Bendy and the Ink Machine
- This article is about the series' first video game. For other uses, see Bendy (disambiguation).
""Bendy and the Ink Machine®" is the first person puzzle action horror game that will forever ruin your childhood love of cartoons." |
Bendy and the Ink Machine, abbreviated as BatIM, is an episodic first-person survival horror video game developed and published by Joey Drew Studios Inc. The first installment of the Bendy series was initially released on Game Jolt and Itch.io on February 10th, 2017 as the first chapter demo and was fully completed with four other chapters on October 26th, 2018.
On April 14th 2025, it was announced that Xbox Series X/S and PS5 would be receiving a next-gen version of the game in May, with Switch receiving an enhanced copy in June, and PS5 and Switch getting updated physical copies with a digital soundtrack in the Summer.
The next-gen ports of the game are primarily graphical and performance upgrades, and despite it being released after the PC updates had subsided, it does not contain the fixes and improvements in the third PC patch, nor does it have Ink Demon's Eve.
Bendy and the Ink Machine was followed up by the sequel, Bendy and the Dark Revival.
Summary
- Dreams Come True
Explore as Henry as he revisits the old demons of his past by travelling deep into the abandoned animation workshop of Joey Drew Studios, a studio with a dark history. With twists and turns around every corner, "Bendy and the Ink Machine" is sure to keep you on edge... and decimate your childhood.
- A Dark Animation Studio
A deeply atmospheric and spine-tingling experience with secrets hiding behind it's drawn walls and scribbled doors. Traverse into the shadows, where the monsters of the past dwell and our creations come alive.
- A Nightmarish Mystery
Friends and foes will help or hinder your path as you unravel the great mystery of the studio. Whom can you trust? What horrors await your next encounter? Insanity is the name of the game down here.
- A Labyrinth of Horrors
The creatures of the Dark Puddles surround you as you are faced with puzzling obstacles. You're never alone. You're never safe. Your animated nightmares are just beginning.[1]
Synopsis
Characters
- Main article: List of characters (Bendy and the Ink Machine)
- Henry Stein (voiced by theMeatly) - The replica of a former animator of Joey Drew Studios and the main protagonist of Bendy and the Ink Machine.
- Joey Drew (voiced by David Eddings) - The founder of Joey Drew Studios.
- Ink Demon - A demonic version of Joey Drew Studios' mascot Bendy and the game's main antagonist.
- Boris the Wolf - A mute physical version of Boris the Wolf and was a deuteragonist from Chapter 2 to Chapter 3.
- Sammy Lawrence (voiced by Aaron Landon) - The music conductor of Joey Drew Studios' music department. In the ink realm, he was transformed into an ink creature and is one of the secondary antagonists, first debuted in Chapter 2.
- Norman Polk (voiced by theMeatly) - The lead projectionist of Joey Drew Studios and appears in the ink realm as one of the recurring enemies, known as "the Projectionist".
- Susie Campbell (voiced by Alanna Linayre) - The original voice actor of Alice Angel, who was later transformed into Twisted Alice, becoming a secondary antagonist from Chapter 3 to Chapter 4.
- Jack Fain (voiced by Bookpast) - The lyricist of Joey Drew Studios' music department, who was transformed into Swollen Jack.
- Allison Pendle - The voice actor for Alice Angel acting as Susie's replacement.
- Thomas Connor (voiced by Mike D) - A Gent technician in charge of various machinery maintenance jobs around the studio.
- Wally Franks (voiced by theMeatly) - Joey Drew Studio's clumsy, yet earnest janitor.
Story
Chapter 1: Moving Pictures
- For full walkthrough, see Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter 1 - Moving Pictures
Henry Stein enters the studio and explores the Old Studio.
Chapter 2: The Old Song
- For full walkthrough, see Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter 2 - The Old Song
Henry Stein explores the Music Department, meets Sammy Lawrence and gets chased by the Ink Demon for the first time.
Chapter 3: Rise and Fall
- For full walkthrough, see Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter 3 - Rise and Fall
After meeting Boris the Wolf in the previous chapter, Henry explores many new layers of the studio and carries out tasks for Alice Angel.
Chapter 4: Colossal Wonders
- For full walkthrough, see Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter 4 - Colossal Wonders
After Boris the Wolf is taken from him by Alice Angel, Henry Stein ventures further down into the studio in order to rescue him.
Chapter 5: The Last Reel
- For full walkthrough, see Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter 5 - The Last Reel
After defeating Brute Boris, Henry meets Allison and Tom and joins them for a complete battle against the Dark Puddles and defeat the Ink Demon once and for all.
Gameplay
Exploration
Bendy and the Ink Machine is primarily built on Henry exploring his environment in order to progress the main story. Henry is able to run, walk, and jump in his environment, as well as the ability to interact with various objects around the studio. More often than not, exploration and progression will cause things in the environment to change, unlocking both new pathways to progress the story and even secret rooms.
Puzzles
Puzzles come in various shapes and sizes across the game. Typically, they will consist of Henry having to find various interactable items around the studio to grab and place somewhere else in a specific order. Outside of the typical puzzle format, there are various types of unique puzzles littered throughout each chapter that involve Henry memorizing combinations, creating matching items, or avoiding enemies while weaponless. Completion of a puzzle typically means progression within the main story, though sometimes there are secret puzzles that can unlock hidden rooms throughout the studio.
Combat
Combat is primarily focused on a variety of different melee-based weapons, such as an axe, pipe, plunger, or scythe. There are also long-range weapons such as a Tommy gun or empty Bacon Soup cans. In-game enemies all 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 death. Henry can retreat inside Little Miracle Stations whenever enemies are nearby to recover or remain out of sight. If he takes too much damage, he can escape from the ink that consumes him and respawn at one of the numerous statues of Bendy that act as checkpoints. 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. Some of these logs can be missed and require further exploration to uncover the secret areas where they often reside.
Development
Reception
Sales
Awards
Trivia
- Mike stated on Twitter that when talking about inverted controls with David Eddings stating he made a special version of the game called "Bendy and the Inverted Machine" with the logo for everything being changed for him.
- The alternate logo seen on Rooster Teeth's official website is a fanart made by Antonio Balzano (know as TheMasterCreative on DeviantArt). The font used for the alternate logo is called "DK Liquid Embrace".
Gallery
- Main gallery: Bendy and the Ink Machine/gallery
Screenshots
Cover assets
The old header.
Another old header.
Videos
- Bendy and the Ink Machine - Reveal Trailer (2017)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter Two - Teaser Trailer (2017)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter Three - Announcement Trailer (2017)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter Three - Reveal Trailer (2017)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter Three - Release Date Trailer (2017)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter Four - Production Trailer (2017)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter Four - Reveal Trailer (2018)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter Five - Production Trailer (2018)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter Five - Reveal Trailer (2018)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine: Chapter Five - (UNEDITED) Reveal Trailer (2018)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine (2018)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine - Console Trailer (2018)
- Bendy and the Ink Machine - Enhanced Console Trailer (2025)
References
- ↑ Bendy and the Ink Machine on Steam.
External links
- Bendy and the Ink Machine on Joeydrewstudios.com.
- Bendy and the Ink Machine on Steam.
- Bendy and the Ink Machine on Epic Games.
- Bendy and the Ink Machine on PlayStation store.
- Bendy and the Ink Machine on Xbox.
- Bendy and the Ink Machine on Nintendo.
- Bendy and the Ink Machine on Silver Lining Interactive.
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