Test Inscryption : le jeu de cartes qui met un coup deck derrière la nuque

I don't know what you think about it, but I find it extremely satisfying to launch a work without knowing almost anything beforehand and to be surprised. That's what happened to me with Incryption, which I deliberately kept as dark as possible before starting it (no trailer, no demo… just a few screenshots). I would invite you to do the same, but suddenly you risk not reading this test... which would annoy me a little (as well as my employers, incidentally). Do not panic, the few lines that follow should only make you want to get started, without revealing anything important.

Test Inscryption : le jeu de cartes qui met un coup deck derrière la nuque Read the conclusionRegistration

A more than solid atmosphere
Surprises and good ideas galore
A permanent invitation to curiosity
Generous card content...

Un peu répétitif sur la fin
Low replayability for card game
Commands only in QWERTY
... not easy to manage after a while

Test carried out from the PC version of the game (Steam), using a code provided by the publisher. Incryption is available on PC (Steam, GOG, Humble) since October 19.

Play Descartes on the table

It's been a long time since I had so much trouble writing a video game review. Not that I lack things to tell you about him, quite the contrary. The real problem is that I can't decently reveal too much to you as Inscryption hides its game well (of cards, ohoh).

Behind this “psychological horror” title we find Daniel Mullins, to whom we owe The Hex and Pony Island, but also the Ludum Dare game Sacrifices Must Be Made, of which Inscryption is in fact the more complete version. Both the man and Devolver, at publishing, have been very smart around the communication of the game, which shows just the right amount. But, like other titles that hide many secrets (and whose name I can't say either, otherwise I'll ruin everything), this card game with some roguelike elements has a lot more to it than that. to offer. In any case, he will have made me grow many “But what?! in front of my PC.

So let's talk about what is revealed. Sitting at the table of a mysterious adversary in a scary hut, the player will gamble his life on cards. The heart of the game proposes to enrich and personalize its deck made up of animals, and to beat the narrator who is necessarily reminiscent of that of the excellent Hand of Fate. To do this, you will have to place your cards on a board made up of 4 columns facing the other player's creatures and try to pass them (by killing them or passing over them with flying creatures) to attack him directly. Damage to players will then tip a balance one way or the other.

Teeth for the Blood God

This mechanic is one of the first good ideas of Inscryption, since a late player can easily come back into the game, when it is often more complicated with a system of fixed hit points. To invoke his creatures, it will be necessary to use two resources wisely: blood and bones. A creature costing 2 drops of blood will require you to sacrifice 2 creatures already placed on the board (thanks to the squirrels who cost nothing to place), when a creature costing 3 bones will require that at least 3 of your creatures have been killed during the game . You must therefore find a good balance between summoning strong creatures and protecting your own columns with cards that will act as buffers between your life and the opposing cards. A simple system, but devilishly effective and which requires good anticipation.

Added to this are slight variations on the board or single-use items, and you have the basics of the clashes and (one of the) gameplay(s) of Inscryption. But like many deck building/roguelike games before it, like Slay the Spire or Monster Train, the player progresses on a multi-branch path between each fight. There, he can find new cards, modify them or participate in events. Unsurprisingly, bosses are also in the game before facing the dealer himself.

Since the Steam page mentions escape-room puzzles, I feel entitled to tell you about one of the surprises of Inscryption (don't panic, there are plenty of other twists and other meta elements). At almost any time it is possible to get up from the game table and search the room you are in. Note in passing that only qwerty is supported for keyboard movement, so let's hope that qwerty will soon be supported for better comfort. Objects/puzzles with which it is possible (or not) to interact then make it possible to feed the card game part, which can also unlock things in the escape-room part. This mixture of genres and this dual mechanics encourage curiosity and constantly encourage you to move forward in the game to discover the next unlocked element.

Illusions with 3 unknowns

It is also impossible not to salute the incredible atmosphere of Inscryption. Creepy and frightening as one might wish, but without ever going too far into horror (it's an absolute allergy to horror and jump scares who tells you, everything went well for me), the title shines with its artistic direction. The music and any sound effects are also exemplary, while the writing and the translation are impeccable. A last point especially appreciable in this title where the narration tends to take more and more precedence over the gameplay, almost secondary. We will also appreciate the large number of cards offered at certain stages of the game, even if suddenly the deck building menu, summary, quickly finds itself overwhelmed and impractical to use.

JVFR

On the other hand, with the surprises that are triggered after a handful of hours of play (it took me 10 hours to see the final credits, but add an hour or two if certain fights give you trouble), don't expect not a replayability like the games mentioned above. While it's possible to some extent to continue playing the cards once the end is reached, it's more of a storytelling, drawer-driven adventure than a pure deck-building game. You have been warned, and that is a bit of a shame, especially with the number of cards and possible synergies offered.

Moreover, it should be noted that the fights tend to become a little too simple as the game progresses (I won many fights with completely random decks), but that conversely the puzzles, initially simple , can end up giving a headache. Fortunately the progression curve is under control and the regular addition of new elements allows you to vary the pleasures and fuel the desire to continue playing.

JVFR

A welcome codex

Registration, the opinion of JVFR

Inscryption got me where I didn't necessarily expect it. Even if his card game part is effective and his atmosphere is as striking as expected, it's with all his good ideas and surprises up his sleeve that he finally amazed me the most. If we can regret very slight slumps and almost non-existent replayability "because" of its many specificities, the title of Daniel Mullins is quietly added to the list of games that you must have done to understand the deserved hype which surrounds it.

Incryption

With Inscryption, I was hoping for a successor to the late Hand of Fate games. Without a real replayability, it will not be. But thanks to its equally successful atmosphere, its addictive and satisfying central gameplay, and above all its myriad twists that surprise and invite you to actively participate in this harrowing adventure, the latest Devolver is certainly… a good pick.