Released in October 2021, Inscryption is the latest indie hit from Daniel Mullins. Similar to his previous titles, Inscryption takes its players on an unconventional trip and doesn't show its hand until the very end of the game. Even then, there are more mysteries to explore and lore to uncover with a community dedicated to discovering all the secrets the game has to offer.
It is impossible to talk about finishing this game without getting into spoilers, so it may be more advantageous to play the game blind and see what lies in store. Inscryption is currently sporting overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam and even features a free demo that players can try to get a feel for the game. Just know that not everything is as it seems, and there is a larger story at play here than just a roguelike card game.
Beating Leshy
The path to beating Inscryption starts with defeating your first opponent, Leshy. All players start the game in Leshy's cabin, where he teaches them the rules of the game and gives players the chance to gain their bearings. When players first start the game, they will be in the first phase of the game. The game expects players to lose at least once before beating Leshy at his own game. In fact, during the first playthrough, one of the bosses will cheat to prevent the player from progressing too fast too soon.
However, beating Leshy will result in the player's death if they do not find the required secrets. Players can look for these secrets by getting up from the table and searching around the cabin between the game's encounters. While it could take a player anywhere between 2-4 hours to learn the rules and beat Leshy for the first time, the game will not progress until they find the hidden cards and items needed to stop Leshy from continuing the endless cycle of life, play cards, die and repeat.
Completing Inscryption and the Endgame
Beating Leshy requires the player to find the camera film hidden inside the cuckoo clock, then defeat Leshy. Once Leshy hands his camera to the winning player at the end, they will be able to take a picture of him and reset the game to its "original" state. The game will become an 8-bit adventure game where the player has to travel around different islands, defeat bosses, and subsequently usurp one of the "Scrybes." They will never get the chance, though, as this then leads to P03 taking over the game similarly to Leshy and becoming your new game master during the third part of this wild tale. After completing P03 and finishing the game's epilogue, players finally see the game's credits roll.
However, as with Daniel Mullins' other games, more lies beneath the surface. Questions about GameFuna, Kaycee Hobbes, the origins of Inscryption and the secret codes scattered around the game remain. This lore goes deep beneath the surface and can be related to that found in online mysteries such as Five Nights at Freddy's and Doki Doki Literature Club. The amount of time this takes will depend on the player but can take about 12 hours to beat normally, while completionists will take around 18 hours to finish everything the game offers.