Inscryption
Rating 8.5/10
Today, I played Inscryption together with a few classmates, Phuc and Olivia.
I have never played a card game online before (does UNO count?), so I did not know what to expect. Although usually, I do enjoy strategy / card games like this, so I was excited to head into this genre that was both familiar and new, especially after reading the associated article. This concept of a “magic prison”, with a conflict between being forced to play while still being able to make certain choices, was a theme I have never heard of before, and learning about that parallel further piqued my interest in this game.
[creepy cover art]
Starting off, I am not the biggest horror fan, so I was a bit worried going in, especially after seeing the creepy cover art. Yet, I actually found myself enjoying the spookiness of the music, graphics, and storyline. Maybe because playing with friends makes scary things seem more entertaining, but I don’t know if I could’ve gotten through it alone. All in all, it was nice to experience the game together as a group. The card designs also helped; the animals were illustrated in a very cute way, which stood in contrast to the dark setting and visuals. I found this contrast surprising, but amusing, and it helped alleviate the suspense of the game.
[cute squirrel illustration that made us laugh]
In terms of playing the game itself, in the beginning, the instructions felt a bit unclear, and we did not know exactly what we were playing towards, but I think that added to the charm and suspense of the game. It definitely kept us guessing, strategizing over every card placement and sacrifice, and constantly debating which path to take next or questioning if we made the right decision. We quickly got the hang of things as we did more card matches, yet at the same time, rather than feeling more confident, I feel that we got more nervous and anxious as the story unraveled. Everything about Inscryption definitely kept us on our toes.
[pic of gameplay]
The card mechanics also reminded me of the time I spent as a kid playing Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, so I also felt a bit of nostalgia while playing. I really enjoyed the different aspects of the game, from adding new cards to your deck or being able to power up your current cards, to picking different tools to help you win. It was fun thinking through the costs and positioning of each card. The talking stoat card also added another layer of intrigue to the game.
Overall, I enjoyed the spookiness, refreshingly cute card designs, and puzzle-like features of this game. I think we finished the first act of the game, and I am really curious as to how the story unravels and whether anything changes moving forward, because it did get a bit repetitive towards the end. I will definitely play again to try to finish all the milestones, and would recommend it to friends. What a great game to start the quarter off with 😀
I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed playing this game! It feels like it might not be for everyone on paper, but the way the spookiness and card mechanics are done felt pretty accessible to me. I’m glad that that proved true to you as a newcomer to online card games. I also think, while typically it’s a single-player Inscryption, it indeed has some fun as a group activity thanks to the storytelling and said accessibility. I hadn’t ever really considered it that sort of game, but actually enjoyed watching Anthony play it the other day.
I love that you mention the cute card designs because it’s so true (the black cat is just a lil guy!). I feel like this is one of the factors when I say that the game feels oddly enough kinda cozy. The lack of pressure and little tidbits like the cute squirrel and companion stoat add some of that cozy game charm in my opinion!