686: Inscryption

[JaySevenZero]

Here's where you can contribute your thoughts and opinions for Inscryption for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

A friendly reminder that where the feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but keeping it brief is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mostly reading out essays. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.

[Nicktendo]

October 2021 I was coming out of a COVID-19 lockdown which had lasted 77 days. It was a tumultuous time, and I needed something to take my mind off things and relax. Well, Inscryption definitely took my mind off things. It's haunting aesthetic and addictive rogue-like gameplay hooked me from the get-go. Just one more run I'd tell myself. And then one evening I did it. I beat the Moon. Was that the end? No. It was only Act 1 and the game pivoted in such a way that I hadn't experienced probably since discovering Raiden would be the main character of Metal Gear Solid 2.

Act 2 reminded me of the Pokemon TCG on Gameboy. The highlight, as with the PTCG on phones now, was opening new card packs.

Act 3 was a sci-fi repeat of Act 1 that by that point didn't have the same staying power as Act 1 did in my mind. The clever use of file explorer bringing up pictures on my hard disk reminded me of the Psycho Mantis battle in Metal Gear Solid (another callback to the series).

The mysterious plot trickled throughout the game was intriguing and kept my attention until rolling credits.

Act 1 is the best part of the game and was justified in the creation of the Kaycee's Mod DLC.

Inscryption is well-crafted singular vision of Paul Mullins and possessed my attention for the week it took me to complete it. In its wake I was searching for something similar, and it opened the world of deck builder rogue likes to my gaming repertoire and have since discovered Slay the Spire and Balatro all thanks to this mesmerising indie gem.

TWR: Intriguing Insomniac Indie

[DaMonth]

I only played through this a couple weeks from the end of February, looking for a deckbuilder rougelike fix after Balatro that Slay the Spire's dim gamefeel didn't quite provide. I thought I got my answer, but Inscryption really isn't much of a rougelike, is it?

Not that that's an issue. While the card system was interesting and turning friends into overpowered death cards was a fun little distraction, I eventually started running out of friends to name runs after and got pretty sick of the Prospector. Had to look up stabbing my own eye because being blind was more just a hassle the first time I tried it on the final boss.

Glad I did though. The New Game "gotcha" was enough to reignite some interest. Blazed through Act 2 with an energy/bones deck. Act 3's probably the most clever with all the meta-twists and plot progression, but by then, my interest in the card matches drained exponentially and I was just incredibly ready to be done. Even the Yu-Gi-Oh joke wasn't enough to make me sad hitting credits.

Overall, good game but personally waned on my patience.

[TheAngryWalnut]

Towards the end of Inscryption I was torn: is this a developer who struggles to self-edit, lacking the bravery to leave solid ideas on the cutting-room floor in order to refine the whole, or someone with the confidence in their creativity to throw new idea after new idea to ensure nothing outstays its welcome? At the end I didn’t care. The twists and turns tightened, spiralling into a gleefully meta experience beyond my expectations, even after act 1 led me to expect the unexpected.

Then came something else unexpected: Kaycee’s mod allowed us to dive back in to where it started, without any of the fluff, and revel in its tight cardplay. For many this game is probably a step down from other rougelike deckbuilders - slay the spire et al - but for me it was a gateway. I loved the idea behind it all and the way it allowed for some truly OP builds (as any good rougelike should), and I sunk many, many hours into this endgame. It also led me to many of its inspirations, most notably magic: the gathering - something that had always passed me by, but that I now play whenever I can with friends.

I will always look back on Inscryption fondly - from the wild ride of the main game, to the addictive endgame, to the whole new world of physical card games it introduced me to.

[Rhaegyr]

It's not often that games mess with the player but Inscryption does this expertly and I wish more games would follow suit.

The segueway from Act 1 to Act 2 is something I'll never forget.

[The_reviewist]

I really liked Inscryption. A brilliant blend of storytelling and deck building fun.
Unfortunately, it took me DAYS to get out of Act 1, simply because I made the mistake of using the dagger during the final battle... and so never found out that you got a replacement eye, because when the showdown ended, the camera snapped and I started over.

Assuming that if I used the knife I'd have to play the whole game myopically, I shunned it! Until finally out of necessity I used it, about 6 runs later. Then I practically sped though the final two acts over a couple of evenings.