Inscryption

[Tvtyrant]

Anyone else playing this? It is kind of a nexus of modern Internet mythology as a game, I'm having a blast.

Sorry about the weak opener, it is a mystery game so literally everything is #spoilers.

[tonberrian]

Too spooky for me to play, but i watched someone and it was very good.

[Tvtyrant]

Too spooky for me to play, but i watched someone and it was very good.

I hear you. It's the exact right type of spooky for me, few jump scares and mostly just existential dread stuff.

Spoiler: Ultimate Spoilers

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So if you finish the game and aren't a computer person they have a document page that cracked the really secret code hidden stuff.

https://docs.google.com/document/u/2...SZxGV99Qt7/pub

[Eurus]

I'm just going to spoiler this so that I can actually talk about the game.

Spoiler: Spoilers, seriously

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Y'know, I didn't hate the game, but I can't say I was hugely into it either. I'm not into ARG stuff, so the appeal for me came in two categories: the deckbuilder roguelite thing that it presents itself as at the start, and the spooky RPG that it turns into later. Leaving aside the question of whether it's fair for a 20$ game to be so deliberately misleading about its genre, which I'm not going to touch right now... I thought the RPG aspects were just kinda weak? "Glitchy sentient video game" is not exactly a groundbreaking concept, and most of the characters don't really get room to grow. Leshy is probably my favorite, but it's obvious that the game is invested heavily into the secrets and metaplot rather than the characterization.

All in all, I got some enjoyment out of it, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that's not really into ARGs.

[Cygnia]

It's on my queue after Bard's Tale 4.

[Tvtyrant]

I'm just going to spoiler this so that I can actually talk about the game.

Spoiler: Spoilers, seriously

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Y'know, I didn't hate the game, but I can't say I was hugely into it either. I'm not into ARG stuff, so the appeal for me came in two categories: the deckbuilder roguelite thing that it presents itself as at the start, and the spooky RPG that it turns into later. Leaving aside the question of whether it's fair for a 20$ game to be so deliberately misleading about its genre, which I'm not going to touch right now... I thought the RPG aspects were just kinda weak? "Glitchy sentient video game" is not exactly a groundbreaking concept, and most of the characters don't really get room to grow. Leshy is probably my favorite, but it's obvious that the game is invested heavily into the secrets and metaplot rather than the characterization.

All in all, I got some enjoyment out of it, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that's not really into ARGs.

Spoiler

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I mean, I'm not really into ARGs and it worked for me. I will admit the game gets weaker after Act I, but I had a lot of fun with it.

Except the ending, which was the classic Stephen King style "wrap it up to not have to answer any questions."

[Draconi Redfir]

My thoughts really can't be summarized without spoilers.

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While a fun game and a positive experience overall, I can't really say it was fantastic finding out the game wasn't what i paid for. The introduction of the 2nd act left a bad taste in my mouth, the 3rd act was okay but not nearly as good, and it was sad to see that returning to the 1st act post-game erased all my previous information. All in all, it was not the game i paid for, and that really sucks. It was still good, but it would have been a lot better if it had been nothing but act 1, just more fleshed out and expanded upon.

Also apparently i screwed up and never found the lonely wizbot in act 3, only ever found the fishbot. So that guy was stick in a drawer the entire time. Oops.

Also-also, never used the Oroboros in my game. Didn't see the point in 2 blood for a 1/1 card, and in the 3rd act, REALLY didn't see the point in 5 energy for a 1/1 card. was more then a bit disappointed that Leshy sent that to me rather then say, one of my previous deathcards, which would have been infinitely more useful.

I know i know, Oroborous gets stronger with every death. Evidently i didn't learn that until after i beat the game though.

Spoiler: Ultimate Spoilers

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So if you finish the game and aren't a computer person they have a document page that cracked the really secret code hidden stuff.

https://docs.google.com/document/u/2...SZxGV99Qt7/pub

Spoiler

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My biggest complaint about this is that from what I've seen... the entire ARG thing doesn't really amount to much? Like skimming that page, all it is is clues that lead to clues that lead to clues that lead to clues. Isn't there supposed to be some lore or reward or something sprinkled in there? So far as i can tell at least, every step of the ARG just leads to another step and nothing else. I've seen that page multiple times and i still have no idea what exactly the point of the whole thing was. is it supposed to be relevant to the Old_Data? still no idea what that is either. Really feel like it could have been done better.

[Cygnia]

Anyone here every played "The Hex" or "Pony Island" by the same games developer?

[Tvtyrant]

My thoughts really can't be summarized without spoilers.

Spoiler

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While a fun game and a positive experience overall, I can't really say it was fantastic finding out the game wasn't what i paid for. The introduction of the 2nd act left a bad taste in my mouth, the 3rd act was okay but not nearly as good, and it was sad to see that returning to the 1st act post-game erased all my previous information. All in all, it was not the game i paid for, and that really sucks. It was still good, but it would have been a lot better if it had been nothing but act 1, just more fleshed out and expanded upon.

Also apparently i screwed up and never found the lonely wizbot in act 3, only ever found the fishbot. So that guy was stick in a drawer the entire time. Oops.

Also-also, never used the Oroboros in my game. Didn't see the point in 2 blood for a 1/1 card, and in the 3rd act, REALLY didn't see the point in 5 energy for a 1/1 card. was more then a bit disappointed that Leshy sent that to me rather then say, one of my previous deathcards, which would have been infinitely more useful.

I know i know, Oroborous gets stronger with every death. Evidently i didn't learn that until after i beat the game though.

Spoiler

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My biggest complaint about this is that from what I've seen... the entire ARG thing doesn't really amount to much? Like skimming that page, all it is is clues that lead to clues that lead to clues that lead to clues. Isn't there supposed to be some lore or reward or something sprinkled in there? So far as i can tell at least, every step of the ARG just leads to another step and nothing else. I've seen that page multiple times and i still have no idea what exactly the point of the whole thing was. is it supposed to be relevant to the Old_Data? still no idea what that is either. Really feel like it could have been done better.

Spoiler

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I did't use the Oroborous either, it didn't slow me down any. It's like the unlimited pack dummy in Act II, an easy button if the game is too hard (which as a super easy game would be difficult.)

I enjoyed Act I the most as well and hoped they were going to redo it for each of the four, I would have been down with that. I think the game was a bit easy mechanically and very weak story wise, but it really sucked me in for the ride while I was playing it. Like a fireworks show really.

The actual twist is indeed lame, agreed. Basically the game contains information on Hitler's magic playing cards, even the knowledge of which is haunted. The game developers learn that they put the coordinates in one of the games and sneak it out by throwing it away and then digging it out of the landfill later. The secret shadowy government cabal kills the developers involved and burns the place down to hide the incident, but also can't find the disk and would rather lose it then let anyone else possibly get it. Also apparently the developers discovered the old data because they got trapped in the game repeatedly, and had to beat their way out several time.

[Draconi Redfir]

Spoiler

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they got trapped in the game repeatedly, and had to beat their way out several time.

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Well that sounds like an interesting story. Getting isekai'd to the same place multiple different times and needing to work your way out each time... Think i had serval dreams along those lines to be honest :P

[Tvtyrant]

Spoiler

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Well that sounds like an interesting story. Getting isekai'd to the same place multiple different times and needing to work your way out each time... Think i had serval dreams along those lines to be honest :P

Spoiler

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That would have made for some interesting story telling by comparison. Luke getting stuck several times and going back in for more clues after hitting dead ends in real life would be a pretty good plot to be honest.

"Oh man, I need to go back in to find out the dead girl's lockbox combo... I don't wanna go back :C"

[Draconi Redfir]

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to be fair, i don't think Luke ever got "trapped" in the game? Always looked like he was just playing a video game and could walk away at any time to me.


Honestly though wasn't a super fan of luke. Made the events of Inscryption fictional within their own world, which i hate as an idea. If i'm playing a game, i want to feel like the world I'm interacting with is real, at least within it's own story. Plus having me play Luke playing Inscryption kind of sucks in general.

Dude keeps complaining about loosing and not being able to beat the game when I'm intentionally not beating act 1 so i can play it longer.

[Tvtyrant]

Spoiler

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to be fair, i don't think Luke ever got "trapped" in the game? Always looked like he was just playing a video game and could walk away at any time to me.


Honestly though wasn't a super fan of luke. Made the events of Inscryption fictional within their own world, which i hate as an idea. If i'm playing a game, i want to feel like the world I'm interacting with is real, at least within it's own story. Plus having me play Luke playing Inscryption kind of sucks in general.

Dude keeps complaining about loosing and not being able to beat the game when I'm intentionally not beating act 1 so i can play it longer.

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Luke is clearly obsessed though. Normally if a big company said "give us our stuff or we sue you into the ground" you go "yeah ok." Heck he could have made a copy and didn't, something is messing with him.

I felt like the world was real in its own story, it is just an AI world within the game. That is what I was sold on by my friend, Stanley Parable Yugioh Battle City was the actual pitch I got personally. The meta level of you playing a card game inside a board game inside a video game inside of a video game was super cool to me, it gets even better because you go into the cabin inside the board game that you are playing the board game in. It might not be that clever but it appealed to me.

I personally thought Act 1 was amazing, Act II was jarring, Act III was okay and Act IV felt rushed. The urgency got cut out of the game in the middle and then just tacked back in.

[Inspector Valin]

Spoiler: Act 2

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The amount of blowback this got is just so weird to me. Am I the only one who remembers the Pokemon TCG game on Gameboy Colour? Any of the Yugioh games? Act 2 was probably my favorite part - I liked the other acts okay but this was when I had most fun with the card game side

[Draconi Redfir]

Spoiler: Act 2

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The amount of blowback this got is just so weird to me. Am I the only one who remembers the Pokemon TCG game on Gameboy Colour? Any of the Yugioh games? Act 2 was probably my favorite part - I liked the other acts okay but this was when I had most fun with the card game side

Spoiler

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I feel like (for me at least, assuming it's for most other people too) the problem isn't that act 2 is "Bad" it's that act 2 is not what we paid for. All the advertising, images, videos, and the entire demo were all 100% focused on Act 1 with Leshy in the cabin. Everyone looked at the game and saw a 3d card-based roguelite D&D-session thing with escape-room elements, and they bought the game expecting just that.

Then partway through, when they finally beat the gamemaster, suddenly they're in an entirely different game alltogether with no clear way of going back, or if going back is even possible. It's not the game they paid for, why is it here? If Act 2 was removed and replaced by a more fleshed out Act 3, so going from 3d card-based roguelite D&D-session thing with escape-room elements to a 3d card-based roguelite D&D-session thing with escape-room elements but a different GM, then i feel like there would have been a lot less backlash.

As it is, the sudden jolt to the 2-D Pokemon-style gameplay is like buying Doom Eternal only to find out that it turns into a Cooking Mama game halfway through.

[Tvtyrant]

Spoiler: Act 2

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The amount of blowback this got is just so weird to me. Am I the only one who remembers the Pokemon TCG game on Gameboy Colour? Any of the Yugioh games? Act 2 was probably my favorite part - I liked the other acts okay but this was when I had most fun with the card game side

Spoiler

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I feel like (for me at least, assuming it's for most other people too) the problem isn't that act 2 is "Bad" it's that act 2 is not what we paid for. All the advertising, images, videos, and the entire demo were all 100% focused on Act 1 with Leshy in the cabin. Everyone looked at the game and saw a 3d card-based roguelite D&D-session thing with escape-room elements, and they bought the game expecting just that.

Then partway through, when they finally beat the gamemaster, suddenly they're in an entirely different game alltogether with no clear way of going back, or if going back is even possible. It's not the game they paid for, why is it here? If Act 2 was removed and replaced by a more fleshed out Act 3, so going from 3d card-based roguelite D&D-session thing with escape-room elements to a 3d card-based roguelite D&D-session thing with escape-room elements but a different GM, then i feel like there would have been a lot less backlash.

As it is, the sudden jolt to the 2-D Pokemon-style gameplay is like buying Doom Eternal only to find out that it turns into a Cooking Mama game halfway through.

Spoiler

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I quite liked Act II, but it was also super easy. The problem is the underlying card game is bad, and also Act II is tiny so its not very fleshed out.

I find the complaints about it odd though, it was a tiny segment of the game. Act 1 took me 8 hours because I beat it 5 times over 14 lives before I figured out the dang eyeball thing while Act II took me 2 hours.

Maybe I am misunderstanding. Was the advertisement for a perpetual roguelike with procedurally generated maps? Because then yeah its a totally different game from that for sure.

[Razade]

I was potentially interested in this game, liking deckbuilders. This thread has utterly removed any desire to get the game and I'd have been pretty irritated had I bought it. I'll echo what other people have said (though I think the "blow back" has been severely overplayed. It has Overwhelmingly Positive ratings on Steam, 97% on Humble, an 85/8.8 on Metacritic which is wild for an indie game) about not being happy with what they got versus what was advertised. I get that part of it is the surprise factor, but if a game I get changes to another game mid-stream and I wasn't expecting it I'm going to feel a little hoodwinked. I'm also super not into games that think they're clever pointing out that they're a game. That was more of a turn off than the twist.

[Cygnia]

Spoiler: question

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Is there a character/NPC called Sado anywhere in this?

[Tvtyrant]

Spoiler: question

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Is there a character/NPC called Sado anywhere in this?

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Yes. Also Secrets of Legendaria and "Vallamir" are mentioned by Luke.

[Draconi Redfir]

Apologies for kicking a likely dying thread, but i stumbled across this video the other day and just had to share, and this seemed like the best place to do it. Little animatic of the story of Inscryption to the tune of "A good song never dies" by Saint Motel. Real good stuff.

Heavy spoilers for the entire game though, don't watch if you haven't finished it.

Spoiler: Spoiler-full video

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Apparently an embedded video won't work so here's a link.

[Tvtyrant]

Apologies for kicking a likely dying thread, but i stumbled across this video the other day and just had to share, and this seemed like the best place to do it. Little animatic of the story of Inscryption to the tune of "A good song never dies" by Saint Motel. Real good stuff.

Heavy spoilers for the entire game though, don't watch if you haven't finished it.

Spoiler: Spoiler-full video

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Apparently an embedded video won't work so here's a link.

I mean, they released the roguelike act 1 now with challenge mode so it could pick up again. I beat through challenge 5, they get progressively harder (and turn off a lot of the normal game exploits so it starts much harder and gets harder from there.)

[Draconi Redfir]

from what I've seen, the mod doesn't include deathcard creation either, which is a real shame. that was the best part imho.

[Tvtyrant]

from what I've seen, the mod doesn't include deathcard creation either, which is a real shame. that was the best part imho.

I see your point, but I think it made the game easy to scam. The challenge mode tries to turn off the scammy builds (there is one guaranteed win scam left though.)

It is amazing how much you can do with the bad cards once the broken ones are mostly out of circulation. Hilariously it has a misplay counter they won't explain as well.

[Draconi Redfir]

i feel like it could be done without completely removing deathcards still.

Best thought is allowing deathcards to be used in the creation of other deathcards, and both that, and any instance where they are removed from your deck (Sacrificed at an alter, to bone lord, eaten in the fire, etc) then that particular deathcard is permanently removed from the pool of cards you can draw from. Maybe you can even combined deathcards at the mycollogist, with one of the two also being permanently removed.

BUT, allow the gamemaster to keep the lost death cards, meaning eventually you will be playing against the same powerful forces you created.


This combined with allowing the gamemaster to use more multi-sigil cards like in the trader boss fight, or even use combined cards from the mycologist, and you could keep the challenge level going.

Still in beta, so something could pop up still. never know.

[Tvtyrant]

Agreed. Maybe have the death cards all have perma-death so if you lose or they die once they disappear forever.

This is by far their biggest hit so far, so I am hoping they either focus on it so more or sell it to a team. Its up past Storybook Brawl and MTGO for my play time this month, and about even with League (no I don't have a real life anymore.) Adding in a few more bosses and zones shouldn't be that hard.

[Psyren]

I love deckbuilder indies (Slay The Spire, Hand of Fate etc) so this is on my list.

[Rodin]

I love deckbuilder indies (Slay The Spire, Hand of Fate etc) so this is on my list.

Without going into spoiler territory, I feel there's two things you should know first.

1) As a deckbuilder, it's merely competent. It's nowhere near the same class as Slay the Spire, and despite looking like Hand of Fate in the trailers the gameplay is very different.

2) The reason to play the game is in the "not playing the game" segments, and some of the choices made for this are...divisive...to say the least. I enjoyed the game for several hours, then dropped it hard based on the decisions they made later on.

It's difficult, because the nature of the game makes it impossible to review for someone without also spoiling it. You might love it, or you might be like me and like it until you suddenly hate it.

On a different topic, I'm still waiting for someone to take a crack at making another Hand of Fate style deckbuilder where you put your own encounters into the game. Hand of Fate 1 was fantastic, but was dragged down by very basic combat. Hand of Fate 2 improved the combat a fair bit, but the game became too structured with the changes they made to it.

I'd like to see someone take a real run at the "Build your Own Adventure" that HoF gave us. All the roguelikes these days seem to lazily default to the Slay the Spire branching paths, which gets boring the 100th time you see it.