Two game genres that never seem to click with me are roguelikes and deck-builders (I know, sue me), so it came as a shock when I found myself loving Inscryption. The 2021 title from developer Daniel Mullins is both of those genres mashed together. As you progress, however, you’ll learn that Inscryption isn’t exactly what it appears to be upon first glance. For anybody who does like deck-builders, roguelikes, or twisting meta-stories, Inscryption is a worthwhile experience. And if you haven’t played it yet, you should take advantage of the game’s 60 percent discount on Steam, which cuts the price to eight bucks until September 23.
You’ll know something is up the second you start Inscryption. The first thing you are met with is a seemingly typical start menu with choices like new game, continue, settings, and so on. But wait, what’s this? It seems that you can’t click new game. Continue works though. But whose save am I using? What does it all mean?! Well, that’s the central story of Inscryption, which sends you into a woodsy-themed horror roguelike.
You make your way across a map and enter battles against enemies that play out via a card game. Win a round and you’re free to move along. Lose, and it’s back to the start for you. Typical roguelike fare. But once you finish your mission and escape your captor—yeah, you are kind of running from a scary woodsman the whole time—Inscryption shows that you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. That’s when you get access to New Game.
Inscryption shifts its form multiple times throughout your playthrough, constantly introducing new elements to both its gameplay and its metatextual story. Yet throughout all these changes, the core loop of a tightly designed, enthralling card game remains true. You and your opponent play cards on a field. Each card has a health and attack value. Once your turns are played every card on the field attacks, either damaging the card directly opposed to it or dealing damage on your opponent if they’re left undefended. Deal enough damage to your opponent and the match ends. As you go through Inscryption and collect more cards, new strategies and permutations enter the field, such as cards that can attack directionally, summon other cards, or become more powerful upon death. This leads to a variety of playstyles that make every encounter just as interesting as the first. It’s an excellent meddling of mechanics and narrative, and you shouldn’t miss out on a chance to add it to your library for cheap.
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