Inscryption Switch Review – Card Playing From the Dark Side

Inscryption is a card-based title that blends deckbuilding roguelike, escape-room style puzzles and psychological horror into a unique blood-laced experience. However, true darkness and their secrets lie within the cards, and this may leave you haunted, disturbed, and troubled.

So is Inscryption a journey that you want to find yourself taking over and over again? Or is this unique card-battler one to avoid like the plague? Let’s find out!

Inscryption is a strange game that puts you in the shoes of a poor sap that is stuck in this weird journey where they have to win some dark and sinister card games against a deranged individual where the motive is clouded pretty much from the get-go. Even before you begin playing, you are not even given the option to select a “new game”, as the narrator/mastermind forces you to “continue” and fills you in on gameplay you have apparently forgotten.

From here, things get stranger and stranger, as you are “retold” how to play the game, and yet, one of your cards, the Stout, begins to talk to you, which causes some angst within you, the player, and the person supposedly helping you. Watching one of your cards come to life, sort of, and instruct you is amusing, for sure, but it does carry an air of concern and worry as you continue along the journey.

And that is something that Inscryption does incredibly well. It throws a lot of confusion your way while also leaving enough intrigue for you to want to continue and learn more about the wacky and terrifying ways of the characters within this dark and brooding universe. Inscryption‘s story is one that feels uncomfortable in the same way a game like The Binding of Isaac does, and that is a masterful feat that not many terrifying games exhibit. Yet, this is one that does it wonderfully.

The way Inscryption plays is bold and more than interesting. Essentially, you are playing a card game against “varying” opponents, and the way to win is to use the strength of a card to “hit” your opponent. In order to do that, you need to kill opponents’ card that are in the way to free the lane and hit the opponent. There is a scale to the left of you (the player) that determines the winner. The player with the most teeth on the scale that outweighs in their favor wins.

The cards in Inscryption are also fascinating. There are so many, too, as they range from the weakest Squirrel to some truly monstrous entities that will destroy the competition. In addition to strength, each card also has health, and some cards have sigils that grant the card in-game abilities, like flying that allows you to hit the opponent directly even if a card is in the way OR an ability that lets you get stronger over time. Paying attention to your cards and what they offer is crucial, as placement and timing also plays a key role in winning or losing.

Another interesting point is that stronger cards require sacrifices in order to place them, and Inscryption offers a lot of Squirrel cards to sacrifice. Learning how to play cards wisely in order to get your strong cards out there to do work is a challenge, and once you are introduced to other elements and currencies, like bones, things evolve even more and competition increases thanks to it all. It is a bizarre system, but it works incredibly well and is quite difficult to master.

And what is a rogue-like game without bosses, right? Well, Inscryption sure has its bosses, and they are extra tough with some unique mechanics that change the pace from the normal card battles that occur en route to the boss. Bosses tend to have special cards that add even more weight to the battle, and learning how to combat them with your current deck takes some organizing and wise execution. The “bosses” are also creepy beyond measure, and they provide the perfect ambiance for the game.

I absolutely love the overall presentation of Inscryption, too. It is dark by all measures, and the narrator is one of the coolest and creepiest characters I have ever encountered in a video game. The room where you play cards and the atmosphere within them leaves you with so many questions that will sort of be answered over time. The room where you play also has a lot of goodies and knick-knacks to keep you wondering and intrigued. It is a definitely a place that keeps your attention, that’s for sure.

The sound design and soundtrack also offer an equally sinister vibe that keeps you on the edge of your seat, even though there are no “immediate” threats on screen. You are literally watching your demise in slow motion, and the way the game probes you into staying in a creeped out state is phenomenal. On top of the scary elements, the comedy is also top-notch, and the way the Stout communicates with you over the course of the game is fantastic.

Inscryption is pure bliss. This is one of the best and most uniquely designed rogue-like games out there, and the fact that it is a relatively simple card concept on top of it all is mind-blowing. This is a perfectly mature game that will haunt its players while also making them smile.

The difficulty can feel intimidating at times, especially if you get stuck on certain points down the line. However, the way Inscryption mixes things up and challenges the player in new ways upon succeeding rounds is incredible and an achievement of its own.

This is a game that should not go unnoticed. It is one of the best indie games of 2022, a surprise hit, and one that should be in every Switch owner’s library. Listen to the Stout. They deserve better, and they need you to listen to them in order to take down the baddies once and for all.

Inscryption Switch Review provided by Nintendo Link
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Developer: Daniel Mullins Games
Release Date: December 1st, 2022
Price: $19.99, £17.99, €19,99
Game Size: 3 GB