A Rogue Lite of cards and a story as compelling as it is strange. This is Inscryption, the new thing from Daniel Mullins and Devolver Digital that captivated players around the world with its innovative proposal. We play it and tell how it is in detail.
The games indies are always innovative, they often contain surprises that we don’t normally see in triple-A titles. Wacky mechanics, gripping stories, and the odd delusion are typical things that we see in some Indies, and especially in many of the games of Return Digital. Inscryption is a title that knew how to go far beyond these innovations, enhancing the ‘rarity’ of the title and managing to captivate thousands of players with a brand that only its creator, Daniel mullins, could leave.
As we had anticipated, at first glance Inscryption is a card game that mechanical mixing of a Rogue Lite with a psychological terror rather strange, which in turn includes a very interesting story and that resembles an escape room title. Yes, all that together, do not worry that you will understand it better.
When we start the game we will be able to see the ‘rarity’ of the title because the same you do not have the option to create a new game. In the main menu, the only thing we can do is continue an existing game that will help us understand the dynamics of the game a bit and introduce ourselves into the history of this work.
At the beginning of the adventure, a mysterious and terrifying cabin in which a strange being offers us to play a peculiar role playing game with cards In addition, we have the opportunity to explore the cabin allowing us to discover that we are locked in it and that apparently the only way to escape is by defeating the stranger in the card game that is presented on the main table of the stage. On the other hand, if we keep exploring, we can see that there are objects with which you can interact, these will come in handy later in the game and they hide some very interesting secrets that we can decipher by solving some puzzles.
At this point the objective of the game is clear, we must win to be able to escape from the cabin, and if we lose the end will be tragic; our character will die and we will have to start the game from scratch again.
The Card System: Innovative and Engaging
When we start playing on the board we can see that the plan is follow a path that is supposed to take us to the end of the game, but that path is not only made up of card battles. The first levels usually give us the possibility of get new cards for our deck and later there are levels where we can improve certain cards, exchange skills between them or even obtain objects that will be useful in combat. This mechanism is undoubtedly very complete and on several occasions it is convenient to analyze well which fork in the road should be followed, since that will define our future in the cabin.
Entering fully into the combat system, we can say that it is very simple and engaging. CEach card has an attack and defense valueIn addition, some have certain abilities that allow them to improve their actions each turn (passives). These cards also have a cost at the time of playing them, it is normally a value of blood or bones, resources that we must obtain during the game to be able to play the card we want and that is achieved by sacrificing other cards. A very powerful card has a very high cost and vice versa.
The play space is a board with four slots on each side, where we can place four of our cards on one side, and the opponent can place four of his on the other. In each turn the cards will attack using their attack points and they will take damage on the opponent’s turn.
The objective to win the card game It will be to beat the rival cards and hit the deck directly to be able to put the balance in our favor and surpass our adversary in points. The act of putting the balance in our favor is literal, since the points count is done with a scale that tells us how we are doing in points compared to the rival.
Once we manage to defeat the rival we can advance on the map and continue looking for the exit of the cabin. It is important to clarify that each battle has peculiarities and the combat system is much deeper as we progress on the way to the exit, which is why it is impossible to detail every aspect without spoiling the best features of the game.
Needless to say, being a rogue lite game we will have to repeat battles and scenarios many times, so get ready for that.
A Rogue Lite with History
If so far what you read seems too much, get ready because this is just the tip of the Inscryption iceberg, most of the things that this title offers are discovered as we progress through the game’s journey, and especially in the story.
The narrative which included Daniel Mullins it’s something amazing. The story mixes with every reboot and even tracks from our previous games appear that we are playing at the moment. Also, the game manage to break the fourth wall in a very innovative way and has narrative twists that make the experience even more enjoyable. We can’t tell you much more about the latter, because otherwise you would miss some of the gems that Inscryption offers.
Conclusions
Inscryption is not just a video game, it is a complete experience. Daniel Mullins achieved a perfect mix: a compelling narrative, a suitable setting and a revolutionary gameplay that sets the bar high for the indies that are yet to arrive.
It is difficult to mention many of the most interesting aspects of this work without falling into unwanted spoilers, therefore, it is recommended that let yourself be carried away by Inscryption and forge your own experience.
If you like card games and the new and challenging concepts Inscryption is for you, if not probably too, since the work of Daniel Mullins managed to bring together a great variety of concepts and characteristics that make tAll player profiles are drawn to this work.
Inscryption is on sale on Steam for $ 19.99. It is distributed by Return Digital, and as we mentioned before, it is a work of the indie developer Daniel Mullins.