INKtentions 2026

In INKtentions, players become cunning octopuses vying for the most food in the treacherous depths of the ocean. Using ink clouds, sneaky hiding spots, and well-placed tentacle maneuvers, they must outwit their rivals while dodging hungry sharks and relentless eels. Strategy and deception go hand in hand as players secretly place cards, protecting themselves—or misleading their opponents—while striving to collect the most valuable food.

Each round, players take turns playing one of their 9 cards (one for each brain) facedown near a scoring pile. After 8 cards are played (one for each arm) the cards are revealed and resolved. Ink cards protect everyone in a pile, but at the cost of helping opponents. Hide cards offer personal safety but leave others exposed. Punch cards shift the tides, moving threats or disrupting well-laid plans. With every decision, players must weigh risk and reward—protecting their own octopuses while ensuring their rivals don’t get ahead.

At the end of each round, surviving octopuses claim food, with set collection bonuses encouraging competition for the best meals. After three rounds (one for each heart) the player with the most food wins. INKtentions is a game of calculated risks, clever plays, and just the right amount of betrayal, where only the craftiest cephalopod will reign supreme!

—description from the designer