Game: Inkblood
Developer: Hey Bird!
Publisher: CRITICAL REFLEX
Genre: Occult Detective / Puzzle
Demo: Free — out now, through October Steam Next Fest
Full Release: Later in 2026
Platform: PC (Steam)
🕯️ Inkblood’s first official public demo is out now on Steam. Revealed during the 28 Games Later Horror Showcase, it includes three occult cases — one of them brand new — and stays available through the upcoming October Steam Next Fest.
⚖️ Your Carriage Is a Puzzle Box
Plenty of detective games give you a crime scene to examine. Inkblood also gives you the place you investigate from.
As the Inquisitor, you travel in a carriage full of secrets. Investigations take you both outside and inside it — the case itself, and the escape room-style puzzles built into your own vehicle. Your occult tools let you see not only what is, but what once was.
Its inspirations make the mix clear: the tactile, mechanism-filled puzzles of The Room, the deduction of The Case of the Golden Idol, and the eerie, examine-everything mood of Strange Horticulture. Investigations are non-linear, and — fittingly for occult horror — the game warns that not every mystery is meant to be solved.
Don’t fail the Inquisition as your predecessor did
Wicked sorcery abounds, rotting the minds of people and the very fabric of reality itself.
Publisher CRITICAL REFLEX and developer Hey Bird! have released the first official public demo for Inkblood, an occult detective game, during Insider Gaming’s 28 Games Later horror showcase. It’s available now on Steam and will stay live through the upcoming October Steam Next Fest.
Three Cases in the Demo
📜 The Tutorial Case
Your introduction to the Inquisitor’s tools and methods.
🔥 The Burned Inn
A murder case — now with a new ending since the game’s summer playtest.
🗝️ A New Case
Brand new to the demo, featuring an encounter with an unexpected ally.
🔁 Shaped Since the Playtest
It’s encouraging to see the demo change since Inkblood’s earlier playtest. The Burned Inn has a new ending, and there’s an entirely new case on top. If you played over the summer, there’s genuinely new material here — and if you didn’t, it’s a well-rounded taste of what the full game is doing.
The Full Game
The full release will include 10 unique cases, each packed with escape room-style puzzles and clever obstacles. You’ll investigate a world teetering on the brink, figure out what’s really happening, and try not to fail the Inquisition the way the Inquisitor before you did.
🎭 From the Publisher of MouthwashingCRITICAL REFLEX has built a reputation for strange, distinctive indie games — its catalogue includes Buckshot Roulette, Lunacid, Mouthwashing and No, I’m not a Human. Its self-description sets the tone: genre is a prison, and we ate the warden.
The publisher also runs CR Channel, a label focused exclusively on indie horror. Developer Hey Bird! describes itself, in full, as a creature that hatched from an egg and likes making weird games — which feels about right for a publisher with that motto.
Where to Play
📅 Demo Out Now · Full Release Later in 2026 · Steam
The Inkblood demo is available now on Steam and will remain playable through the October Steam Next Fest. The full game is due later this year. No price has been announced yet — wishlist it now.
Hi there! I’m Marie, also known as CtrlQueen. I’m passionate about keeping up with the latest in gaming news and sharing my insights. RPGs steal my heart with their rich narratives and immersive worlds, but I also love unwinding with fun, casual games. Whether you’re here for deep dives into game mechanics or just to chat about your favorite casual game, you’ve found the right place! Let’s game and explore together.
