Back in 2017, a new game was released on the Gamejolt website called Bendy and the Ink Machine. It was a small little horror game that looked very basic. Man returns to the studio 30 years after leaving the company he co-created, only for the characters he created to come to life and try to kill him. People immediately began to support the game and its company. Two months later, a second chapter was released, then a third, then a fourth, then a fifth. A book was released, and several more followed in the years to come.

Months after the final chapter of the first game was released, a trailer for a second game was released. Bendy and the Dark Revival was highly anticipated by the Bendy community, but didn’t release for five years, due to delays, cancellations, drama, and decrease in support from lack of content.

Finally, in early 2023, Bendy and the Dark Revival was released to the public, and Bendy was popular again. The hype died down after a while, but then out of nowhere, on April 14, Bendy: Secrets of the Machine was released onto the Steam platform. No announcement, it just appeared. It wasn’t really a game, but more of a tease as to what’s to come. And boy is there a lot on the way. B3ndy, Bendy and the Silent City, Bendy: The Cage, and a movie is in production, and that’s only what was revealed. I can only imagine what could be being worked on behind the scenes.

After five games, multiple books, and a lot of patience, Bendy and the Ink Machine is slowly coming back into popularity, and I can’t be any happier. I have been a fan of the game for years, and to see it becoming somewhat relevant again is nice. I have been keeping up with the news and have been able to meet other fans, who are all mostly really nice. 

However, all of this positive feedback doesn’t mean there aren’t flaws. People, me included, can get tired of constantly being the dog in a game of fetch. Thankfully Bendy and the Dark Revival fixed that problem, for the most part.

In the end, the story of the game makes up for all the wandering, the thrill as well. Knowing that almost anything could be around the corner at the end of the hallway is suspenseful. Overall I have to give Bendy and the Ink Machine a five out of five cardinal head rating.