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Bendy and the Ink Machine is a first-person puzzle-action horror game built around an unusual contrast: a vintage animation studio and its cartoon-inspired imagery become the setting for a horror story. Its strongest draw is the unsettling atmosphere and the mystery of what happened there; exploration and environmental puzzles carry much of the play, while combat is a smaller part of the experience.
What is Bendy and the Ink Machine?
Developed and published by Joey Drew Studios, Bendy and the Ink Machine was released on February 10, 2017, according to its Steam listing. You play as Henry, returning to the abandoned workshop of Joey Drew Studios. The ESRB describes the setting as a 1930s animation studio overrun by cartoon characters brought to life. The premise is best approached without spoilers: discovering what happened in the studio is part of the appeal.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Bendy and the Ink Machine - Nintendo Switch | $29.25 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Bendy and the Dark Revival - Nintendo Switch | $25.63 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Bendy and the Ink Machine - Playstation 5 | $21.90 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Bendy and The Ink Machine | $36.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Bendy and the Dark Revival - Playstation 5 | $27.03 | Buy on Amazon |
Steam’s official description calls it “the first person puzzle action horror game that will forever ruin your childhood love of cartoons.” That line captures the central conceit, but the game’s appeal depends on more than its visual contrast: it asks you to explore the studio and piece together its strange history.
What does playing it feel like?
Expect a loop of exploring unfamiliar parts of the studio, finding objects, solving environmental puzzles, and responding to threats. Evasion is important, and combat exists, but the cited reviews do not portray it as the main attraction.
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- Newly Remastered!
- Includes Digital Soundtrack
- Now includes graphical improvements and technical enhancements
Exploration and puzzles
Nintendo Life’s Switch review describes much of the play as searching new corners of the studio and running from threats, with a small amount of combat. MeriStation’s 2018 review also emphasizes exploration and straightforward object-gathering puzzles. These are reviewers’ descriptions, not a claim that every section plays identically.
Combat and collection tasks
MeriStation judged combat to be one of the weaker elements and noted localization shortcomings in the version it reviewed. The collection and object-finding tasks may also feel like a slowdown if you want a steady stream of action. In other words, this is better suited to players who enjoy investigating a setting than to those looking for a combat-led horror game.
Rank #2
- First-person survival horror and the much anticipated sequel to Bendy and the Ink Machine.
- Wander the vintage cartoon studio using agility, stealth and strategy to combat ink-tainted enemies.
- Earn powerful new abilities to help you in your escape.
- Solve environmental puzzles, ally with beloved cartoon characters, and elude the horror of the Ink Demon.
- Discover the terrifying secrets of the creepy ‘rubber hose’ cartoon world of Joey Drew Studios.
Is Bendy and the Ink Machine scary?
It is a horror game, not a children’s cartoon adventure. Its old-fashioned animation look is deliberately set against an unsettling atmosphere, threats, and violence. The Steam listing shows an ESRB Teen rating with violence; the ESRB rating page describes the first-person horror setting and living cartoon characters.
For parents, the rating and content description are more useful guides than the character art alone. A player who finds cartoon imagery frightening may also react differently from someone who finds realistic horror unsettling, so the visual style does not by itself indicate how intense the game will feel to them.
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Rank #3
- Journey deep into the sketchy madness of this twisted cartoon nightmare.
- Fight the darkness. Escape the Ink Demon. Fear the Machine.
- Newly remastered with graphical improvements & technical enhancements!
- Includes digital soundtrack.
What do player reviews say?
When checked on October 8, 2026, Steam displayed 88% positive among 12,546 English-language user reviews overall, and 91% positive among 438 recent reviews. These are changing Steam user-review figures, not critic scores or a measure of reception across every platform. They offer one storefront’s snapshot of player opinion rather than a universal verdict.
The figures should be read alongside the game’s defining strengths and trade-offs: reviewers highlight the distinctive cartoon-horror setting and exploration, while combat and collection tasks can be less compelling. The available review evidence does not establish a comprehensive critic-score consensus.
Rank #4
- First person combat
- Horror, puzzles, stealth
- Numerous hidden secrets
- A beautiful Cartoon world lovingly crafted by a small indie studio
Which platforms can you play it on?
Official store listings cover PC on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation. The US PlayStation Store lists a PS5 version released May 9, 2025. An Xbox product listing also exists, though platform-specific details are not equally established across the sources here. Store availability, editions, prices, and language options can vary by region and change over time.
Choose based on the platform you already use, the edition and language offered in your region, and the current price. The US PlayStation listing identifies English voice acting and screen languages including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese variants. No cited source provides reliable comparative performance testing, so there is no basis here for saying one version runs best.
Best Value
- First-person survival horror and the much anticipated sequel to Bendy and the Ink Machine.
- Wander the vintage cartoon studio using agility, stealth and strategy to combat ink-tainted enemies.
- Earn powerful new abilities to help you in your escape.
- Solve environmental puzzles, ally with beloved cartoon characters, and elude the horror of the Ink Demon.
- Discover the terrifying secrets of the creepy ‘rubber hose’ cartoon world of Joey Drew Studios.
Is it worth playing?
Bendy and the Ink Machine is worth considering if the idea of exploring an abandoned animation studio with a dark history appeals to you. It is a less natural fit if your priority is sustained combat or fast, uninterrupted action. The game’s identity rests on its distinctive setting, horror atmosphere, and puzzle-and-exploration loop.
For fans who want more of the story world outside the game, Scholastic identifies Dreams Come to Life, written by Adrienne Kress with story involvement from the game’s creators, as an official companion novel. It is optional fiction, not a requirement for understanding or playing the game. Check the current edition and availability before buying.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
