Best Indie Games of 2021
1st Runner-Up: Inscryption
Reviews Editor Zhiqing Wan: Being a complete sucker for rogue-lites and escape rooms in general, Inscryption seemed right up my alley. And for the first few hours, it was.
Daniel Mullins’ latest game features a fantastic first act that’s absolutely dripping with style and ambiance, as you explore a dimly lit cabin while playing cards with a half-naked bearded man who clearly hasn’t showered in months, possibly years. The card gameplay itself serves as a solid foundation of what’s to come, and there is plenty of fun, game-breaking mechanics to uncover the deeper you get into it.
And yet the gameplay itself is merely a veneer for the real story that Mullins wants to tell. We won’t dive too deep into spoiler territory here, as this truly is a game that’s best experienced blind, but Inscryption is a game that’s more concerned with telling a meta-story that breaks the fourth wall constantly. It may or may not work for you, but it’s certainly hard to deny that this is a game that’s able to surprise the player at every turn — not an easy feat to achieve in this day and age.
