Unexpected Games teases their first game The Initiative

“In 1994, four teenagers find a mysterious game at a yard sale. As they play it, they discover it is strangely connected to their lives. What will they risk to unravel the secrets of The Initiative?”

Corey Konieczka, besides having a fantastic first name, is the designer behind such huge hits as Twilight Imperium 4, Battlestar Galactica, and Star Wars Rebellion. In July 2019, Asmodee gave Corey his own studio, Unexpected Games, and not much was heard from them, until now.

This week, Unexpected Games announced its new web site, and the first videos were full of puzzles. An initial video presented a cryptogram, which when decoded, simply presented “The Initiative”. A short while later, a true announce video was released for the studio’s first board game, The Initiative. However, even this video had secrets hidden inside, leading to secret web pages...

The Initiative is a legacy-style cooperative puzzle game for 1-4 players coming in the spring, played in three parts. Players first read from the included 48-page comic, detailing the story of a group of teenagers who have found a mysterious boardgame. Each page from the comic sets the scene for one game. Then you play the game, a unique blend of puzzles and strategy. Each mission requires the players to solve a puzzle, which could be a logic problem or a code. Players move their pieces around the board, collecting clues, helping solve the puzzle, adding to the greater growing mystery. This legacy game is full of secrets, from secret cards to hidden puzzles.

The Initiative is available for pre-order now and is expected to deliver in Spring 2021. For more details, check out the press release for The Initiative here.