INKWAVE FAQ

Short answers to the questions players ask most about INKWAVE.

What is INKWAVE?

INKWAVE is an original 4v4 turf-war shooter that runs in your browser. Two teams of four paint an arena with ink for three minutes, and the team holding more turf wins. You can play against bots, in private online rooms, or as one squad against HULLBREAKER in a co-op Boss Battle.

How much does INKWAVE cost?

Nothing. INKWAVE is free to play in the browser, with no account and no in-game purchases.

Do I need to install anything?

No. Open the play page and the game loads in your browser. There is no download, launcher or plugin.

Which browsers are supported?

Chrome and Edge are the target browsers; Firefox works, and Safari runs but is slower. A discrete or recent integrated GPU is recommended for the High quality preset; the settings menu has lower tiers.

Can I use a gamepad?

Yes. Gamepads work on the hosted version at inkwavegame.com. Browsers block the Gamepad API on plain HTTP addresses, so use the HTTPS site.

Can I play online against other people?

Yes. Create a private room and share the five-character code with your friends. A room holds up to eight players, four to a team, and the host picks the stage, the time of day, the match length and whether bots fill the empty slots. There is no public matchmaking.

Do I need an account to play online?

No. Online rooms need only a room code. There is no account, no sign-in and no install.

What is Boss Battle, and who is HULLBREAKER?

Boss Battle is a co-op mode in public beta. Your whole squad, up to eight players, fights HULLBREAKER, a giant armoured hermit crab in a shipping container. It has three phases and telegraphed attacks; hit the glowing weak points to deal extra damage. It works offline with bots and online with friends on any stage except Cargo Terminal, and a match lasts four minutes by default.

How many weapons and maps are there?

Seven weapons and four stages: Tidewater Plaza, Kelpline Terminal, Halyard Marina and Cargo Terminal. The first three can be played against bots; Cargo Terminal is online only. Every stage plays at day or dusk.

Can I play Cargo Terminal against bots?

No. Cargo Terminal is an online-only stage: it needs at least two players, it never fills with bots, and a player who leaves is removed instead of replaced. It also cannot run a Boss Battle.

How long is a match?

A Turf War lasts three minutes by default, with a 90-second option, and the final ten seconds are counted down. A Boss Battle lasts four minutes by default, with three- and five-minute options.

Is INKWAVE open source?

Yes. The source is published on GitHub under the MIT license, so you can read it, learn from it and build on it.

Is INKWAVE affiliated with Nintendo or Splatoon?

No. INKWAVE is an independent project and is not affiliated with Nintendo. Splatoon is a trademark of Nintendo.