Guide — Inkwell

Inkwell is a browser platformer set inside an illuminated manuscript. You control a living ink droplet that runs, jumps, wall-slides, and dashes through tall parchment pages. Every movement leaves a calligraphic ink trail behind, and the path you carve through each level becomes a one-of-a-kind artwork you can share. No install, no login — just open the page and play.

Controls

Move: Arrow keys (← →) or A and D. Jump: Space, W, or Up arrow. Hold the jump key longer to jump higher — a quick tap gives a short hop. Dash: Shift or J. Dashes give you a short horizontal burst and leave a wide ink-wash trail. There is a 1.5-second cooldown between dashes, shown by the vial icon at the bottom of the screen. Pause: Escape or P.

You can jump a split-second after walking off a ledge (coyote time) and you can press jump just before landing and it will fire (jump buffering). Both make the controls feel responsive rather than punishing.

Platforms

There are three kinds of platforms in the manuscript:

• Parchment — Solid, reliable. Stand and jump from these. They have faint ruled guide-lines like a real manuscript page.
• Quill — Bouncy! Landing on a quill launches you upward at about 80% of a normal jump. Use them to reach high areas.
• Ribbon — Crumbling. Four-tenths of a second after you land on a ribbon, it breaks apart. Move quickly and don't linger.

Obstacles

Three kinds of obstacles stand between you and the illuminated initial at the bottom:

• Ink blot — A dark, spreading ink pool. Stationary but placed in your path. Touching one costs you a stain (life).
• Smudge — A semi-transparent smear that patrols back and forth along a fixed path. Learn its rhythm and time your movement past it.
• Drip — A falling ink droplet that plummets down a column, splashes, and drops again on a steady beat. First appears over the dash gaps in Level 3. Watch the rhythm and slip through the gap between drops.

You have three stains (shown as teardrop icons at the bottom-left). Each hit costs one stain and gives you 1.5 seconds of invulnerability (the droplet blinks). Lose all three and the ink fades — you'll need to retry the level.

Collectibles & scoring

Ink vials (+100 points) — Small glass vials with glowing ink. Collecting one also restores a lost stain (up to the maximum of three).

Gold flakes (+500 points) — Tiny shimmering gold fragments. There are exactly three hidden in each level. Look for the sparkle.

Illuminated initial — The large decorated letter at the bottom of each level. Reaching it completes the level and awards a 1,000-point bonus.

Your final level score combines collectible points, a time bonus for finishing under par, and a bonus for each remaining stain. Your best cumulative score across all five levels is saved in your browser.

Tips

• Wall-slide intentionally. Hold into a wall while falling to slide down slowly. Press jump while sliding to wall-jump away — essential for reaching platforms in Levels 2–5.
• Dash across gaps. Some gaps in Levels 3–5 are too wide for a running jump. Dash mid-air to cross them. Watch the cooldown vial so you know when it's ready again.
• Don't linger on ribbons. Crumbling platforms give you less than half a second. Plan your next move before you land.
• Hunt for gold flakes. They're worth five times a vial and are often tucked just off the main descent path. Explore the edges.
• Your trail is the point. The calligraphic path you leave behind is unique to every run. At the end of each level the camera pulls back and reveals your trail as a composition. Share it — that's the reward.
• Use variable jump height. Tap jump for a short hop, hold it for full height. Short hops give you more control in tight spaces.

FAQ

Is Inkwell free? Yes, completely free. It is supported by ads shown between levels — never during gameplay.

Do I need an account? No. There is no sign-up, no login, and no account. Your high score and progress are saved in your browser's local storage and never sent to a server.

Can I play on mobile? Inkwell is designed for desktop with a keyboard. It may work on tablets with an external keyboard, but touch controls are not supported.

How many levels are there? Five hand-designed manuscript pages, each introducing new mechanics: run and jump, wall-sliding, dashing, bouncy quills, and the final grand capital combining everything.

Can I share my trail artwork? Yes. At the end of each level you can save your trail composition as a PNG or share it via the Web Share API. After completing all five levels, the full folio is your ultimate share card.

Will my progress be saved if I close the browser? Your cumulative high score and best times are saved in localStorage and persist across sessions on the same browser. Clearing your browser data will reset them.