RWP 2024 – Inscryption!

Rating: 8/10

On Monday I got the chance to play Inscryption with some classmates (Tracy and Olivia)! We were able to download a copy off of Steam and we took turns playing the rounds.

For those who aren’t familiar with Inscryption (I too did not know of it prior to this week), it is a mixed-genre game where you find yourself trapped in a cabin forced to play a mysterious card game against a gamemaster. It was created by Daniel Mullins and was released in 2021. The core gameplay loop revolves around deck-building through collecting creature cards with special abilities and sacrificing weaker ones to fuel the power of your champions. Victories grant new cards and propel you forward, but defeat requires you to re-run the game with a death card.

[Losing Scene]

From the start, I can see that Inscryption forms a magic circle, or perhaps more accurately, a magic prison, through its unsettling and eerie visuals. The first element that we see leaving the start screen is the gamemaster Leshy who is a shadowy figure that teaches you how to play the card game. There are other visual elements that add onto this effect as well. The cards that require sacrifices and the analog-style board game to depict game progression all match the mysterious and dark forest theme. Even the cabin setting, with its worn wood textures and flickering lights, feels familiar yet creepy at the same time. This combined with the soundtrack creates a first impression of uneasiness and a feeling of “higher stakes”. The feel of the game also made me want to explore its mysteries and understand how we got in the cabin in the first place.

[game board of Inscryption]

I think what got me the first time I played this game was the narration. The way phrases and stories intertwine caused me to question myself and my decisions often. For instance, when I got to the fireplace, the narrative that people are gathered around and their open invitation to add a card to the fire caused me to hesitate. Or even when the Stoat says “bad play” or “are you sure?”. I think this game is presented in a way where I am always doubtful of my choices. This is tough for me as someone who is indecisive and worries about the impact of their choices (I restarted the game probably five times this week. ;__;). That being said, it is fun seeing how your choices effects the difficulty level of the game. The first run through we were not intentional about the sigils and sacrificing mechanics which made it harder to get creatures on the board and to deal enough damage. On my second play-through it was much easier to win after I chose better combinations of power-ups and sigils. I also found myself getting attached to certain cards, which reminded me alot of how Yugi was attached to the Dark Magician in YuGiOh!

Another thing I enjoy about the game is the escape room part of the game. It adds another layer of mechanics and motivation to unlock the secrets to the game (although my stoat yelled at me for 5 rounds before I went and checked the safe oopsies). Being able to get up from the game table and look around allowed me to take breaks in-between the card games and reset myself.

In all, I really enjoyed this week’s game. I will definitely have to set aside some time to play through the full game and to learn more about the lore!