You’ve watched Murder on the Orient Express, but your cravings for authentic thrills unique to the murder mystery genre have only intensified. Well hold on tight, because French team Big Bad Wolf is delivering the goods in its debut The Council, a narrative bound adventure dripping with secrecy, manipulation, and of course, murder.
Set in 18th century England, The Council sees players adopt the role of Louis de Richet, a secret society member who finds himself on a private island with several eminent figures. But while Napoleon Bonaparte and first US President George Washington are chumming it up, Richet becomes entangled in a crackling conundrum: his mother is missing, nowhere to be found.
Beyond that point, unravelling the mystery—which relies on a unique ‘Social influence’ system—is up to you. Driving The Council‘s story forward are a series of confrontational encounters with other characters, but these encounters are malleable; you can achieve a desirable outcome by using the right combination of skills and resources, and exploit any personality insights you’ve picked up. Big Bad Wolf ditches a ‘game over’ option if players are unsuccessful, instead inflicting Richet with permanent physical mutilation or mental traits which could be advantageous or detrimental.
The Council Episode 1: The Mad Ones unleashes its nail-biting brand of mystery for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC in February 2018. Four additional episodes are on the way.
