
EXPULLED Our Take on the OVERBOARD Game
Mar 12, 2025 4:00 AMInkle Studios has released Expelled!, a new detective game that builds upon the replayable format seen in Overboard. While Overboard focused on getting away with a crime, Expelled! spins the narrative by placing players in the shoes of Verity Amersham, a student wrongfully accused of a serious offense at her school. The game utilizes a timeloop structure, inviting players to gather evidence and prove Verity's innocence amidst a backdrop of colorful characters and school politics. This shift from evasion to active investigation keeps the game engaging and fresh, challenging players to uncover secrets and confront the school’s headmistress, Miss Mulligatawny.
Expelled! maintains a strong emphasis on storytelling, with gameplay that rewards curiosity and strategic thinking, ensuring a richly replayable experience that is deeper and more focused than its predecessor. The game is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS as of March 12, 2025.
What makes Expelled! different from Overboard?Expelled! reorients the gameplay from evading consequences to actively solving a mystery. Players must collect evidence to prove the main character's innocence rather than avoiding detection, creating a more nuanced and engaging detective experience.
Expelled! is part of Inkle Studios' catalog, known for crafting narrative-driven games with intricate storylines and replayability. Their previous work, Overboard, while praised for its clever writing, received mixed reviews due to its gameplay limitations. With Expelled!, the studio aims to rectify these issues, enhancing the player's investigative role and expanding the emotional depth of the story.

Alex Riverton
Alex Riverton is a seasoned journalist with over a decade of experience in the gaming industry. Known for their in-depth analysis and hands-on previews, Alex has built a reputation for insightful commentary on gameplay mechanics and storytelling in videogames.
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Expelled seems like a clever evolution of Inkle's storytelling style, trading the thrill of deception for the satisfaction of unraveling a mystery. The school setting and timeloop mechanic feel like a perfect match, offering a mix of nostalgia and intrigue that’s hard to resist.

Expelled sounds like a fresh twist on Inkle's formula, flipping the script from getting away with it to proving you didn't do it. The timeloop mechanic mixed with school drama and detective work gives me major *Life is Strange* meets *Groundhog Day* vibes—definitely a must-try for narrative game fans.