Ink Ninja

How to play Ink Ninja

Ink Ninja is a fast drawing action game where every move is a stroke of the pen. Horned oni charge in from both sides, bats swoop down from the sky and archers fire arrows from the edges of the screen. You don't press attack buttons: you draw. A line that starts on the ninja becomes a dash route, and the ninja zips along it at full speed, cutting through anything in the way. A quick swipe anywhere else is a sword slash.

1. Press Play. The first wave of enemies walks in from the sides.
2. Put your finger or mouse on the ninja and draw a path through the enemies. The ninja dashes along it.
3. Swipe across incoming arrows (and nearby enemies) to slash them. Slashes only reach as far as the dashed circle.
4. While you're still in the air after a dash, draw another one from the ninja to keep your combo alive.
5. Clear every enemy to start the next wave. Lose all three hearts and the run is over.

Know your enemies

• Red oni walk straight at you. One slice and they're gone, or jump on their heads.
• Purple bats hover above you and dive in. Draw an upward dash or slash them as they come close.
• Green archers stop at the screen edge and shoot arcing arrows. Slash the arrows, then dash across to take the archer out.
• Grey brutes wear helmets and need two hits. Dash through them twice, or dash back and forth in one long zig-zag line.

Tips for big combos

• Plan the route. One curvy dash that threads through three oni scores 10 + 20 + 30 points; three separate dashes from the ground score only 10 each.
• Stay in the air. The combo only ends when you land. End each dash high up and start the next one immediately.
• Watch the ink. Long dashes empty the bar. Short hops between targets are cheaper and keep you mobile.
• You're safe while dashing. Enemies and arrows can't hurt you mid-dash, so a dash is also your best escape.
• Slash first, dash second. When an arrow is on its way, a quick swipe removes it and costs no ink.

A drawing game with real reflexes

Swipe-to-slice games are a favourite on phones because the controls feel so direct. Ink Ninja takes that idea further: the shape of your line is the plan of attack. Fast players learn to sketch zig-zags, loops and arcs that hit several enemies at once, and the waves keep getting faster and denser, so there is always a higher score to chase. It is a great test of quick thinking and drawing accuracy under pressure.

Scoring and waves

Every enemy you take down is worth 10 points, multiplied by your current combo. Slicing three enemies in one airborne chain is worth 10, 20 and 30 points, so a well-planned route quickly outscores careful one-at-a-time fighting. Cutting an arrow out of the air earns 5 points. Each wave sends more enemies than the last, they walk faster, and new types join in: bats from wave two, archers from wave three and armoured brutes from wave four. After every third wave you get a lost heart back, which rewards players who survive long runs.

Your best score is saved in your browser. When a run ends you can share a picture of your result straight from the game-over screen and challenge friends to beat it. Everything works with a mouse, a pen or a finger.

More drawing games

Want more games where drawing is your weapon? Pop invaders' balloons with gesture symbols inBalloon Symbol Pop, build a joust weapon in Draw Joust, or bounce up a notebook page in Doodle Sky Jump.