Inscryption: The Genre-Defying Deck-Building Game We Didn’t Know We Needed

Inscryption is the latest game from Pony Island creator, David Mullins, and despite appearances it’s more than just a PC deck-building game. Where classic deck builders like Magic the Gathering are more technical strategy games, this title immerses players in its mysterious story. Of course, it has its strategic aspects, but the game blends genres by throwing in escape-room style puzzles and personalized procedurally generated bosses that remember players’ weaknesses and fears.

Taking place in a dark cabin, the game’s ominous environment envelopes the player in an archaic wood-paneled room, rather than reducing the gameplay to a simple tabletop experience. In fact, at certain moments, the gameplay extends outwards to the room itself. This will see players having to get up from the chair they’re sitting in and continue to combat enemies by using environmental elements to attack and defend, an effect reminiscent of breaking the fourth wall in theatre and other visual media.

Many players have already praised this PC game for its innovative and dynamic gameplay. What’s more, the game has a special cinematic quality and pays homage to nostalgic video games all gamers know and love. As a keen example of its critical appeal, popular game review site Polygon bestowed upon Inscryption the accolade of best video game of 2021.

This roguelike deck-building game redefines horror and keeps players on their toes

Dynamic Structure

The game has a liquid, adaptable structure. Players have consistently noted one of the most interesting parts about it is its replay value, including a particularly interesting card creation feature. Each time a player dies, they have an opportunity to design a card to protect them in battles to come. In fact, this is the way many players have ultimately beaten certain bosses, by dying enough times to successfully craft the perfect card to counter their attacks.

Due to the fact that the script is not fixed, but rather procedurally generated, the game adapts to the person who is playing the game. This makes it impossible to play the same game twice, with unique combinations of boss characteristic and gameplay mechanics in evidence with each successive playthrough.

Suspense

It definitely delivers the edge of your seat, nail-biting gameplay every gamer craves. With loads of twists and turns, game progress is delineated by a series of accumulating tokens. Once the number of tokens reaches 5, the game ends.

The protagonist sits at the dimly-lit table, snatching up their cards as impatiently as they are dealt, and animal-like characters on the cards hiss warnings and secrets, increasing the player’s sense of unease. All of this takes placed under the watchful eyes of the dealer shrouded in darkness. Such scenes of tension are reminiscent of memorable card games in literature, such as in the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

In fact, there are several parallels between this video game and Fahrenheit 451. Obviously, there’s the element of an all-knowing antagonist that constantly flips the script on the player. More so, there’s a particular scene that conveys the palpable tension in Fahrenheit 451. The takes place during a game of poker, where the antagonist, Beatty, has subtly revealed to the main character, Guy Montag, that he knows Guy has taken some forbidden books into his home. Guy buckles under the pressure as the two continue their play, a dynamic which brings clearly to mind the mood of Inscryption.

In what often amounts to life and death situation, both Fahrenheit 451 and Inscryption rely on psychological horror and suspense to drive the story onwards.

Bradbury’s 1953 novel is very influential and considered an early example of post-modernism

Redefining Horror

Like Fahrenheit 451, this game isn’t what you would call horror. Instead, it’s much more psychological, focusing on generating a sense of unease, and creepiness. The bosses tap into a deep part of the player’s psyche, reaching for the sort of primal fear that’s difficult to reason with.

Inscryption doesn’t rely on commonplace horror methods to frighten players which makes the game all the more scary in its own unique way. From robust video game and literary homages to incredible advances beyond its genre confines, this masterpiece promises a thrilling, unexpected gaming experience. It’s a refreshing perspective that hopefully will set a trend for future titles.