![]() ![]() Most strong creatures will require a sacrifice in order to be played, and frequently, that will mean sacrificing a squirrel. Squirrels have no attack and only one life point, but they are essential to play. At the start of your turn, you’ll have the option to draw from your main deck, or to draw from a deck of squirrels. Finally, some cards will have a special sigil on them, which grants them an ability, and you can look in the book on the table to read up on them at any time – something I strongly suggest doing, as there are a lot of sigils to learn. Additionally, some cards will have a cost value shown in the upper right, indicated by a number of bones or blood droplets. Each card has an attack value indicated in the lower left, and a life points value indicated in the lower right. So, how do card battles actually work in this game? You’ll be given a basic starter deck at the start of every new run, though you’ll notice that the cards you receive in it will begin changing as you solve more puzzles in the cabin. I don’t want to give too much away about the bosses, as figuring out their tricks is really half the fun. Finally, boss battles are incredibly challenging encounters with set bosses, each with their own unique deck and unique abilities. For example, he might have a totem that allows all of his wolf cards to fly, which means they’ll bypass your creatures and attack your life directly. In totem battles, your enemy will have the use of a totem that will add a special ability to an entire class of cards. That’s not to say these encounters aren’t challenging, because they can be, but totem and boss encounters add layers of complexity and difficulty. Regular battles are simple affairs: the creepy entity across the table from you will play normal cards – that is, nothing with overly fancy abilities or anything extremely powerful. There are three types of battle spaces: regular, totem, and boss. Of course, you’ll need to collect and strengthen your cards so that you can survive battles. Honestly, the more you play, the more you discover, and the more wonderfully complex your strategies become. Still, others will combine two of the same card to double all of its stats through truly questionable surgery. You’ve got typical spaces that add cards to your deck, and wonderfully strange ones, such as the campfire that is surrounded by some really sketchy (and hungry) characters telling you to warm a card by the fire to increase its health or attack points. There are a lot of different spaces on the map to land on. Much like other games in the genre, Inscryption has a game map with branching choices that you’ll travel across, with the obvious goal of reaching the end without dying. Thankfully, you’ll be introduced to new elements at a reasonable pace. The rules aren’t necessarily overly complex, but there’s a surprising amount of stuff to learn. You’ll likely spend a decent amount of time in the beginning of the game working through the deckbuilder aspects. Some cards will reveal clues about puzzles scattered about the incredibly creepy cabin, while some of the items you can find in the cabin will help you survive some pretty tough card battles. Don’t think of them as separate things, though, as they’re intrinsically linked. Gameplay in Inscryption is essentially divided into two portions: roguelike deckbuilding and escape room puzzles. While they may seem like they’re just whimsical little additions, pay attention to everything that’s said to pick up on hints and clues. In addition to the main story, you’ll be given delightful little story scenarios when playing the deckbuilder portion of the game. There is a surprising amount of story for the genre, and much of the game is spent piecing it together. And thus, you’re thrust into the world of this dark, ominous blend of roguelike deckbuilder and escape room puzzler. A pair of luminous eyes peer over the table at you, and you’re informed that you’re invited to play a little card game. ![]() ![]() Inscryption opens with the player waking up in a small, distressingly decorated cabin. So I absolutely had to give the full version a try, especially considering it’s Halloween, and Inscryption is delightfully eerie. A while back, I was given the opportunity to preview the demo for Inscryption from Daniel Mullins Games and Devolver Digital, and I was practically head over heels for it then. What is it about roguelike deckbuilders that just sink their claws into me again and again? Before I dipped my toes into Slay the Spire, it was a genre I didn’t even know existed, and it’s now become what is easily one of my favorites. Inscryption Review: A Spooky Roguelike-Deckbuilder-Escape-Room Game Just in Time for Halloween ![]()
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