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Press release:
COLOMBIA — July 27, 2026 — Some games ask you to save the world. Graphite asks you to remember what it felt like to build one, and today that world is open. Developed by RipRed and published by indie.io, the tactical roguelike RPG where pen-and-ink heroes fight for the fate of an imaginary world is available now on Steam and GOG, priced at $8.99 with a 20% launch discount.

Picture a school desk. On it, a notebook. Scattered around it, playing cards and household objects repurposed by imagination into the artifacts that will define each run. Inside the notebook, heroes with names, fears, and histories face monsters drawn from the same restless mind, all of them racing against a campaign that unfolds across four acts, 15 days a piece, to fight, gather artifacts, recruit allies, and build a strategy before Death arrives. The clock is always visible. The pressure is always real. And none of the heroes know any of it is happening inside a child’s mind.

Graphite is a roguelike RPG that refuses to choose between spectacle and substance, where the RPG elements run as deep as the tactical systems that surround them. The handcrafted pen-and-ink world, the emotional weight of the story, and the tactical depth of its combat were built as one cohesive vision by a small team determined to honour both. Spread across four acts, the seven heroes are parts of a whole, each carrying a distinct backstory, personality, and reason to fight. Players must invest in the relationships between them, deepening bonds across the journey to unlock new story and progression. Their paths converge toward a truth that only becomes clear the longer you play.

Combat operates on a timeline where positioning in the timeline matters. Every unit’s actions are queued and visible, and the Break system rewards players who can read the rhythm of a fight. Deplete an enemy’s poise while they wind up an attack, and you push their turn further down the line, buying space and changing the shape of the encounter entirely. The same pressure applies in reverse. Artifacts layer on top with no hard ceiling, from rare items distributed across your party to legendaries that build and detonate across consecutive hits. Enemies can acquire artifacts too, turning every encounter into a tug-of-war where the risk is always mutual and a plan surviving contact with the enemy is its own reward.

Fans of D&D campaigns, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the kind of deck builders you invented on a rainy afternoon will find something deeply familiar in how Graphite is structured. Artifacts are pulled from a deck, each one a choice that shapes the run ahead. Adventure events are signalled by a tarot card draw, opening into a fully illustrated scenario where every decision is shaped by your party, your inventory, and the path already taken. Every run is a story only you will tell.

Key Features:

Seven Heroes: Seven playable pen-and-ink heroes, each with a distinct personality, playstyle, and narrative arc across four acts

Bond System: Deepen relationships with party members across the journey to unlock new story and progression

Four Acts: Each act spans 15 days, with possible loops and a climactic fourth act that push every run further than the last, making every decision count from the first card drawn.

Timeline Combat: Timeline-based tactical combat with a Break system that rewards reading enemy intentions and striking with precision

Limitless Builds: Unlimited artifact stacking across rare and legendary tiers, for builds that range from methodical to gloriously unhinged, and enemies who can build right alongside you

Draw Your Path: Artifacts pulled from a deck of cards and adventure events signalled by tarot card draws where your choices affect your run

Ever-Evolving Runs: Procedurally generated enemies and encounters that scale alongside your progress across every run

60 Achievements: Deep achievement support for completionists and achievement hunters

Story Rich: A layered narrative where the fantasy world on the desk and the real world around it quietly reflect each other

“Finishing Graphite and putting it in players’ hands is a moment we have been working toward for a long time,” said Luis Cañate, Developer at RipRed.

“Every run tells a different story, but they all come from the same place — a kid, a notebook, and the kind of imagination that makes the impossible feel completely real. We hope players feel that when they play.”

The notebook is open. Graphite is available now on the indie.io Store, GOG, and on Steam at a 20% launch discount. You can follow developer updates on X and Instagram, or join the community on Discord.

ABOUT RIPRED

RipRed is an independent game development studio based in Colombia, founded by a small team of developers with a shared passion for crafting original indie experiences. Graphite is the studio’s debut commercial release, drawing on the team’s background in indie game development and a commitment to building games that balance mechanical depth with emotional storytelling.

ABOUT INDIE.IO

indie.io is a game publishing platform dedicated to helping independent developers succeed. With more than 40 years of combined industry experience, the indie.io team provides marketing, PR, distribution, and strategic support across all stages of a game’s lifecycle, from development through launch and beyond. indie.io distributes games across more than 60 channels worldwide.