Inscryption
The cards are lying to you
Daniel Mullins' Inscryption begins as a cabin-escape card game and becomes something far stranger, subverting expectations at every turn.
Overview
Inscryption presents itself as a roguelike deck-builder where you play cards against a mysterious figure in a dark cabin. That description is technically accurate and entirely misleading. The game repeatedly transforms, hiding secrets within secrets. Discussing its true nature spoils the experience. Trust that the journey rewards exploration.
Fast facts
- Developer: Daniel Mullins Games.
- Publisher: Devolver Digital.
- Designer: Daniel Mullins (also created Pony Island, The Hex).
- Genre: deck-builder/horror/puzzle/mystery.
- Awards: multiple Game of the Year nominations.
- Experience: best played unspoiled.
The cabin
The initial premise:
- Card battles: creature cards, sacrifices, special abilities.
- Escape elements: puzzle items around the cabin.
- The Leshy: your captor and opponent.
- Death cards: fallen characters become cards.
Beyond the cabin
Without spoilers:
- Genre shifts: the game changes fundamentally.
- Meta-narrative: boundaries between game and reality blur.
- ARG elements: secrets extended beyond the game itself.
- Mullins’ signature: subverting player expectations.