Discovery defines the greatest videogame experiences. No one forgets that butterflies-in-your-stomach, swooning I’ve-never-felt-this-way-before feeling you get upon first entering a game world you know you’ll be spending a lot of time in. The really good games give you that sensation throughout, with each new rule and mechanic or narrative twist. INK blends the visual discovery embedded in Unfinished Swan with the platforming surprises (read: difficulty) of Super Meat Boy. A lonely square avatar bounces from invisible wall to invisible wall, splattering paint swabs across the newly-visible environment. You learn from the world in INK like a painter discovers his canvas: with assured, yet curious strokes. It’s a leap of faith, each time you slide down a wall or make a wild jump across a gap. But INK rewards that faith, with a colorful world inviting you to discover it again and again.
Perfect for: Painters, art school drop outs, assassins from Assassins Creed.
