The story of Heaven's Vault maker Inkle
Let's go Overboard!
I've had a soft spot for Inkle ever since playing Sorcery! on my old banger of an iPhone many years ago, and I've been delighted by every single game it has made since. Games like 80 Days, Heaven's Vault, the 2022 BAFTA-nominated Overboard! and Pendragon - games that wield words masterfully. And I cannot wait for the studio's new game A Highland Song that was revealed properly only a few weeks ago.
It's with great excitement, then, that I introduce today's Eurogamer Podcast guests [series since renamed One-to-one]. They are the two people who founded Inkle just over 10 years ago. The two people who once met working on a curious game at Sony about the cycle of a person's life - a game that would ultimately never be made. But they became friends, dreaming together about what kind of games they would make, and then one day, dreams became reality and Inkle was born.
They are Joseph Humfrey and Jon Ingold, and this is their winding tale. Episode 10 of The New Eurogamer Podcast is now available to all, to stream either in this article or on any of the major podcast platforms (you can also download it using the down-arrow on the player above). Eurogamer premium supporters can also now access Episode 11: a chat with the RPG designer behind the Combat Wheelchair add-on for Dungeons & Dragons, and who brought Geralt's disability to light.
You may also be interested in the Meghna Jayanth podcast from last year after listening to this one, as it was she who partnered with Inkle to co-write 80 Days - a project they're all still very fond of. You can find all of our podcasts in an archive elsewhere on the site.
Here's a link to the newish Heaven's Vault novels we talk about in the podcast, too.
Remember, supporters of Eurogamer get these episodes two weeks before everyone else - one of many benefits of supporting the work we do. Find out more on the supporters section of our site.