Whenever someone tries to make a board game out of one of my favorite IP's I pray that they've managed to recreate and capture some of the magic from experiencing that IP.
Well, do you like the Alien movie and enjoy playing board games? Then look no further, as I can present to you one of the best board games based on a movie that I have ever had the pleasure to try.
Let's boil down the boxes that this game has to check - the Alien movie, released in 1979, is one of my all-time favorites and manages to build up an atmosphere and create a world building in its confined spaces rarely outdone before or since. The slow build up of realization among the crew and understanding just how much they are in over their heads is a master piece that I return to often. I am a big fan of all the first four Alien movies as they come in very distinct flavors, and the flavor of the first Alien movie is "what even is this and how do I survive it?". Sheer panic from the moment the baby alien rears its ugly-cute head until the very last scene.
How do you recreate that feeling in a board game, when the people playing it are sitting comfortably around their own table with friends and absolutely nowhere near the silence of space? I don't know how they did it, but probably with a lot of love for the source material. It hits you as soon as you open the box, but since I don't want to spoil it I am not going to reveal more than that. Let's just say that little touches of Easter eggs here and there give you the impression that this is not some cash grab trying to exploit a name, but a genuine attempt at bringing the full Alien experience into your own hands.
In Alien: Fate of the Nostromo you and friends step into the shoes of the crew of Nostromo at the moment when the Alien has just become fully grown and is stalking you through the corridors. You get a chance to rewrite history, because unlike in the movie (spoiler alert), you can make it so that more than just Ripley makes it out alive.
Each of the five characters, Ripley, Brett, Dallas, Lambert and Parker, are distinct from each other and depending on which setup you play with your tactics will have to accommodate the skills of your crew. This is a cooperative game, where you all try to beat the odds and survive the last few moments on the Nostromo. Each game you draw a certain amount of objectives you need to complete before you can move on to the final objective, which is also randomly drawn out of a pool of possibles. This means that the variables from one game to the next can change quite considerably, but one thing stays the same - the sheer panic of trying to navigate through the ship without being jumped by the Alien.
The game has a set of mechanics that allow the Alien to move around or randomly attack you from a vent. Because of this, each move has to be carefully calculated and risk-reward is always highly present. The ratio between the knowledge that the players have, and the randomness of certain events is very carefully balanced so that you never feel truly safe in a choice but also rarely feel completely cornered. Let me stress though, this is not an easy game - the odds definitely feel stacked against you but that just means success tastes that much sweeter.
Each character has a certain amount of actions they can take each turn, for instance moving about, picking up/dropping/crafting or using items. The items are useful, even necessary in many ways as they allow you to avoid or move the Alien which becomes extremely handy. The Alien is never far away on Nostromo and seems to constantly drool down your neck. Everything is designed faithfully around the original movie, the tools you can use are incinerators, flashlights or electric prods to mention a few and even Jonesy the cat plays an important role.
The board itself is a beautiful replication of the Nostromo with little details from the movie. You have to move about to complete the objectives, but every move you make also brings the Alien closer. After each players turn the Alien gets a turn, in which it can move about the ship - always moving to the nearest player. Because of this it almost felt like the game got more difficult the more players you added, because each extra player gives the Alien another shot at moving in on someone.
Because the players control the Alien they're free to make the tactic choice if two players are equally close to the Alien. It is hard not to make choices for the Alien that benefit the group, but in the end it rarely matters. The Alien has the upper hand and every single game I have played so far we have made it out at the skin of our teeth.
You can choose to make it even harder on yourself by introducing Hard Mode, also known as the Ash character. Ash is another hostile force on the ship that moves around according to set rules, where he just messes up your plans in general. We have yet to try this mode since we find the game is difficult enough without him!
Because you play the game cooperatively, there is a lot of room for younger players, or players with less experience in board games, to join in on the fun. I can see how my son (12 yrs) loves being an integral part of the success of the group and he contributes with a lot of tactical ideas that allows us to beat the game. For my daughter (8 yrs) the game is too stressful however and she takes each set back (as in, being attacked by the Alien) very personal. Whenever the Alien catches one of your crew you lose morale and have to run away. Lose enough morale and the game is over. But set backs are definitely a part of the tactics in Alien FotN, some times you will end up in situations where throwing yourself against the Alien is part of one of those calculated risks I mentioned earlier.
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| Each crew member has a nice looking figurine. |
There are situations where you are just at the moment of success and suddenly feel like you've been thrown back to square one by an unlucky draw of a card. It's a frustration that feels fair however, and it never truly ruins the fun of the game. It is easy to want to go "oh, well let's pretend I didn't move this way" when you realize that is where the Alien was hiding all along. There is no one policing your game but yourself, so whether you want an "honest" run or not is up to you.
There is a bit of setting up with this game as you have to start by placing a lot of tokens and drawing things like objectives. But once you're started the game doesn't let up, it absorbs you and it is immensely fun to discuss moves with your friends, trying to find the most efficient way to solve the objectives without getting caught. One runs off in one direction, another tries to lure the Alien in a different direction while a third runs in with an incinerator to burn out the Alien nest. Carefully laid plans come crashing down and you have to scramble to come up with a plan B. It is immensely fun and fascinating to see how well they've captured the feeling of the movie and make you really feel like you are a part of it.
If feeling like you're always on the brink of disaster is not your cup of tea, this game might not be your thing. Otherwise, I can't recommend this game enough because whether you are an Alien fan, a board game fan or both - I can almost guarantee you are going to have a good time.
