Released on Steam on October 19th by Pony Island developer, Daniel Mullins, Inscryption is a unique blend of horror and card-based gameplay comparable to games like Slay the Spire and Hearthstone. Gamers familiar with Mullins' previous work shouldn't be surprised to hear that this game is far from simple and things, are not always as they seem.
Between Inscryption's core card-based gameplay and the unsettling cabin in which the game is framed, there's a huge margin for experimentation and exploration within Inscryption. For those who are interested in giving this great card-based horror experience a shot, but have little experience with card games and/or puzzle games, these tips may help make a playthrough a smoother experience.
Updated on March 7, 2022, by Paul DiSalvo: While the card-based Inscryption may appear rather simple at first glance, the game is deceptively rich in its mechanics, offering players several means of customizing their strategies, going so far as allowing players to augment the effects of individual cards. With the addition of the Kaycee's Mod update, not only have several new cards been added to Inscryption for players to utilize, but the game now features an endless mode that allows players to truly test their skills and cement their strategies.
7 Squirrels Are The Primary Resource
As is the case with many card games, managing resources is an integral part of Inscryption. Gamers are only capable of playing their most impactful cards if they have the resources to do so. By and large, the most widely available and useful resource in Inscryption are squirrels.
These cards are incredibly frail and can't deal damage, but can be consistently drawn when needed and can be played for free. If a player needs to build up the resources to play one of their most useful cards, or if they're looking for a means of stalling an opposing card from getting through, squirrels are without question the most key resource in Inscryption.
It's important to note that while a player can choose to draw a squirrel on any of their turns, players have access to a finite number of squirrels within a given game. This means that if one is to get a bit overzealous, they may run out of their primary resource. Despite this, Squirrels are by and large the most integral and key resource within the game, functioning as reliable fodder for a player's other cards or as an emergency blocker to stall an opponent.
6 Take Cards That Will Be Useful For Certain
Throughout the duration of Insryption, players are frequently given choices between several cards they may select to add to their deck. While this may seem like a given, it is integral that players consider which potential cards they will actually play, and in how many scenarios a given card will be useful.
For example, while a more high-cost card may be capable of dealing more damage than other possible cards, its hefty cost requirements can greatly hinder when a player would be able to play such a card. Conversely, a card with a lower cost can be more easily played at any point in a game.
This is not to say that lower-cost cards are inherently better than those with high costs; rather, that players should weigh a card's ease of access. It's important to consider how much the card offers in a game when deciding which will best serve a player's strategy.
5 Efficiency Is Key
Inscryption is a game in which the player has a finite amount of resources they can access within a single turn. While some of the game's higher-costed cards can be quite impactful within a given game, efficient and low-cost cards that can be played for little to no resources are an incredible asset.
As players should always be aiming to make the most out of the resources they have in a given turn, it's important to make sure you're getting the most bang for your buck regarding the cards one plays. Some of the strongest cards in Inscryption are those that offer above-average stats or capabilities for a below-average cost.
4 Make The Most Out Of The Altar
Unlike traditional tabletop card games in which the effects of cards are set in stone, Inscryption effectively allows players to make their own cards throughout the game. This is done through the game's altar, which can be found intermittently as the player progresses. Upon finding an altar, players choose one card in their deck to sacrifice, and one card to perform this sacrifice.
The abilities of the sacrificed card are then transferred to the card selected to perform the sacrifice. By using the altar, players are able to create incredibly powerful cards that can serve as the backbone of one's deck. This can potentially put an incredible ability on a low-cost card, or even put several key abilities on a single high-impact card.
3 Be Conscious Of Items
As a single-player game, it's important to be aware that unlike multiplayer games like Hearthstone, Inscryption will frequently break its own rules and throw countless curveballs at the player. Luckily, the player is also given a means of breaking the game's rules as well through items.
As a player progresses, they can find various items. Some of these deal direct damage to the opponent, some destroy a card of one's choice, and others automatically put certain cards in a player's hand. As this is a single-player game and one doesn't need to worry about the consequences of bending the rules as they would against a human opponent, it's key for players to make the most out of any and all resources allotted to them.
2 Regularly Explore The Cabin
While it's easy to get tunnel vision regarding Inscryption's core card-based gameplay, this aspect of the game is simply the tip of the horror-riddled iceberg. In addition to the game's card-battling gameplay and board game-like progression, players are able to stand up from the table and explore the cabin in which the narrative is framed.
This is just as important — if not more so — than the card game itself. This cabin contains various hidden hints, puzzles, and story threads for those willing to investigate and snoop. As the game progresses, more and more hidden goodies will become available within the cabin, creating a rewarding experience for those who regularly look around for potentially subtle changes to the environment. Much of what players can find within the cabin can be utilized within the card game as well. This makes the setting a key element of the game as a whole, deepening both the card game and the overall story of Inscryption.
1 Totems and Sigils
Unlike traditional tabletop card games, Inscryption allows a player to fundamentally alter the manner in which many of their cards function. As mentioned, great key abilities can be moved from one card to another through the use of the altar. Combinations made through the use of the alter can be far more potent than cards that players are capable of obtaining in their default form.
While these transferable abilities, also known as sigils, can alter the way a single card functions, Totems are special items that can be obtained that can alter entire families of cards. Obtainable through the carver, a woman who can carve various types of totems for the player. While the totem's head impacts the types of cards the carved totem will affect, its body dictates the manner in which those cards will be affected.
Though the altar can provide a sigil to one card, totems have the potential to augment a significant portion of a player's deck. This means that if a player happens to be constructing their deck to make use of a specific type of card, a totem can help provide substantial additional value. Making the most of Inscryption's totems is key when trying to create the most powerful strategies the game can offer.
Inscryption is currently available to purchase on Steam and is playable on Mac, PC, and Linux.