Inscryption

 PC
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 330 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 272 out of 330
  2. Mixed: 41 out of 330
  3. Negative: 17 out of 330

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. mapica3901
    Dec 14, 2021
    5
    Inscryption's first arc is 10/10. It's the best gameplay that the genre has ever seen delivered alongside a story with plenty of momentum and mystery. The ensuing arcs drop the ball so hard that almost all the goodwill built up over the first arc is lost. What went wrong? The best-in-class gameplay was pretty much completely sacrificed in service of a story that went off the rails in aInscryption's first arc is 10/10. It's the best gameplay that the genre has ever seen delivered alongside a story with plenty of momentum and mystery. The ensuing arcs drop the ball so hard that almost all the goodwill built up over the first arc is lost. What went wrong? The best-in-class gameplay was pretty much completely sacrificed in service of a story that went off the rails in a painfully predictable Daniel-Mullins-navel-gazing fashion. Daniel Mullins is clearly capable of making a good game, but not quite capable of making a good game ABOUT games.… Expand
  2. Rich_Mahogany
    Oct 29, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Part ominous masterpiece and part - something else - Inscryption is an easy game to recommend for anyone who enjoys deckbuilding games and occult settings. It just can't sustain its greatness for its entire play time.

    Imagine being forced to play a deckbuilder in a gloomy, claustrophobic cabin where your life is on the line if you lose. Your mysterious adversary is torn between espousing his contempt for you and showing off his skills as the consummate DM. Your opponent enjoys the game, even if he is convinced you will lose. Your captor's enthusiasm and love of gaming itself is one of Inscryption's best features.

    The deckbuilding aspect of Inscryption is excellent. You will die several times, but you will learn, improve your tactics, and find ways to overcome challenges that first seem impossible. Victory is exciting and rewarding.

    Problems begin after you achieve that victory. There's much more to the game, but all of it is a dramatic step down from the battles in the cabin. The remaining content is too easy, too unfocused, and too uninteresting, especially coming off some of the most memorable gaming I've ever experienced.

    I recommend Inscryption but wish all of it was as well-designed, challenging, and atmospheric as the fight to survive in the cabin.    … Expand
  3. Jeabus
    Oct 27, 2021
    6
    I can only describe this as too many similar ideas crammed into a relatively short game and a pretentious developer who feels the need to cram really bad and unnecessary "meta" nonsense into the game. It constantly detracts from the good core concepts at every turn.

    It feels like a bait-and-switch from how severe it contrasts with itself and it's identity crisis.
  4. B4st13n
    Feb 4, 2022
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Everybody tell me to play this game because there is a game behind the game. Correct but the main game only is interesting. After first act the game become less interesting.

    Also, the game is driven by luck. No need to be a good player, you just need luck. And I hate game driven by luck. I have the same problem with all RPG style game.    … Expand
  5. Ayvaza
    Aug 11, 2022
    5
    unique game mechanics made this game super interesting, i loved the first part of the game, it was fun and nice to explore. the story was also awesome and i was expecting to see more of the same thing... however, after you defeat the first boss, the second stage turns into a 16bit game, the game gets cryptic, adds bunch of new game mechanics and explains almost nothing. it was already hardunique game mechanics made this game super interesting, i loved the first part of the game, it was fun and nice to explore. the story was also awesome and i was expecting to see more of the same thing... however, after you defeat the first boss, the second stage turns into a 16bit game, the game gets cryptic, adds bunch of new game mechanics and explains almost nothing. it was already hard enough for me to enjoy an indie game, and they seriously dropped the quality by 95% and turned the whole game into Pokemon red/blue from the 90s. i have also looked a bit on the net and it looks like it gets even worse after the 2nd part is done. i was trying to get a refund but was already over the 2h playtime mark.
    i would suggest that everyone should first check a quick review of the full game before buying it, dont expect anything big.    … Expand
  6. folmas
    Nov 19, 2021
    6
    mechanics are not very unique, the atmosphere is maintained normally, but it gets boring quickly
  7. phuchaitt3
    Jan 15, 2022
    7
    My deck was really strong but I lost to the final boss and had to redo again. Might drop this game, as I don't want to build my deck from the start again (I might never get a deck as good as the old one, as I was very lucky). Sadge.
  8. throwaway1111
    Jan 12, 2022
    7
    I never leave reviews for games on this website but my god does this game make me feel the need to say something. Absolutely one of the most overrated game I have ever played. Reading the reviews you would think this game is the second coming of Christ himself. Ignoring the fact the game is a blatant bait and switch going by anything on the steam page, it actually ends up being a worseI never leave reviews for games on this website but my god does this game make me feel the need to say something. Absolutely one of the most overrated game I have ever played. Reading the reviews you would think this game is the second coming of Christ himself. Ignoring the fact the game is a blatant bait and switch going by anything on the steam page, it actually ends up being a worse game than whats shown at face value. I'm not going to spoil anything but between the cringy porn acting and LOL SO DEEP AND META narrative, you can practically hear this guy jerking himself off about how unique his game is as you play.

    If you go into this expecting a pretty short puzzle game with not much replayability instead of a roguelike deckbuilder that it's been made out to be im sure theres much more enjoyment to get but seriously come on it's not that groundbreaking for a video game lmao    … Expand
  9. Sai37
    Dec 25, 2022
    5
    It is impossible to tear myself away from the first part of the game, but in the second the mechanics become so annoying that I simply could not continue playing.
  10. MindWanderer
    Aug 31, 2023
    5
    As you play this game, you discover that there's a deep rabbit hole of secrets hidden behind the initial card game. But when you follow that rabbit hole all the way to the credits... there's nothing. You have to solve an insanely complicated ARG to get answers to most of the questions you may have at that point, or, more likely, watch a video that explains it all. And even then there are aAs you play this game, you discover that there's a deep rabbit hole of secrets hidden behind the initial card game. But when you follow that rabbit hole all the way to the credits... there's nothing. You have to solve an insanely complicated ARG to get answers to most of the questions you may have at that point, or, more likely, watch a video that explains it all. And even then there are a lot of questions left, and a lot of mysteries that don't make sense.

    I adored the conceit of this, and I enjoyed following the path while it went. But when it went nowhere, I felt like the whole thing was a colossal waste of time. Such great ideas, so much promise, so little payoff.    … Expand
  11. gravehaven
    Sep 25, 2022
    7
    This one took me a little while to get into. It feels like a bland card battler at first but eventually it morphs into something else. Definitely worth it.
  12. davygravy93
    Nov 1, 2022
    7
    The first few hours of Inscryption are amazing, easily one of the best deckbuilding card games Iv ever played. Everything after those initial moments is mediocre at best and **** stuck to a wall at its worst,. Without trying to spoil much there are different levels in the game that have completely different art styles and game mechanics that center around cards and the results are not veryThe first few hours of Inscryption are amazing, easily one of the best deckbuilding card games Iv ever played. Everything after those initial moments is mediocre at best and **** stuck to a wall at its worst,. Without trying to spoil much there are different levels in the game that have completely different art styles and game mechanics that center around cards and the results are not very consistent past the first level. I also didnt like the self insert videos that bordered on creepypasta levels of cringe, I feel like it took me out of the experience for no real benefit.… Expand
  13. Sepherim
    Jan 6, 2022
    6
    Inscryption es sin duda un juego interesante, aunque no perfecto. El comienzo es probablemente lo mejor del juego, luego tiene un bache para mi gusto en un acto 2 flojo y luego recupera fuelle en el acto 3. A nivel de jugabilidad, es un juego de cartas y puzzles que tiene algunas ideas muy interesantes en muchos puntos pero que, al mismo tiempo, hay unas cuantas de ellas que no acaba deInscryption es sin duda un juego interesante, aunque no perfecto. El comienzo es probablemente lo mejor del juego, luego tiene un bache para mi gusto en un acto 2 flojo y luego recupera fuelle en el acto 3. A nivel de jugabilidad, es un juego de cartas y puzzles que tiene algunas ideas muy interesantes en muchos puntos pero que, al mismo tiempo, hay unas cuantas de ellas que no acaba de desarrollar tanto como podría. Y es un juego tirando a corto.

    Gráficamente es un juego discreto, y lo mismo se puede decir de su apartado sonoro. Y, al menos en mi experiencia, no me he topado con ningún bug.

    Así que, sin duda, es un juego interesante aunque no alcanza el potencial que inicialmente muestra que tiene. Un 6,5.    … Expand
  14. Oshiri_Maeda
    Mar 25, 2022
    7
    Very pleasant card game for few hours. Gets very easy very quickly, thus repetitive and boring. But the first coupe hours were pretty neat.
  15. Devastator1988
    Jul 18, 2022
    7
    The deck-building game with the various card mechanics and unusual ARG narrative.
  16. Surio89
    Feb 12, 2022
    6
    A masterpiece for setting, atmosphere and gameplay in the first part. The roguelike component combines perfectly with the dark atmosphere and the escape room puzzles making it impossible for the user to get bored. The card game is interesting and really well balanced. If the game had ended after the first few hours I would have assigned a score of 10. Unfortunately the second part losesA masterpiece for setting, atmosphere and gameplay in the first part. The roguelike component combines perfectly with the dark atmosphere and the escape room puzzles making it impossible for the user to get bored. The card game is interesting and really well balanced. If the game had ended after the first few hours I would have assigned a score of 10. Unfortunately the second part loses considerably in terms of atmosphere. The card game is much less balanced and I found it difficult to lose a match. This combined with the extreme length of very similar game sequences made everything less challenging. Also in my opinion the plot that initially seems very intriguing and inspires curiosity leaves too many questions unanswered, making you lose the desire to proceed. The ending left me very disappointed because it doesn't give elements to connect the dots and understand what has been done throughout the entire game.… Expand
  17. Bushido95
    Feb 10, 2022
    5
    Прошел игру за вечер 1 акт великолепен и я был в полном восторге, но дальше начинается претенциозность и уныние.
  18. chrisdorner
    Mar 25, 2022
    7
    Fun game, hard to say if it was worth the time spent though. It kept feeling like it was leading somewhere big and interesting with its narrative, but it ended up just feeling like a bit of a mess by the end. The gameplay itself was fun, but I just couldn't help but feel let down by the end. Reading about the "ARG" afterwards only contributed to that.
  19. StarkAgentos
    Mar 22, 2022
    5
    Поиграл 1 час. Карточные видеоигры не люблю. Геймплей немного завлёк, но игра слишком сложная. Никак не могу пройти один отрывок и бесконечно проигрываю.
  20. catowav650
    Mar 23, 2022
    6
    It's more than a little bit tragic. Daniel Mullins has always been an engaging storyteller, but the gameplay in his games was never something to write home about. Prior to Inscryption, I would have broadly defined a Daniel Mullins game as a twisty narrative that uses thin gameplay to take us from one story beat to another, to great effect. With Inscryption, Mullins has finally developedIt's more than a little bit tragic. Daniel Mullins has always been an engaging storyteller, but the gameplay in his games was never something to write home about. Prior to Inscryption, I would have broadly defined a Daniel Mullins game as a twisty narrative that uses thin gameplay to take us from one story beat to another, to great effect. With Inscryption, Mullins has finally developed some incredible gameplay, but the narrative is really, really poor and comes to sabotage the very gameplay that might have made it tolerable. I won't spoil Acts 2 and 3 except to say that they well and truly suck in the gameplay department, to an extent that any narrative would struggle to salvage. But the narrative in Inscryption isn't just mediocre compared to Mullins' other works. It's really, really poor. Where Pony Island and The Hex did a lot with a little, Inscryption struggle to do a little with a heck of a lot.… Expand
  21. Gwend
    Mar 26, 2022
    7
    Вполне неплохая игра.
    Интересный сюжет и механика
    Оценка 7 из 10
  22. Xunkar
    Dec 23, 2022
    6
    No idea why this game is so popular. The first part is really good: solid card gameplay, great ambiance, and amazing visual design. In the second part however, the mechanics are far less enjoyable. Deck building becomes tedious and the number of new mechanics dropped on the player at once is tough. It wouldn't be such a big issue if the story actually went somewhere instead of trying tooNo idea why this game is so popular. The first part is really good: solid card gameplay, great ambiance, and amazing visual design. In the second part however, the mechanics are far less enjoyable. Deck building becomes tedious and the number of new mechanics dropped on the player at once is tough. It wouldn't be such a big issue if the story actually went somewhere instead of trying too hard to be meta.

    Third part was better, but the more linear progression, coupled with no deck thinning options in the beginning, made some fights frustrating. At least it had some very good twists to keep the player entertained. All in all, the game is worth playing, but I do not see it deserving the incredible praise I've read here and there.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Best PC Game of 2021
30
#30 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 49
  3. Negative: 0 out of 49
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 30, 2024
    100
    The game is fun to play, the combat is fun, the plot is fine, the twists are unpredictable, it’s functionally consistent (it can be used as a gallery of good practice examples when teaching game design), and it beats like a well-stitched heart made of several mammals inserted into a robot with a human head and an endless sense of humor. You'll laugh, you'll cry, this game will change your life, Bernard said, and I agree. [Issue#317]
  2. Impulsegamer
    Jan 3, 2023
    90
    The creepiest hand of cards you'll ever play, and one of the best pieces of interactive fiction I've seen in years.
    Read full review
  3. GameSpace
    Feb 17, 2022
    100
    The art style, mixed with the fun mechanic of deck building, puzzles, and overarching story is just phenomenal. And that my friends, is just Act I, at already 8 hours of playtime. Inscryption has three total acts, with much, much more content waiting for you to uncover. It has been a bit since I finished the game, but I haven’t been able to put out the review because of life things. Even so, months later, I still can’t get Inscryption out of my head. It’s just that good. You will not find a better bargain for your buck as far as story-rich horror games go.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »