Breaking down the influences behind Inscryption's music

"Card-based odyssey" Inscryption has always been bloodthirsty, even if its carnage initially took on a different visage. Crafted for a game jam called Ludum Dare, its precursor — a short game called Sacrifices Must Be Made — sits you across from a shadowy figure in a barely illuminated cabin. You're alone in a forest with this figure, your monstrous kidnapper who is willing to offer you sustenance, but only if you humor him with a game of cards about sacrificing woodland creatures. 

Sacrifices laid the foundation for the first act of Inscryption, though the two share several key differences. While Sacrifices features a plane crash survivor, Inscryption stars a card collector. While Sacrifices features primitive card illustrations, Inscryption's first act appears polished, with slight variations to the rules.

Perhaps the biggest difference, though, is the audio.

In Sacrifices, the soundscape hums at a low, nearly inaudible tone, a dreadful accompaniment to the crisp yet shrill accents of cards shuffling. In contrast, Inscryption's first act sounds unexpectedly cozy with a rustic note, as if you're basking in the warm glow of a campfire. "I was thinking about guitars, folk music, and traditional tunings, and then also the creepiness of something being outside while you're inside — the spookiness of that," says composer and sound designer, Jonah Senzel.

Then there are the subsequent acts in Inscryption, each of which take dramatic turns — and took inspiration from unexpected places. "I was pretty excited about using the Pokémon Red and Blue's Lavender Town theme as a starting point [for the second act]," says creator Daniel Mullins.

We recently spoke to Senzel and Mullins about their work together, how it helped define the game, and the influences behind each of the game's acts.