From Paper to Pixels: Horrific Remediation in Inscryption

Abstract

Analogue and digital games collide in Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games 2021), creating a hauntingly immersive experience that blurs the lines between reality and fiction. This paper examines Inscryption through the lens of remediation theory, exploring how its design utilises immediacy and hypermediacy to evoke a compelling hybrid of analogue and digital gaming experiences. By blending skeuomorphic design with metafictional narrative elements, Inscryption crafts a uniquely unsettling and immersive player experience. This analysis focuses on the game's ability to remediate analogue card games into a digital horror context, leveraging design elements and layered narrative structures to evoke both nostalgia and unease. We argue that Inscryption exemplifies the potential of digital games to innovate at the intersection of media forms, challenging conventional notions of player interaction. We offer insights into the evolving dynamics of analogue-digital convergence and its implications for the future of game studies.