Inscryption

Inscryption gifts you a truly unique gameplay experience and atmosphere. I wish I could play it again for the first time.

One of the greatest deckbuilders if you're OK with the thrilling atmosphere. No jumpscares or anything, but it's a dark vibe. I love the story and deck battling that evolves throughout the story and I 100% recommend this :)

First time leaving a review, because this game is why we love games!
The only way I could pick such a game up was through a recommendation from a friend. If this resonates with you, let me be the friend to recommend this absolute must have played of a game.
Never expected to be into a card game, the gameplay, the atmosphere, the story, everything is so cool. A game that got me thinking about it while working.
Only good words for Inscryption!

Inscryption does a wonderful job of capturing your attention with its story. I found the pacing and the atmosphere excellent as I battled through the mystery of the game. Even though 4th wall-breaks are mostly utilized as a very cheap way to drive the narrative in a 'unique' fashion in other media, I never felt bored with the story mode. The end game content, which is the roguelike part, let's you undertake the first act with different unlockables and optional challenges. Some of these are quite hard compared to the rest of the game until you realize that there are only a handful of tried-and-tested methods and tactics that are viable. I do wish there were more ways to experiment with different combos and builds, but only because I liked this game so much.

Cool game, tonnes of fun synergies between dozens of cards. The aesthetics and atmosphere are great. The only flaw is the constant 4th wall breaks in the story mode.

Story Rich

You believed the story to be over, but it doesn't end there. There's more to it than simply a card game.
100/10

I think even if you personally don't like it, you have to at least admit it's objectively a good game that accomplishes what it set out to do as art and as a videogame.

All around, simply incredible. From the visuals to the music to the game mechanics, I highly suggest you play this. The story is very captivating, so I strongly recommend avoiding any spoilers before experiencing it yourself

A truly unique and subversive gem of a game. It's hard to say much about it without spoiling your experience, but I'll just say the game TRIES to get you to go away, and think it's basic, but stick with it, stay on the ride, and you'l have one of the best gaming experiences you've had in a long, LONG time.

I'm truly impressed by the creativity, and balls of the developers to go so far off the beaten path in game making, This game is a ride that you get on, and just experience, but while ALSO having very fun game mechanics that aren't just an afterthought.

Bravo.

This game is pretty unique in his genre.
It's an amazing deck-building roguelike with an escape room aspect, all bathed in a perfect dark atmosphere.

The story and the twists are interesting and keep you wanting more of this intriguing narrative.
This game has a way of siphoning you in as you simply keep discovering more and more as you play.

Do yourself a favor, and as you're about to press play for the first time : turn the lights off, light a candle, and then you're ready for the journey ahead.

I have never played a card game before and this was my first experience and the truth is that this game has it all, it has story, it has lore, it has very well designed characters, it is really worth giving it a try!

There is too much slow parts of the game that are not the card playing mechanic, and that part seems also slow and not that deep. I think if you really want to play the puzzle solving parts maybe it has more to offer?

Absolutely stunning game, I did not expect a roguelike deckbuilder to be one of the best games I've ever played - but this is certainly up there, My only advice is for anyone with fewer than 5-10 hours, keep playing.

Started playing it and got addicted, then finished act 1. I just can't get myself to try act 2. Especially because the whole vibe just immediately changes. Unfortunately the store page makes it look like the whole game is all in the style of act 1, I wish it was.

I'm gonna go ahead and pretend that was the end of the game and leave it there. I really, REALLY enjoyed act 1 but because of how it changes I can't recommend it unfortunately.

I absolutely loved the first act of this game—it's incredible. However, spoiler warning: after Act 1, the gameplay, art style, and overall vibe take a drastic shift. It feels like you're not even playing the same game anymore. What's frustrating is that the developers didn’t share any visuals or hints about these changes beyond the first act, which feels misleading for those who fall in love with how the game starts. If you're expecting the entire experience to be like Act 1, you’ll be disappointed. Act 1 is a solid 10/10, but everything that follows drops to a 5. you have to beat the whole game to get a mode that consist of only act one.

Great m but makesure u see go watch strategies on youtubes or other platforms , it is nearly impssible for you to figure how to found out the correct way to beat Act 1. Also , Act 2 and Act 3 is way easier in my opinion , I beat the two of'em within one day only.

I'm mixed on this one. I see the vision and can understand why people like this game, but it's not for me. Compared to other deck building games, this one feels extremely challenging but for the wrong reasons. You can have an amazing deck and the run is going smoothly then one battle you lose in two turns because you didn't draw the right card(s) and that feels unfairly punishing. There's also minimal progression throughout the game as the only thing that really carries over is your Death card. The design and story of this game is unique and I appreciate the spooky atmosphere.

Overall, I would recommend this game to other people but you should at least research how the card battles play out before you purchase this because that will make or break the game for you.

Fun game and definitely not what I expected!

- The mechanics are fun, you never get bored, because just when you get the hang of it, the game changes the rules, making it always refreshing.
- The story is scary from the beginning, sad at the end, and mysterious and confusing.
- Music and sound effects are great. Art is so different from act to act, it's with anticipation wait for it to change
- Love that the side quests are hidden, and you're not forced to complete them, but they'll tell you more of the story!

Really enjoyed the game! 8.9/10

I don't Like playing this type of game BUT this game is such a good story and mechanics that i really enjoyed it to the fullest. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED even if you don't like this type of game.

made me bust

Inscryption is the definition of overly ambitious to its own bitter detriment. The strong emphasis on many different layers of metanarrative has worked well in the past in Pony Island. But then again there was really nothing beyond this that Pony Island had to offer. On the contrary Inscryption features a masterful first act that grips the imagination of even those lacking in the latter.

Sadly, as soon as we sink our teeth into the delicious steak which is the cabin of act one, the game yoinks it away from us with such veracity and haste that not a drop of that juicy steak remains. I'm not sure if Inscryption did sacrificing cards first or if it's just my lack of knowledge of card games. Regardless it's a thoroughly wonderful game mechanic that should have been explored much more than it was. The short ventures into the depths of the cabin itself add a very welcome cherry on top of that incredible pie. This screams brilliance to me. Just utter, irrevocable, unstoppable brilliance.

Unfortunately Daniel Mullins didn't have the patience, nor the foresight to recognize this gem for what it was. To underdevelop it like that is nothing less than criminal. There's so many different paths the game could take. So many various avenues it could explore. Alas, Daniel Mullins slows down and starts limping right as he crosses the first lap. By the time we reach the finish line we're truly running on fumes and the sheer desire to get it over with.

Inscryption lies to you. The so-called acts of this game might as well be different games entirely, as there's very little connecting all three of them. It's really 5 games in one if we count the ARG and a very well deserved surprise after the credits stop rolling (more on that later). The problem is that the second act doesn't hold even close to the first. Neither does the third, albeit being much more digestible than the former. That alone kept pushing me to finish it.

As for the story, if you may ask, I did care for the major players. I didn't care for Luke and what happened to him at all. Perhaps that was the point, as the "non-real" digital characters ironically have more character than this man of flesh and blood. Luke has never anything meaningful to do or say, as he's a passive protagonist. Things just kinda happen to him and all he can say is: "what the f***" and "well, that was weird". He's more hollow than John Hollow Knight.

Luckily we have a savior in the form of Kaycee's Mod. It's a game mode that unlocks after finishing the game and capitalizes on act one. I suggest you make use of the Ouroboros strategy to steamroll acts two and three. There's nothing interesting about the game mechanics presented in either of those two acts, so you won't be missing much. I'm glad I looked up said strategy because otherwise my time with the game would be unbearable.

Now, with all that said, why would I ever recommend Inscryption? Because the first act is truly worth it. The fact that the game trips and vomits all over itself in the pursuit of the pretentious metanarrative doesn't take that away from it. In fact it stands as a firm testament of how good its first act is, if even despite all the nonsense it pushes onto us afterwards it can't meaningfully sour the experience.

Daniel, an open letter to yourself if I may. Not every game needs to have that same metanarrative you did that one time in Pony Island. It's so easy to become M. Night Shyamalan. To become a self-parody. A joke that only a very lazy person hadn't lampooned yet. There's a good reason why M. Night Shyamalan is associated with "the twist". Not every film needs a twist. And not every game needs a metanarrative. But if you absolutely must have one, then at least make it meaningfully different from the one you did before. Even M. Night's twists weren't all the same, were they?

As for me, I'll pick Inscryption again one day and finish Kaycee's Mod. Until then, I suggest you give it a shot. I rarely if ever praise a game that is so disjointed and lacking in focus as Inscryption. Sadly we can't have everything, but I won't stop wondering what could have been.

I have never been so surprised by a game before. It's not just a card game. New mechanics and secrets appear constantly; puzzles to solve as you progress; a fantastic story; every 10 minutes something new and unexpected would happen (like literally using the files on my computer to win a round). I don't think the entire story mode had a single dull moment for me. Easily one of the best $8 I've ever spent.

Phenomenal game. I found it almost impossible to stop playing until I finished the main story. I've lost sleep because of this game, and it was so worth it. Unlocking the new game mode at the end of it all is just the cherry on top. It gives the game that long-term replay value of randomized runs with additional modifiers you can select. But the atmosphere and story telling is what will stick with me for a long time to come.

Esse jogo é absurdo, é o tipo de jogo que tá sempre te surpreendendo e acho impossível descrever sem estragar a experiencia. Jogue sem ver nenhum video. Vale muito a pena!

It's a really unique and interesting little game, a lot of charm and often diverse gameplay. Admittedly, some sections are better than others but it kept me engaged throughout.

A fantastic game with unique twists and mechanics. As someone who does not enjoy anything labelled horror, the atmosphere and psychological theme throughout is perfect. No jump scares.

Now I want to play everything the maker of this game has -and will- make.
So unique. So good. And it's as much an "experience" as a fun game.
It never stopped surprising me, challenging me... it's... This game did not felt just like a game I've played, but more like a game I've been in, or a game I've played with.
Won't forget this one...
Thank you game.

I thoroughly enjoyed Inscryption! As someone who can't handle horror very well, this game had just enough to make it intriguing without keeping me from sleeping. I love how the story is gradually revealed, giving you time to learn the mechanics of the card game and become familiar with the cards. If you like deck building card games or TCGs this game will be right up your alley.

Once you unlock Kaycee's Mod the card game becomes great for casual play. It has a lot of replay-ability and offers a bunch of challenges to make the game more difficult.

A strange and intriguing narrative experience that keeps giving until the end (took me about 22 hours to complete) — and then you're left with a fun card game to play.

I like this game a lot but it has a lot of rules and sometimes I can't remember them all. But it is still very good. I've been told to be polite and that is very hard for me. because of my general temperment. But I still think I'm doing a good job at being polite. Thanks for reading! Love, Max

Act 1 was awesome, then act 2 came and ruined the experience for me IMMEDIATELY, It baffles me that this game has overwhelming positive reviews, I don't get it, changing everything about the game from graphics to even the core mechanic mid game is just nonsense for me.

Inscryption is a phenomenal game.

Everything from the soundtrack, characters, and design to the environments, atmosphere, and story are nothing short of perfect; the game truly is a masterpiece from beginning to end. One of my primary fears in story-driven games like this lies in the uncertainty of reaching possible areas in the game when making decisions, such as choosing to cross one bridge over another and being permanently locked from a whole different ending. Inscryption leads you through the story in a way that avoids this kind of problem, and I enjoyed it a lot more because of it.

10 / 10

The single greatest deck-building roguelike escape room haunted game I've ever played. It suffers in the later portions of the game; the high stakes and deep intrigue severely diminish by Act 3, but the gameplay is more than good enough to warrant pushing through. Kaycee's mod provides nearly endless replayability and unique challenges, and for all its flaws, what I found was most lacking in the game was that it left me wanting MORE.

It will never happen, but I would happily see a DLC or content update that added the other two Scrybes' worlds into the game, merely teased in the ending sequence.

Bro why Act 2 had to be SO BAD??!?!! Totally put me off the game, I was SO INVESTED in the story and the gameplay... the atmosphere, everything was SO GOOD... Fr I don't feel like even starting the game and trying anymore, NO JOKE... c'mon such a wasted potential...

Really fun to feel that sense of determination after failing for what feels like the 50th time and now exactly how you'll get 'em next time. I named my deathcards after my friends, so when a really strong deathcard came up it was a fun boost to the spirit; definitely a "I got this if my homies got me <3" vibe you know?

(or "my friends are my power!" if your a KH nerd lol)

SPOILERS BEWARE!

Inscryption boasts a beautiful beginning with charming dialogue and wonderfully done atmosphere. Act 1 is a visual treat and, had it been the entirety of the game, would have honestly garnered more love from me. The rules are simple enough to learn quickly, with enough variation and ways to augment your cards that you can play all sorts of different ways. The boss fights in the cabin are lovely, too; the dark aesthetic marries perfectly with the haunting soundtrack, and the mechanics are all perfectly in theme with the boss, as well.

Unfortunately, the game drops off quite hard after this. It may be a staple of Daniel Mullin's work, but the meta-fictional plot is unengaging and underwhelming. I'm far more interested in the world inside the game, and I could feel all of my immersion get forcibly torn away each time I was forced to sit through a segment involving 'the real world.' The game's plot and characters suffer for this, in my opinion, as so much time is diverted away from the Scrybes and into Lucas Carder. The fact Luke will occasionally quip in over your gameplay, just after enough time has passed for you to forget he existed, was nothing short of irritating.

Act 3, at least for me, wasn't so terrible, though it certainly was /boring/ both to look at and read. The card game, however, was back to being reminiscent of the cabin, and I was pleased to go back to it with a fresh new set of mechanics. This does come with the caveat of the game playing much slower than before, though, so make what you will of it.

The half-baked plot concludes with one final stand against each of the Scrybes, though all are cut short. I for one, actually quite enjoyed this! It looked amazing, and gave me a taste of the decks I hadn't really been able to enjoy in the slog of the second act. Unfortunately, as cool as the set piece is, the Scrybes are neutered for plot-reasons and you may only play a few turns with each one before moving on. This segment simply furthered my need for the game to throw away the focus on the metafictional: I would happily play a game going through the worlds of each Scrybe, as you had done with Leshy's cabin, and enjoyed it much more than the actual product.

After this, the finale to the plot is... unsatisfying, at best, and honestly, comes off as downright laughable. Why should I care for Lucas Carder, or anything that happens to him? Why should I feel horror at PO-3's actions? What is the truth behind the mysterious card-turned-video-game? I've played other games that leave me turning questions such as these over in my head for weeks afterwards (shoutout to Signalis!), but with Inscryption, I felt no attachment to any of it. Honestly, I wanted the credits to roll faster, so I could get back to playing the cabin card game in Kaycee's Mod.

I don't think that Inscryption is bad at a base level. It's a fun game bogged down by terrible writing, leaving a perfectly mediocre experience. But I don't want a mediocre game, I want a game that continues to channel the fun and wonder I had at the start.

Stage One: Regular Dread
Stage Two: Confusion
Stage Three: Existential Dread
Stage Kaycee's Mod: Weirdly comforting and fun

10/10 highly recommend.

No but actually, it's an excellent game that you should really go into blind. The pacing in some parts is slow, especially if you're not a big fan of the new mechanics introduced after the first act, but it's a pretty short experience, exceptionally well-done, and the challenge mode you get at the end is everything I ever wanted when I was playing the story, so I can't not recommend it to people. I'm honestly amazed by the sheer artistry that went into this. It's like fine art or something, you know? A painting so big and beautiful it just makes you wonder at how much went into making it, how many years of training and hours of portraiture. It's like that.

Don't spoil it for yourself, trust the process, and pity the squirrels. Worth it without a sale.