Beginner's Guide to Inscryption

New to Inscryption? Learn the card game basics, cost systems, and hidden secrets.

How the Card Game Loop Works

1Inscryption is a deck-building card game where you travel along a map, battling enemies at each node.
2After winning battles, you choose new cards to add to your deck from a selection of options.
3Between battles, visit campfire sites to buff card stats, totems to add sigils, and traders to modify your deck.
4Your goal is to tip the damage scale in your favor -- deal 5 more total damage than your opponent to win.
5Losing a battle has consequences -- but dying is part of the experience and reveals new game mechanics.

1Leshy plays face-down cards that are revealed when they attack -- learn to anticipate based on board state.
2Each boss has a unique mechanic: the Prospector picks up gold cards, the Angler steals your cards with hooks.
3Leshy narrates your journey and reacts to your plays -- his dialogue can hint at upcoming challenges.
4The difficulty escalates along each map path -- choose easier paths (fewer skull symbols) when your deck is weak.
5Pay attention to the candle system -- each candle represents a life, and losing all candles has major consequences.

1Blood cost requires sacrificing cards already on the board -- a 2-blood card needs two sacrifices.
2Bone cost uses bones generated when any card (yours or opponent's) dies -- plan deaths strategically.
3Free cards (0 cost) like Squirrels can be played at any time and serve as sacrifice material.
4In Act 2, energy and mox introduce new cost systems that change deck-building strategies entirely.
5Understanding cost efficiency is key -- a 1-blood card with 2 power is generally better value than a 2-blood card with 3.

1When you lose all your candles, a death card is created from your best cards as a memorial.
2Death cards can appear in future runs as powerful unique cards combining stats and sigils.
3Dying unlocks new story content and game mechanics -- do not be afraid to lose early on.
4The teeth you pull from your death card become currency for purchasing items at the Trapper.
5Some secrets and puzzles in the cabin are only accessible after specific death conditions are met.

1Stand up from the table (press the appropriate key) to explore Leshy's cabin between rounds.
2The cabin contains puzzles involving a safe, a cuckoo clock, a painting, and carved figures.
3Solving cabin puzzles rewards you with powerful unique cards and story progression items.
4The rulebook on the table contains hidden hints and changes as you progress through the game.
5Some items found in the cabin can be used during card battles for powerful one-time effects.