Nintendo's latest Indie World showcase was full of first looks at games like Dordogne and Pepper Grinder, ending with a new trailer and release date for the highly anticipated Sports Story. These Indie Worlds always include a variety of titles for Switch owners to get excited about, but one of 2021's best indie games flew under the radar this time. Inscryption from Daniel Mullins Games was announced to be coming to Switch on December 1, 2022, but some may have missed Inscryption's announcement given it was only briefly shown during a montage of games at the end of the showcase.
Originally released for PC on October 19, 2021, Inscryption is the latest fourth-wall breaking metafiction game from Daniel Mullins. It plays as a deck-builder roguelite-meets-escape room puzzle game, full of intrigue and a bizarre narrative that will keep players hooked. Upon release, it received rave reviews and was even nominated for Best Indie game at The Game Awards 2021. Since then, Inscryption made its way to PlayStation 4 and 5, and will now find a new home on the Switch.
The Switch's Library of Deck-Builder Roguelites Grows With Inscryption
With the success of games like Slay the Spire and Monster Train First Class, Inscryption will be in good company on Switch. The console's portability makes roguelite games feel right at home, as being able to pick up and play through a run whenever and wherever the mood strikes is perfect. The runs in Inscryption are short, and checkpoints are frequent enough that players can enjoy play sessions without the stress of getting too deep into a run and not wanting to lose progress by quitting.
The escape room elements of Inscryption also help break up its roguelite action. One thing other games of this genre lack is the ability to step away from its main gameplay loop and explore the surroundings. This is done literally in Inscryption, as the player can step away from the table between battles and explore the surrounding room, unlocking cards to help them in battle but also finding clues about the underlying story they find themselves in. Being able to enjoy the pace of a game like this on the go or in bed makes it easy to see how it's a match made in heaven for the Switch.
Inscryption on Switch Opens the Door For Daniel Mullins' Other Games
Subversive, fourth-wall breaking games have historically done well on Switch thanks to games like Undertale and Doki Doki Literature Club. While these types of games are usually designed with PC in mind, the way they've been adapted to consoles shows it can be done thoughtfully, without breaking immersion. Inscryption is not the first of its kind from Daniel Mullins as his previous titles - The Hex and Pony Island - offer interesting and subversive meta narratives too. Depending on the success of Inscryption, it is possible those games could see Switch releases as well.
With the publishing prowess of Devolver Digital, Inscryption made its way into the mainstream indie game conversation. However, with all the exciting indie releases coming in the next few months, it will be tough for Inscryption to compete for players' attention. Hopefully a well-deserved Switch release doesn't go overlooked, and Inscryption reaches new audiences on a portable platform.
Inscryption is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5, and releases on December 1, 2022, for Nintendo Switch.