Telltale Unveils Cross-over Poker Game 'Poker Night at The Inventory'

The mysterious cross-over game Telltale Games teased has been revealed as Poker Night at The Inventory--a $5 poker game starring characters from several video game franchises, including the Heavy from Valve Software's Team Fortress 2.

Telltale explains that "All the characters will talk trash, give unique tells, and react to the game dynamically as it is being played, providing a unique experience with each round played." While it might seem a bit strange for the developer now famed for making adventure games, Telltale's first release was Telltale Texas Hold'em in 2005.

Four characters have been revealed--the Heavy from Team Fortress 2, Strong Bad from Homestar Runner and Telltale's adaptation of the web cartoon, Max of Sam & Max fame, and Tycho, co-star of Penny Arcade and Hothead's RPG based upon it. It's unknown if this is the full lineup, as "more than a few surprises" are promised soon.

"We've had the idea for some time of exploring the idea of what video characters do when they're not 'on the clock' in the games we play," Telltale CEO Dan Connors explained in the announcement. "We pitched the idea to friends in the industry and it really resonated. We all had a great time imagining what these guys would banter about while slinging cards--from there Poker Night at The Inventory was born."

The game is the latest fruit of the pilot program Telltale began with Puzzle Agent.

Poker Night at The Inventory will be released for download on PC and Mac this fall at $4.99. Pre-ordering from Telltale will give you a coupon for 25% off almost anything else you order alongside the game, while Steam offers a straight 10% discount.

If you're going to be at PAX this weekend, you can pre-order at the Telltale booth to receive an "exclusive limited edition" Poker Night at The Inventory poster.