Later this year, some of us will be thinking with portals in two dimensions, courtesy of board game company Cryptozoic and the creators of Portal. The unofficially named "Portal: Uncooperative Cake Acquisition Game" was conceived by members of the team who worked on Portal and its predecessor Narbuncular Drop, then polished and licensed by Cryptozoic, which also produces games and trading cards for Adventure Time, Assassin's Creed, and Lord of the Rings.

According to Polygon, "Cake Acquisition" is a strategy game where two to four players attempt to guide test subjects into "the most desirable test chambers." As the game progresses, they'll also begin eliminating expendable test subjects — in other words, all test subjects, including their own. It's not clear whether actual portals will be involved as a game mechanic. The above image is a prototype from Cryptozoic.

"This was designed to stand on its own, not as a promotional tool. While it may appeal more immediately to Portal fans, we tried to create something that was entertaining for everyone who tries it," says Valve's Jeep Barnett in an interview with Polygon. The game was first announced in late February, around the same time as an unofficial board game based on 2010 film Inception. While that game is still raising money on Kickstarter, "Cake Acquisition" is currently planned for release in the last quarter of 2014. This is Valve's first foray onto the tabletop, and Barnett says if the game is popular enough, it's possible it won't be the last.