INFERIUS Descends Into Dante's Hell with Tarot Card Battles and Psychological Horror

Canadian developer Lucid Rain Studios has revealed INFERIUS, a first-person psychological horror game that fuses deck-building card battles with roguelike mechanics, drawing inspiration from Dante's Divine Comedy and Lovecraftian cosmic horror. The official alpha trailer showcases the game's haunting atmosphere and unique blend of horror exploration with card-based combat.

Descent Through Nine Circles

Players descend through nine distinct hell layers, each inspired by Dante's Inferno. The journey combines tense first-person exploration through dark, confined environments with turn-based card duels against hell's rulers. A tarot-inspired card system using Major and Minor Arcana allows players to collect and strengthen their deck as they progress deeper into the abyss.

Sanity and Survival

A lantern serves as both light source and sanity meter. As mental stability deteriorates, the game's visuals warp, perception shifts, and decision-making becomes increasingly unreliable. This psychological pressure creates an atmosphere where reality itself becomes uncertain at deeper levels.

Death as a Cycle

Unlike traditional roguelikes where death means failure, INFERIUS treats death as part of a cycle. Each attempt slightly warps the world, and progress comes through knowledge accumulation and decision-making rather than simple victory. Players gradually uncover fragments explaining why they were condemned to hell.

The developers cite Inscryption, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Amnesia: The Dark Descent as key inspirations, blending card game strategy with psychological horror tension. For fans of roguelike gameplay, Full Metal Schoolgirl offers another unique take on the genre.

For more psychological horror, see Silent Hill 2 Remake which masterfully revived the genre.

Game Information