I’d pick a mechanic that feels inevitable, like a token that must move along a fixed track each turn. Then I’d layer in a deck of hidden events that can shift the track or change the rules mid‑game, so each move looks forced but can suddenly turn into a surprise. I’d give players a handful of choices that look the same at first glance, but each choice subtly alters the odds of the event deck. The trick is to keep the core path obvious while peppering it with small, hidden variables that keep the outcome wild and unpredictable.

That’s a neat twist. I’d put the doodles on plain looking “choice” cards, maybe with a faint outline that only reveals itself under a light or when you flip the card. The trick is to make the pattern feel ordinary enough that nobody suspects its double meaning, yet the reveal should feel almost inevitable when the deck finally shows the hidden effect. That way, the surprise feels like a natural extension of the game’s logic, not a random throw.