Inscryption

Inscryption is a single-player deckbuilding and narrative-driven puzzle strategy game. The story begins with the player trapped in a dark cabin, forced to play a mysterious card game overseen by an enigmatic figure named Leshy. Progression through the game requires winning card battles while uncovering hidden secrets in the cabin. The player takes on the role of an unnamed challenger, gradually piecing together the nature of the card game, the cabin itself, and the larger mystery tied to the world outside.

Core gameplay centers on tactical card battles across a 3x4 grid. Players summon creatures using various resources: blood, bones, or energy, each gained through different mechanics such as sacrificing existing cards or having creatures perish in battle. Victory is determined by dealing damage on the opponent’s side of the scale, with damage values represented visually on a balance. Loss occurs when the opponent tips the scale in their favor. Different card types and unique sigils introduce abilities like flight, instant kills, or additional summons, creating synergies and strategic planning opportunities.

Between battles, exploration allows interaction with objects in the cabin and participation in roguelike map progression. Each run places the player along a branching path where encounters include combat, campfires to strengthen cards, traders for new cards, or events that alter the deck. Defeat typically results in restarting, though the deck and options can change with every attempt. Deckbuilding is incremental, encouraging experimentation with combinations of creatures and abilities.

Beyond card battles, the game includes escape-room style puzzles inside the cabin. Solving locked boxes, safes, and other hidden mechanisms grants new cards or items that affect gameplay. These puzzles also expand the narrative, hinting at the nature of the cabin’s master and the layered reality surrounding the card game.

Over time, Inscryption shifts into new formats that change both the card game rules and the narrative perspective. Additional chapters introduce different card systems, including digital card interfaces, expanded resource management, and meta-narrative elements that reshape the meaning of earlier gameplay.