We dropped the ball on Inscryption. This game is one of the most highly rated and well-reviewed games released in recent memory. It’s also incredibly hard to describe without spoilers, so if you want to go in blind here’s the long and short of it: Inscryption is a turn-based deck-building roguelike that incorporates psychological horror and escape-room puzzles in its story. See what we mean?

You’re thrown headlong into the game with no context, just like your character. It’s cryptic and creepy from the jump — when the game boots up, you don’t have the choice to start a new game, only to continue. This plays into your character being a prisoner (for what? by who?) who is forced to play this tabletop card game with an unsettling figure shrouded in shadows. Upon failure, you are unceremoniously killed and brought back to life to try again.

The gameplay (or part of it): The roleplaying card game involves a tabletop map and a 3×4 grid. You place your cards (each representing an animal with its own health, attack power, and special move) on the bottom row, while your sinister opponent places theirs on the top row, moving in on you with each play. You take turns attacking or defending, with damage being tracked on a scale. Whoever’s scale tips loses that round. The kicker? Some of your animal cards require a sacrifice (or two, or three) to be played, meaning that you have to choose who gets slaughtered. This wouldn’t be as emotionally taxing if some of them weren’t sentient and didn’t beg for their lives…

After each round, you advance through the woods, then the wetlands, and then… We’re not actually sure, because we haven’t survived past that yet. Throughout your journey you encounter different characters, all unhinged, and all played by the mysterious gamemaster wearing different wooden masks. Between turns, you get the chance to look around the room, and with the aid of some of your sentient cards, look for ways to escape. But the gamemaster’s eyes calmly tracking you while you fumble with the various objects in the cabin doesn’t inspire much hope.

💯 Rating: 10/10 on Steam, 98% audience score.

⌛ Hours of gameplay: Depends on how many times you die.

🔁 Replay value: 10/10.

👾 Platforms: Steam and Epic Games for PC, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox.

💵 Price: USD 4.19 on Steam until 23 September, USD 14.99 on Epic, and USD 19.99 on Playstation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox.

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