Surface

Agent 3 in front of a variety of surfaces while confronting the Octowhirl

This page is about terrain. For the stages of Splatoon 3's Side Order expansion, see Floor.

Surfaces are terrain features in the Splatoon series. There are two types: inkable and un-inkable. Inkable surfaces comprise most of each stage's terrain, being counted towards players' turf counts. Un-inkable surfaces are less common, being used as barriers or stage boundaries or placed to make an area more difficult to maneuver through.

Inkable surfaces

Inkable surfaces are terrain features that can be covered in ink. Ink shot or flung with will appear on these surfaces, allowing Inklings and Octolings to swim across them. Most inkable surfaces behave identically, despite varying appearances.

Concrete

Blackbelly Skatepark, comprised mostly of concrete.

Concrete is one of the main surfaces found the Splatoon series, being featured heavily in most stages. It appears as a uniform black or gray surface, with few noticeable differences in a single area.

Tile

An Inkling standing on tiled floors in Arowana Mall.

Tile is found in Arowana Mall, Walleye Warehouse, Eeltail Alley, and Splatsville. Instead of appearing uniform, like concrete, it takes on a tiled pattern. The tiles are typically beige or light gray.

Wood

The wooden deck of Manta Maria.

Wood features heavily in Camp Triggerfish, Manta Maria, Scorch Gorge, and some other locations. It is also the material of crates, telephone poles, and planks found throughout various Story modes.

Metal

Saltspray Rig, comprised mostly of metal surfaces.

Metal can be found most often in Walleye Warehouse, Saltspray Rig, Bluefin Depot, Sturgeon Shipyard, and Mincemeat Metalworks. It appears as a silver or rusted red pattern often adorned with rhombic designs.

Brick

An area in Inkblot Art Academy made out of bricks.

Brick is used frequently in Octo Valley and various single-player missions. It can also be found in Bluefin Depot and Inkblot Art Academy. As the name suggests, it appears as a common red or orange brick pattern. These bricks are often broken or cracked.

Soil

Soil, the majority of Kelp Dome's surface.

Soil is the main surface in Kelp Dome. It appears just like flat soil, with a brown appearance and the presence of a few weeds.

Grass

Grass found as a rooftop garden in Flounder Heights.

Grass is a type of surface that is primarily green or blue, often decorated with flowers and other small plants. It appears very frequently in Octo Valley and The Reef, and significantly less frequently in Urchin Underpass, Blackbelly Skatepark, and Flounder Heights.

Snow

Snow found in Alterna.

Snow (or Fake Snow, according to Marie), is a white inkable surface only found in Alterna. If an Inkling or Octoling walks on it, they leave footprints behind.

Plants

A plant found in Kelp Dome.

Plants are small surfaces that are often overlooked in Kelp Dome and Arowana Mall. They appear as beds of flowers in rectangular containers near each team's spawn point.

Paper

Some cardboard lying around in Hagglefish Market.

Paper appears primarily in Walleye Warehouse on top of crates, but it can also be found lying around on other stages like Hagglefish Market. Despite often being debris on other surfaces, paper is considered part of the terrain for gameplay purposes, and can therefore be inked and swam on.

Signs

A street sign in Eeltail Alley

Signs are plastic and metal signs that appear throughout various Story modes, Inkopolis, Splatsville, and in stages like Eeltail Alley. They tend to appear vertically, displaying various messages and graphics. They act like normal surfaces.

Trees

A Tree in Brinewater Springs.

Trees are an inkable surface in Splatoon and Splatoon 2, but in Splatoon 3 they are un-inkable. Inklings cannot swim up trees, as their leaves provide no support. They appear in various Story modes, Inkopolis Plaza, Flounder Heights, Urchin Underpass, The Reef, Inkblot Art Academy, and Brinewater Springs, but serve practically no purpose other than an obstacle.

Cicadas can be heard singing in the trees in Flounder Heights, unlike the trees found in other parts of the game.

Un-inkable surfaces

Glass

A glass alley in Eeltail Alley.

Main article: Glass

Glass is a common un-inkable surface, appearing in stages such as Urchin Underpass, New Albacore Hotel, Eeltail Alley, and in the fight against the Octowhirl. It appears in many stages as walls.

Grates

A grated bridge in Mincemeat Metalworks.

Main article: Grate

Grates are semi-solid surfaces that allow the player to pass through, intentionally or not, while in squid or octopus form. The grates themselves, however, cannot be covered in ink. Instead, ink shot or otherwise dispensed from any main, sub, or special weapon passes through any grate in its way and continues traveling until it runs out of range or hits a non-grate surface or entity behind it. Certain weapon-generated objects, such as bombs and Sprinklers, cannot pass through grates and treat them like any other surface, though ink produced by such objects will pass through the grate as normal. Grates can be found in maps such as Mincemeat Metalworks and Kelp Dome, among many others.

Water

Water found in Mahi-Mahi Resort.

Main article: Water

Water is a common liquid; it is less a surface and more a hazard, as it cannot be stood upon, much less inked. Water is deadly to the touch for Inklings and Octolings. Water can be found in maps such as Mahi-Mahi Resort and Arowana Mall, in addition to various locations in Octo Valley.

Bumpers

A bumper in MakoMart.

Main article: Bumper

Bumpers can be found in multiplayer and Octo Valley in various locations. Their rubbery, cushiony qualities prevent the barriers from taking any ink whatsoever, making them excellent for cover. Be warned, however, as a weapon with an arc (such as a Slosher) and Rollers can go over the top of the bumpers and still strike any vulnerable players behind. Bumpers can be found in stages such as Kelp Dome, Moray Towers, and MakoMart, as well as various locations in Story modes.

Tarps

An Inkling firing just over a tarp in Bluefin Depot.

Tarps are large surfaces of plastic that cannot be inked at all. They are uncommon, but they can be found at the top of containers in Port Mackerel and in various spots in Bluefin Depot, Snapper Canal, Um'ami Ruins, and Hagglefish Market.

Ice

Overview of Cryogenic Hopetown, which is covered in ice.

Main article: Ice

Ice is a slippery surface which can't be inked. When walking on ice, it takes longer to start or stop moving, while in swim form, players do not slip unless they already have momentum. Ice is only found in Site 3 (Cryogenic Hopetown) in Alterna.