RELATED: The Best Digital Trading Card Games, According To Metacritic
Over the course of wild adventure, players will have to win card battles with the figure while also trying to get out of the cabin. There are so many elements to the game that those who fall in love with it have plenty of options when it comes to finding games similar to Inscryption.
Updated on February 16, 2022 by Chris Birsner: After its debut year, Inscryption continues to be a talked-about experience in the community for how unique the gameplay and setting are compared to most other titles out there. Its success was so big that Daniel Mullins is continuing to work on and build on the game. This includes downloadable content called Kaycee’s Mod, which is an expansion that turns the original game into an endless, difficult roguelike. But while there are new additions to the hit indie deckbuilder, there continues to be a desire from people who beat it for games like Inscryption.
15 There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension
While it’s not among the card games like Inscryption, There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension matches some of the ridiculousness and insanity of Inscryption’s blending of genres and art styles. The point-and-click adventure game takes players on a journey to try to play “the game” while a voice consistently tries to stop the player from doing so.
While attempting to gain access to the game, players will open a dimensional rift that will force them to experience sequences that are inspired by many games that came before this one. If players want to try something that is less scary and more lighthearted than Inscryption, There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension is the title for them.
14 The Hex
Mullins has a history of developing solid games. While it doesn’t necessarily fall under the core genres of Inscryption, The Hex is worth checking out if players are a fan of Mullins’ work. This mystery adventure takes place at a tavern where six characters, all of whom are coming off lives as video game protagonists, are being investigated for possibly planning the murder of one of their fellow patrons.
Players are tasked with learning about each of these characters by reliving elements of their past, therefore exploring the genre they came from. The goal of the game is to figure out who is the future murderer and who will be their victim.
13 Loop Hero
Devolver Digital, the publisher of Inscryption, had a very solid year of indie game releases in 2021. This included another deckbuilding roguelike they released earlier in the year called Loop Hero. In this world, however, players are in charge of everything but the hero.
Trapped in an endless loop thanks to The Lich, players must place cards that include buildings, enemies, or terrain to help the hero get loot that will help in making the next loop easier than the last. The goal of Loop Hero is to conquer a few tough bosses and end the cycle once and for all.
12 Monster Train
As mentioned earlier, Inscryption is one of the best indie card games to come out in 2021. One of the best card games to come out a year prior was Monster Train. The main campaign revolves around players trying to climb four levels of a train that is filled with monsters.
RELATED: Popular Card Games You Can Play Online
Players must try to get to the top in order to protect the pyre from the enemies that want to break it. The single-player mode is also paired with a few modes that pit players against other gamers in challenges and real-time combat.
11 The Room
While the card game element of Inscryption is certainly what the game is focused on most, there is also the escape room element that is fascinating. Those who enjoy this may enjoy other puzzle games with escape room-like elements. One of the most famous examples regarding this subject matter is The Room series.
Each entry in the franchise has its own plot in which players are trying to solve the mystery. In most scenarios, players will be given a contraption that they will need to tinker with and use clues to unlock different elements of the contraption. It’s perfect for those wanting to experience an escape room from the comfort of a device.
10 Trials Of Fire
While Inscryption only has players controlling one character at a time, Trials of Fire is a tactical game that has users control three heroes of their choosing. This deck-building roguelite has players going on an adventure through the Ashe wastelands.
The game combines exploring a world while not in combat, then hunkering players down to wield three players in battle. Each hero does have their own deck, so it creates unique opportunities to strategize specific outcomes. There is both base game content as well as seasonal campaigns that the player can go on.
9 Black Book
Returning to the card-based RPG format, another great story-driven narrative to try out is a game called Black Book. Based on Slavic mythology, players take on the role of Vasilisa, a young sorceress who is serving those in the “dark forces.”
After she gives up everything to marry the person she loves most, they mysteriously die and leave her heartbroken. Because of this, she decides to set off on a journey to find an artifact that can grant any wish called the Black Book. The gameplay revolves around fighting demons, performing exorcisms, and helping people along the way.
8 Fran Bow
There are some psychological horror elements to Inscryption, so if players are looking for an indie gem that spooks them, Fran Bow is worth giving a try. Another point-and-click adventure game, the story follows a young girl named Fran who has had to deal with the trauma of seeing the gruesome death of her parents.
RELATED: The Best Psychological Horror Movies That Will Leave You Thinking
Fran winds up in an asylum where she tries to escape to find Mr. Midnight, her black cat that was given to her by her parents. This 2D-animated game has a plethora of puzzles to solve as players go through it with the occasional mini-game to help pick up the action.
7 Iris And The Giant
While most video game adventures take place in vast worlds, some take place only in the mind. That is the case with Iris and the Giant. In another game that blends card collecting and a roguelike role-playing experience, players are tasked with exploring Iris’ imaginary world as she faces the fears and demons that have overwhelmed her in reality.
Players can customize their decks and build their character in whatever way they see fit. After every turn, Iris can earn more cards in her deck and earn experience points that can make her stronger in fights.
6 Rounds
Those who are into action-packed multiplayer games that enjoyed the roguelite elements of Inscryption may appreciate an absurd shooter in Rounds. Players can be matched up locally or online with one other player as they fight to the death in a round-based match-up.
However, the twist is that the losing player of each round can pick from a set of cards that can give them a unique upgrade that can help them in the next round. There are over 65 powerups that people can discover while playing the game and over 70 maps that they can do battle on.
5 Griftlands
It is common in video games that the resolution to a conflict is a fight to the death. But sometimes, certain situations may not warrant that result. That is what players have to think about as they get through Griftlands.
RELATED: The Best Roguelike RPGs, Ranked
While players can choose to fight, they also will have to think about whether they can negotiate with the aggressor. There are three playable characters in the game, each with their own story and setting that can be experienced. They also have their own combat and negotiation decks that broaden the different approaches that can be made during an altercation.
4 Pony Island
Those looking for another psychological horror puzzle game should not look beyond Mullins’ other work, as the first game he ever released on Steam was a suspenseful experience titled Pony Island.
The story takes place entirely in front of an arcade machine that seems to be completely broken, but players will need to think about everything that is in front of them to solve each of the puzzles that stand in their way. Meanwhile, the devil will be in the background watching the player’s every move, commentating and insulting them along the way.
3 Dicey Dungeons
When looking at games like Inscryption, players may be searching for something that has the haunting edge of the indie hit. However, players should not look past a more colorful game in Dicey Dungeons, a deck-building roguelike about characters that have been turned to dice by Lady Luck.
She forces players to complete dungeons in order to be freed from their cubic appearances. Players can select a di in the beginning, with each having its own starting equipment and unique characteristic. Each dungeon requires players to get through each layer until they reach the bottom, where they fight a boss in order to escape.
2 Dream Quest
There are a few games that have inspired the deck-building roguelike genre over the years. One game that went on to inspire some recent games like Inscryption is a game called Dream Quest. While the art may seem simple, the gameplay itself has a ton of depth.
After choosing from a list of 13 different classes, players will explore randomly generated levels where they can face more than 70 different monsters along their journey. The unique aspect of the RPG is that each session is meant to be about 30 minutes, but achievements earned on previous runs will make the player better for future runs.
1 Slay The Spire
Speaking of classics, one of the most popular games in the last decade is a card battler that goes by the name of Slay the Spire. Players choose from a set of four characters, each with a set of starter cards that are unique to them. The characters are used for climbing the Spire with the goal of making it to the top without dying.
There are different paths that players can choose to go down to get there, but nonetheless, there will be bad guys in their way that they must use their decks to take on. The game is also very replayable with daily challenges offered each day for those who can’t get enough of the Slay the Spireworld. Those looking for mobile games like Inscryption should check this one out first.
MORE: Slay The Spire: The Best Cards For The Silent, Ranked
