Inscryption is one of the most fun story-driven card games I have ever played!

Inscryption is a deck-building game developed by Daniel Mullins Games and published by Devolver Digital. I had a hankering for a deck-building game, so I bought Inscryption on a whim. Turns out I was in for a fun, horrifying, and maddening experience.

GRAPHICS & VISUALS 10/10

Inscryption immerses the player with all the visuals needed to make them question every decision they have made in the game. The devs give you just enough light to see by, which does an amazing job emphasizing the game’s horror theme.

From the puzzles to the card game, the art style does a great job of gelling the game together.

MUSIC & SOUND QUALITY 10/10

The sound design in Inscryption reminds me of the scary movies my friends always dragged me to—the ones that got my heart racing and kept me constantly jumping. The sounds and visuals in this game go hand in hand. The loud grumbles of your opponent waiting to take your life and the music lulling you just enough to support the mood is exactly how Inscryption ropes you in with its sound design.

GAMEPLAY 10/10

The player jumps in thinking Inscryption is just a card game, but that’s exactly where the game trips you up. On my first play-through I made that very mistake, limping up to The Prospector (the first boss) hoping I had a chance to beat him. Five deaths later I realized there was so much more to the game! There is a huge benefit to learning from your cards. Speaking of cards, the name of the game is sacrifice! Daniel Mullins pulled some influence for the main mechanic of the game, sacrifice, from playing Magic: The Gathering.The player has to use squirrels or sacrifice cards in order to summon other cards. Unfortunately, your opponent doesn’t always have to play by the same rules! 

The cards have attack points and health points. When there isn’t a card on the opponent’s side, you’re able to attack them for their life points. Some cards have bonus attributes that either make them stronger or weaker. There are also bonus items you pick up on your journey to help you boost your turns. You need to have your wits with you because one round can cause you to lose the whole match. There are other things that come into play when utilizing sacrifice, but it’s best for you to find out on your own.

The puzzle portion of the game plays a huge part in helping the player progress, which then moves into paying attention to your cards that give you clues to figure out the puzzles. There are different paths you’re able to take in between rounds. These can either buff your cards or make them weaker!

Usually when I run into a game that causes me to fail, I need a break. In this case, I just wanted to play more!

STORY & CHARACTERS 10/10

My favorite part of Inscryption is the story. Being in first person view forces the player to feel more vulnerable. Once you actually get up from the chair to explore the room, you start to realize that this isn’t a card game, but an ESCAPE ROOM! Your opponent is carefully watching every move you make in the cabin as you discover clues or solve puzzles. Locking eyes with your captives in the darkness is absolutely terrifying! The dialogue you have with the other cards queues you into figuring out what has actually been going on in the cabin. Losing in the game sometimes gives you clues about the story. The farther the player progresses through the game, the more they are rewarded with the big picture.

Finishing Inscryption was so satisfying story-wise that it cemented itself as one of the best games I have played in a long time!

OVERALL 10/10

For a game that is currently $19.99 on Steam, Inscryption hits its price point and more! I got fifteen hours of gameplay out of Inscryption before I beat it. To be honest, if I hadn’t looked up some tips, it could have lasted much longer. This game’s replay value is quite high, especially with all the mods coming out for it. One particular mod claims to allow multiplayer, but I haven’t tried it yet. I’m getting an itch to play Inscryption all over again just from writing this review.

I recommend picking up Inscryption if you’re looking for a thrilling journey! Even if you’re not normally into card games, I suggest giving this one a chance for all the other elements it brings to the table. I’m happy to give Inscryption a perfect 10 out of 10!

Inscyption was released on October 19, 2021 for Steam. The PC version was used for this review. The reviewer purchased this game at full price.