Inscryption

Bonne ambiance

So, I played the demo of this game recently, and so I had to buy the full game. I hadn't read many reviews, though many just express anger at having to start over so many times. I get it... But it's literally the design of the game. Or, I should say, the design of the first PART of the game. That's right, there's much more than the cabin! I won't spoil everything here. However, I will say that the other parts of the game cross over into other genres of game-play, but were all natural extensions of the story. The story is amazing. Ok, so maybe some of the acting from the guy in the in-game videos is a little dry at times... but I still felt hooked by the story, and was flabbergasted by the ending. The game just kept getting better and better, the story deeper and deeper, and the finale was wonderful! For those wondering about the "other genres" I mentioned earlier I will give some light spoilers about what to expect next. (I WILL NOT EXPOSE ANY OF THE STORY! Just the genres)- Not in any particular order you will encounter a large board game style aesthetic with checkpoints. When you die you don't start all over, just back at one of the checkpoints. There is also an actual deck-building game where you travel to different points on a map and face challenges while finding cards and personally adapting your deck to your desires. (4 major types of decks to choose from and mix and match during this segment.) You also encounter a few others, but those are so brief that I won't ruin them here. It's a shame, because I think the game's popularity would have been greater had some of these other portions and aesthetics been showed in the preview pictures or videos... but I get why they didn't do it. They kept it all a mystery. I literally wasn't expecting what I experienced because the pictures only showed the cabin. This game is so much more than just the cabin. I highly recommend this game! And I'm grateful to a friend of mine for convincing me to actually play the demo!

Lots of fun, especially with Kaycee mod.

An overly descriptive review would detract from the experience for new players, who should go in blind. I can safely reveal that your likelyhood of enjoying it is probably proportional to your enjoyment of : Deck building mechanics; Diagenetic interfaces; Games where you make a choice, based on limited data, and then discover over the course of the next hour whether you advantaged or hampered yourself; Emergent narrative (ie discover and interface with ideas and things before clarifying their plot relevant origins/purpose); Interweaving layered plots and metanarrative ala House Of Leaves; Creepy, oppressive, or disharmonious esthetics. Feeling bittersweet respect, sympathy, betrayal, or reluctant admiration towards well crafted NPCs. I really enjoyed this game. It is weighed very slightly against the player before accounting for opportunities the player can exploit to re-unbalance things in their favor. There are multiple approaches to building the deck that allow for varied play styles without setting up a single, exclusive 'correct' build. I constantly felt confident that I could win a given interaction if I played wisely, but never felt like I had a match 'in the bag' from the start. Probably in my top 30.

Part fantasy deckbuilding, part creepypasta meets urban legend, this game is designed to alternatively lull and worry you, truly putting you in the protagonist's place, especially when dealing with P03. I will not say it one of the most memorable things ever, but it truly impressed my just before the ending, and it must be remarked that it manages to combine many genres into a chaotically sensible whole.