Ink Console is an innovative hybrid of an e-reader and a game console designed to redefine how you experience storytelling. This unique platform lets you play as you read, turning traditional reading into an interactive adventure inspired by classic computer games and choose-your-own-adventure books.
With Ink Console, reading becomes dynamic: at key moments in the story, you’ll be prompted to make choices, shaping your journey based on the decisions you make along the way. And by opening our platform to others with an easy-to-use development kit, anyone can write and program their own adventures.
In addition to its approachable design, e-ink screen, and slim form factor, Ink Console’s narrative interface powers new kinds of experiences. The OS features a comprehensive inventory system where you can view and manage items collected during your journey, ready to be used as challenges arise. For adventure and role-playing stories, players can turn to a health status system, adding an extra layer of strategy.
The idea for Ink Console came from a desire to bring the magic of text adventures, like the 1980s classic Zork I, to a new audience unfamiliar with these games. We also were very inspired by the beloved "Choose Your Own Adventure" series of books. Our hope is that this interactive format makes reading feel like an adventure and helps instill a love for books in young readers.
We are currently developing a diverse range of concept Gamebooks for Ink Console. These stories cover everything from thrilling expeditions and deep-sea adventures to immersive sci-fi narratives and fantasy epics in fantastical realms. We hope to offer experiences for people of all ages, reading levels, and preferences, inviting everyone to become part of each story they read. New Gamebooks can be added to your system with the built-in SD card reader.
But we want our community to tell their Ink Console stories, too. Our You Create Software Development Kit is designed to empower creators of all stripes—writers, artists, game designers, and anyone with a passion for storytelling—can bring their Gamebook to life. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a first-time creator, this toolkit will give you everything you need to build immersive, interactive stories for the Ink Console—no coding required. Given our prior experience working with independent game developers as a publisher of Game Boy cartridges, we’re hopeful that Ink Console will attract a wide array of talent.
SoC:
Storage: SD card slot
Display: 7.5-inch e-ink screen, 800 x 480 resolution
User Input:
Audio:
Power:
With Ink Console, we hope to leverage your creativity in every possible way. To that end, we’re releasing our SDK, so anyone can contribute a new game to the platform. Additionally, we plan to make STEP files of the case so that you can customize your Ink Console or create add-ons, and a bill of materials as well. Once the campaign ends, we aim to make the entire project open-source.
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inkconsole.com · InkConsole · bsky.app/profile/inkconsole.bsky.social · inkconsole
·We primarily develop video games for retro consoles but have created a new platform where readers can interact with the books they're reading.