This review is based on the final retail version of the game provided to us by the designer and publisher. We were not paid for this review. We give a general overview of the gameplay and so not all of the mechanical aspects of the game may be mentioned. Aye, a ken. its no like we huvny been playin game like this afore, but a 'hink you wid struggle wi tryin summit like this if yi were no a little bit more wi the imagination ye ken, like wi the skills tae look at summit and cry 'thas no a H like ya radge, thas wan o they Ts instead oan its side'.
Cuz yi see, tha's whur ye are when yi get Inkling fae Osprey Games an stick it oan the table, an yir aw like 'Braw, a card game, I like a card game' an I just chuckle cos I ken that this one iz no like the wan you like tae play a' the time. Like rummy, or sticky finghers or that wan aboot the old maid. A ken yiv no goat the patience fir playin patience.
So you have a gander at the cards fir a second and yir like, what's goan on here like. A see the letters oan the cards, but they're no looking right, well, they look fine an tha, but thur spaces oan them. An fir a second, yi wonder if it's jus wan o them fauncy card games that your Aunt plays, yi ken, the wan wi the fauncy cups who mak yi use a mat when yi pit yir cuppa oan the table, But na, it's no, cuz a looked thru the structions pal, and its aw aboot secret words.
So yi get eight cards wi letters oan them an yi also get a card wi a list o words oan them, an tha's yir secret words yir tae tell the other players. Yi cannae play this wi twa folk though, so I widnae bother yir arse botherin as its no meant tae. The moar the merrier is the ticket, an yi'll hae maer fun like tha. Mare chance o falling oot like, but it widnae be us aw gittin the gither if there wisnae wan barney a some point.
Aye, yi see, yi only git three goes, so yiv goat tae mak sure tha when yi place yir cards oan the table, then the wee buggers mak sense, as yi only get points fir guessing the words oan the left and right o yi an making sure they can . So, yiv goat tae mak sure that yir kind o gettin the big wan done as they give ye the big points an tha' whut mak the prizes here pal. A ken its wee bit o tryin to be a bit o a wide-o but it's actually aw aboot strats.
Tha thing wi yir word games is tha it's gonna be aw aboot the fowk yir playin wi. An Inkling is no different. There's awfy lot o luck going oan as well. Yi can be pure scunnered if the yir secret card yi get is pure hard coz the letters yi git were pretty pish, an yi cannae mak half the wans yir sposed tae, and then yi go aff tae yir room in a huff to have a sit doon coz yir a sare loser like tha, an moan aboot it, ya greetin bairn. Aye, but aw's fair an nice if yi git the cards ye want, as thurs nothin mair smart than layin oot a pile o cards an folk are like smilin like cats coz they ken whit words yiv goat and you ken they ken and yiz aw ken the gether. Yi kind of need yir arty farty pals playing this wan, coz if you've goat tae see past whut the letters wid be sayin an be savvy and ken whut their gettin at.
So i widnae pit it doon in front o the bairns, as they might get pure ragin coz they cannae mak out whit yir spraffing oan aboot, Inkling taks a bit mair imagination and thinkin than mibbies some o them other game yiv been used tae playin wi them, so even though yi think ye ken whit yir seeing coz yi ken the letters yi might need to take a butchers beyond whit yir seein in order fir it tae mak sense.
Inkling is aboot interpretation n making things mak sense oot o thin air, an so if that summin tha fills yir joy cup, then Inkling is gonna be summin ye get to the table after denner and jist before yi stick Catchphrase oan the telly. It's nae bad like.
Well done. I hope this made sense,
You can find more about Inkling by going to https://ospreypublishing.com/inkling
Author: John Keyworth
Illustrator: Kwanchai Moriya
3 - 6 Players
