The Initiative

I recently had the pleasure of playing The Initiative and I must say, it is an absolute masterpiece. From the moment I started playing, I was completely captivated by its immersive world, engaging storyline, and flawless gameplay. The Initiative truly sets a new standard for action-adventure games. The attention to detail is awe-inspiring; every environment, character, and interaction is meticulously crafted to create an incredibly realistic and immersive experience. The graphics are breathtaking, with stunning visuals that made me feel like I was actually a part of the game. The gameplay mechanics are seamless and intuitive, making it easy to jump right in and start exploring this rich and expansive world. The controls are responsive and well-designed, allowing for smooth movement and combat that feels incredibly satisfying. But what truly sets The Initiative apart is its gripping storyline. Every twist and turn kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating what would happen next. The narrative is masterfully written and expertly paced, drawing me further into the game's lore with each passing moment. It's the kind of story that stays with you long after you've finished playing. I also applaud The Initiative for its innovation and ambition. The game pushes boundaries, introducing new elements and mechanics that I haven't seen before. This level of creativity truly sets it apart from other games in the genre. Overall, I cannot recommend The Initiative enough. It is an outstanding game that deserves all the praise it receives. If you're a fan of action-adventure games, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. You won't be disappointed!

We've played a lot of games, particularly in the Escape Game / puzzle solving genre, and this is the best. It took us a few rounds to settle on a strategy that works and now we're nearing the end of the "story" missions and myself and my 2 daughter teammates on these missions think this is a pretty incredible game. I told my daughters I was definitely leaving a review on this and one said, "I wish you could give it more than 5 stars." As said by others, this game has amazing attention to detail, a simple but engaging story that ties into the first 14 missions, and the clues that go along with this are amazing. Really a special game that we hope will have a sequel.

We got this game to play with our 8 year-old son. He needed a little help at the beginning to understand the strategy, but one he got the hang of it, he's really enjoyed playing the game with us and is very invested in the story and enjoys solving the puzzles in the meta-game (which we mostly defer to him). There are a few of the puzzles that are still a little advance for him so I might recommend this to families with 9 to 10 year-olds for a more reliable hit.

We love this game to death! It's the only board game we own that we've played 35 times and counting. The fact that it has a short campaign tied in with a comic book and has secrets you unlock as you go is really unique and clever, and is incredibly motivating to come back and play again and again. The core game itself, The Key, is also super fun. Though I don't think it has quite enough depth that I would want to play it more than a couple times if I weren't so intrigued by all the puzzles and unlockable things. And one thing I like about the game is that it expects you to win if you can solve the correct strategy for the given setup. Winning won't always be easy, and you'll definitely have close calls, but you probably won't lose much. And that's okay! I'm tired of co-op games where it feels like the game hates you and wants you to lose. Sometimes it's good to have a solid puzzle that the game expects you to figure out and solve, and everyone can have a good time. Like a crossword puzzle! If you like puzzles, cyphers, mysteries, and unlocking secrets as you progress through a game, definitely give this game a shot.

My family(2 adults, 2 children aged 9 and 12) have a wonderful time playing this game. It is just challenging enough to add a bit of tension, but we have never failed a mission. The little secrets that are progressively revealed keep us coming back for more. The way this game was done adds plenty of moments of genuine satisfaction. I never have a problem getting this to the table with my game shy family.

This game would be the perfect gift for a kid, but the puzzles were very easy making game play not so satisfying for me and my Mensa friends.

Such a fun game. We only played it as a couple, but know it would be a lot of fun with more people. It's easy to learn, it's a fun story, and the art is beautiful. After you finish the campaign, you can keep playing harder levels.

I bought this for my husband for Christmas. The two of us played together every night after the kids went to bed. Far and away the most amazing legacy game we've played so far! (And we play many). There are so many twists and turns and surprises. We ended up buying this game for other game loving friends. Can't say enough about it! It took my husband and I about 2 weeks to play since we only completed one chapter a night. Easy to store and put away. Not something you have to leave out on the table for days on end.

A nosotros nos parece un juegazo y esperamos que no se nos termine pronto. Tiene mecánicas de deducción, romper codigos, manejo de mano y legacy. Temática de un juego dentro de otro, se va revelando la historia poco a poco por medio de un cómic, con un montón de secretos, super cool!

We’re currently half way through the campaign and loving it so far. Playing it as a 2 player only and each mission has taken no more than 30mins. There are some great puzzles so far and the feeling of solving the clues and hidden secrets is awesome.

I got this for my partner for Xmas and it was a brilliant decision. We love games and I went with this one because it had great reviews and was a co-op. It has so many nice touch well thought out surprise details!! I don't want to go into too much detail on that because it's been great to come across them and see the level of commitment the designers had for this game. For game play it's a great mix between a standard board play and puzzle solving. Good mix in terms of puzzles with number based and letter based puzzles. The puzzles provide a challenge but not so much so that it's not a fun time for everyone. I would say more for teenagers and upwards. Go out and get it quick!!

The Initiative is a spy-themed game, but veers to a younger crowd than one might expect. The core conceit is that some teenagers find the game at a garage sale, and play it, while mysterious forces seem to be playing out around them. Think a less-fantastical Jumanji. The gameplay is easy to pick up, but complex enough to stay interesting (and it grows more complex over time). Also, it does a wonderful job of introducing people unfamiliar with basic codes and cyphers into increasingly complex and sneaky ways to encode words. Playing it with my 11-year-old, he's been enraptured and while I often (as a 45 year old who is pretty code-savvy) see the solutions before he does, he's very quick to spot them. For the trickier ones, there's also hints available. Overall, a wonderful, easy-to-learn but with growing complexity co-op card game. Quick setup, easy to play, but wonderful as a family. Highly recommended.

We haven't completed the campaign yet but so far it has been really enjoyable. Some may find aspects of it repetitive but trying to find the clues to complete the new mission puzzle has kept the group interested. We have 5 people so we have just rotated 2 people playing together which has worked fine as each game takes only about 30 minutes to play anyway.