadows are companions of Spirits and represent their unbridled emotions. Shadows have shifting and eerie forms that can utilize supernatural powers to launch powerful attacks. They defend their companion Spirit at all costs.

Booristas are a special kind of lost Spirit that has found a way to survive in the Ink by running a café. Booristas use special techniques to filter the toxic waters of the Ink into potent and strongly caffeinated elixirs. These elixirs imbue Spirits with mighty (but temporary) supernatural powers. Booristas rarely have their own Shadows.
Image of the inside of the Elixer Shop with three ghosts making, paying for, and adding cinnamon to their coffee, text reads, Boorista lore says that their close connection with the Ink has caused them to shed their shadows along with their desire to leave the Ink.

Creatures of all types lurk along strange coasts and below the dark waters of the Ink. Some are Spirits and Shadows too far gone to seek escape from the Ink while others are creatures born of the darkness. Be particularly mindful of the ones with fewer or more than two eyes.
Image of an Inferno Fox, text reads, Small adorable, and highly flammable inferno foxes are known for burning entire Keys to the ground thanks to their Combust powers
Fiends are powerful forces that feed on the souls of spirits in the Ink. They linger near Passage Beacons, the subtle tears in the fabric of the Ink that some say lead to the Beyond. Defeating a Fiend is never a straightforward task.

An image of a hydra emerging from the ink and a skeletal creature crouching down. The text reads, each one has unique challenges and secrets that must be untangled before they can be defeated. The Bog Hydra is a toxic creature with much  of its body submerged beneath dark water  except for two long, dragon-like heads. Mr. Bones is an ancient being that most often takes the form of a tall, thin horrific Shadow with long, gaunt arms and legs.


an inky footer with waves crashing on a rock
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Have a cup of ink!

Have a cup of ink!
This is a picture of  two bags of coffee and two cups filled with coffee beans, images of ghost brewing coffee flank the image on both sides

Want to share some elixirs at your table? Our otherworldly partner, Many Worlds Tavern, is hard at work roasting up some special blends of “ink” just for you. The Deluxe Boorista Box set will include two custom roasted blends, one as dark as the Ink and the other a spirited light roast. Our living (and not so living) taste testers can confirm that these brews will stir even the most frigid of lost souls.

We are proud to be exclusively partnering with these ghostly (and sustainability-minded) coffee roasters. We joined forces with Many Worlds Tavern on this project because of their commitment to making the world a better place, including their commitments to donating to charities and advocating for safe spaces in gaming.

Image of the roasters at Many Worlds Tavern
The crew at Many Worlds Tavern

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Reward tiers

This is a picture of my dog buzz


the Supporter icon. The text reads, Supporter - $1.00 Back at this level to show your support for ink, receive all backer updates, and get access to the BackerKit pledge manager. You will be able to add additional rewards to your pledge from the pledge manager after the campaign is over.

Image of the ink PDF icon. The text reads, PDF - $15 Back at this level to receive all backer updates and a hauntingly illustrated, screen reader-friendly PDF copy of ink, filled to the brim with everything you’ll need on your journey through the spirit world.

Image of the ink book icon. The text reads, Book - $25.oo Back at this level to receive a hauntingly illustrated softcover copy of ink, filled to the brim with everything you’ll need on your journey through the spirit world. *Shipping, VAT, & taxes are calculated & charged after the campaign through the pledge manager

Image of the Boorista Box set icon. The text reads, Deluxe Boorista Box Set - $250 Back at this level to receive a copy of ink, An exclusive 7 piece dice set, a handcrafted Elderwood oak dice chest, a map of the world of ink, a collection of Boorista stickers, 40 ink action cards, 50+ ink tracker tokens, and 24 ounces of inky custom roasted coffee blends from Many Worlds Tavern . *Shipping, VAT, & taxes are calculated & charged after the campaign through the pledge manager
Image of the ink retail icon. The text reads, Retail - $125 For retail stores only. Back at this level to receive 10 copies of ink, access to the BackerKit Pledge Manager, and our undying thanks.*Shipping, VAT, & taxes are calculated & charged after the campaign through the pledge manager


an inky footer with a ghost
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Stretch Goals

Stretch Goals

$15,000 Hardcover Upgrade All copies of ink will be upgraded to hardcover. (Book and Boorista Box tiers) $25,000 Online Character Generator You'll be able to get started with ink even faster with on online character generator. Create new spirits with just a few button clicks! (all tiers)

image of an inky wave
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Charity partnership

Charity Partnership

We are proud to be partnering with Games for Change to support the G4C Student Challenge program! A percentage of all sales of ink will go directly to supporting this amazing program.

Games for Change Student Challenge

The Games for Change Student Challenge is a national game design program and competition that invites students to create digital games about issues impacting their communities. Now in its 8th year, the Student Challenge reaches thousands of middle and high school students across the country through hands-on virtual game design courses, game jams, and a national game design competition. This important program brings computer science education and a focus on civic and environmental issues to youth globally.

Snowbright has supported the G4C Student Challenge for several years by serving as an industry mentor to several Title I US schools benefiting from the program. With ink, we are excited to provide direct support to the program so that it can continue to expand and inspire youth.


 
inky footer with kraken
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Environmental commitment

Environmental commitment

As a company, Snowbright is committed to being a leader on ecological issues in tabletop games. When you back a Snowbright game, you can be certain that we have tried to design, source, and manufacture that game as green and as ethically as we can while also still maintaining the high quality that you expect of our games. This raises the cost of manufacturing on some of our components, but it's an important step for the game industry to take toward reducing our impact on the environment.

All of the printed components of ink, including the book, box, cards, tokens, and stickers, will be printed using FSC-certified materials. FSC certification ensures that products come from responsibly maintained forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.

Ink includes no plastic components in its box set or at any other tier and, as a company, we strive to use as little plastic as possible throughout our operations.

We have chosen to include a high end glass dice set for ink in part because glass manufacturing can be more environmentally friendly than manufacturing more common acrylic and resin dice. Glass dice can also be recycled while traditional plastic dice cannot.

We are working with Many Worlds Tavern to ensure that the coffee provided through this game is ethically sourced and that it comes in appropriate, compostable packaging.

Beyond ink, Snowbright actively works with climate scientists, educators, and nonprofits to promote climate change education. We actively donate to climate change research organizations and are advocates for a greener, more sustainable future. 
an inky footer with waves crashing on rocks


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Meet the team

meet the team

Snowbright Studio is your friendly local LGBTQ+ game studio focused on making heartwarming, eco-friendly, family-friendly games and adventures for 11 months out of the year. (We get a little spookier in October.) We love our studio pets, hot mugs of tea and coffee, and debating horror movies. Go team vampire! (Note from team werewolf: please ignore the previous sentence. The vampire people don't know what they're talking about.)
Grace Collins - They/Them, Game Design/ Writing, Frosted mocha of the abyss Carrie Linden - She/They, Communications Manager, Dry cappuccino Quill Kolat - They/ Them, Creative Director, Pour over black coffee/cappuccino Bria Lancaster - She/Her, Graphic Designer, Vanilla bean frappucino Danielle Anderson - Developer, She/Her, Coffee with a dash of cinnamon, and hazelnut creamer Samantha Hollows - She/Her, Production Assistant, Vanilla cold brew Amber Seger - Any Pronouns, Layout Designer, Almond milk honey flat white Marina Otegui - She/Her, Illustrator Donn Stroud -He/Him, Writer, Coffee black/iced americano Sequoia Bostick - She/Her, Cartographer, Oat milk chai latte
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Find us online

Find us online

Done being spooky for a bit? Visit our website to check out some of our other games, including our cozy tabletop RPG Teatime Adventures and our birdwatching card game Birds of a Feather! Don't forget to follow us on socials to get an inside look at the art behind ink and other amazing Snowbright projects!
This is a picture of a ghost holding coffee and the text "find us online"

Looking for other tabletop RPGs to explore? Our super cozy game Teatime Adventures will be available as an add-on in the pledge manager
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Shipping info

Shipping information

Due to the continued uncertainty and shifting prices of global shipping, shipping costs will be calculated and charged after the BackerKit campaign is over via the Pledge Manager, NOT during the campaign itself. The chart below is an estimation of shipping costs that will be charged for each pledge level. These estimates do not include any additional copies or add-ons and are subject to change.
Shipping chart, US book $10, box $20. Alaska and Hawaii, book $15, box $30. Canada, book $25, box $35. EU and UK, book $30, box $45. Australia and NZ, book $30, box $60
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Timeline

Timeline, October campaign period, November book goes to the printer, December sneak peek at PaxU, February printing is complete, March shipping to distribution centers, April fulfillment begins, May retain release

If you believe that this project is not in compliance with BackerKit’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, you can file a report by sending a message via this link: Report this project