We haven't applied it to all co-op games ourselves yet, we like it when it's thematically appropriate. Let us know if you try it with other games, which ones it helps the most.
Once you get the hang of the rules...the alien you will find, is relatively easy to avoid, as the most it can do is to move three spaces and it moves toward the closest character, so sometimes it can be baited to move in a certain direction. The movement tracker is essential in uncovering concealed tiles that hide the alien. Dallas, with his 5 action movement can literally sweep up to 2-3 areas clean with it during his turn.
Both good ideas that could improve it! If an individual dies, would they be out of the game for good? That’s not always a fun thing, especially if it happens early in the gameplay.
Try Nemesis. It’s also based the first Alien movie. This boardgame had both things you pointed out. You can choose to do semi-co-op or full co-op. Players die individually and it means they’re out of the game. But you can choose to play the rule that players can be revived.
I was thinking a house rule could be you get 2 to 3 life tokens and lose one with each encounter. The only way to get health back is med bay and be revived by another player taking you as an item and getting you to the med bay.
Pretty satisfied with the game. I've been waiting for a good game based on the first movie. The best boardgame that comes close to the tension of the first movie is not even an Alien-franchise game: Escape From Aliens In Outer Space.
I ABSOLUTELY loved your review AND the house rule, it's a fantastic idea, I'm getting this game and playing with your house rule! Also, I'm subscriber 1000, WOOHOO!
I'm a massive old ALIEN nut and funniest thing happened last weekend: I checked out some horrid "Amazon resale" bargain basement new store near me in NY, bins full of junk everywhere, bric a brac, returns, whatever, and I somehow spot the gigantic box of this game peering at me atop a pile of junk! It was new and intact, although open box. I got it for $10.
Hey! Thank you, guys for your iinput. Ya see, I'd left the house this afternoon with the intent to run a few errands, but most of all get over to the post office & get delivery started up again. .....Which,...heh...heh.....I did not get to do. Eh!,....what-eva! However, being that I was on that (the post office) side of town, it would just so happen that I find myself in the vicinity of the nearest game store to me. Anyway!,.....found that time would not allow for the PO today, so instead I finished off the smaller errands and then bolted straight for the game shop! Because I had money to blow, (....no, no I didn't...lol, but its only 30 bucks...blah!) ...and I'm not going home without a new game in hand! So yah, just picked up Alien today, probably get my roommate to play tomorrow. Thanks again, you two! Take care & be careful out there!
Best review on game after listening to several. I think everyone's experience can be different. Got game and played solo thus far. Would give it a 6 or 7 for solo - also lost and won playing solo. The idea on communication between crew if same room only can be amended, remember they would have had intercoms thru out ship So crew would have to be in rooms not corridor to talk and announcement would be put out on both decks. Maybe you could give crew 2 or 3 lives so if encountering Alien more than once they are eliminated? More book keeping but extra suspense. What do you think?
I have the game me & my friends like it and we’re all huge fans of the Alien series. I hear the same complaints about the game mainly from non-fans “the morale counter is lame” or “I hate games where we’re not playing against each other” but the game does reflect the movie quite well. I think the morale counter had Lambert in mind in the movie she becomes unhinged by the Alien little by little til finally she’s frozen by fear just before her death. Crew members all cooperate to get rid of the Alien (except Ash of course) . And the Alien is stronger faster & sneakier than all the humans in the movie so it makes sense that the game will have some close finishes and can be tough to beat especially with Ash. Frankly it’s freaking awesome when you’re just one move or encounter card away from winning or losing the game that tension is right out of the movie 🍿
Yes I was one away and close to completing final mission "blowing alien out of ship" via Docking Bay. Saved several times by an item reducing moral. Thenpulled encounter card returning Alien to nest - damn!!! If only it had been Lamberts turn! This was followed up by concealment counter: Jonesy!! minus 1 moral and game over!!
Thanks for this review, looks cool. I'm wondering if my sister would enjoy this game if she's not into Alien at all. What is your opinion guys on the gameplay if you hadn't seen the movie and had no prior interest in the movie?
The mechanics of the game can be fun without having seen the movie. The concept is still to complete tasks without getting defeated by an alien. However, it would definitely be more fun and the tasks make more sense to people that know the story.
i dont play alpha in co ops. at beginning of game ill give some strategy tips for the first couple turns for new players, but then for rest of the game ill explain what options are available for them if theyre missing something and then let them decide. otherwise why play a solo game with someone in the backseat? id rather they made a mistake play that i wouldnt have done and be silent about it, and watch the outcome, and let them learn on their own.
@@PartyTails so play competitive games then. Youve missed the entire point of co op. Your friends cant develop strategic gaming skills if you make all their decisions for them. Youre just playing solo at that point with spectators forced to watch you play everyones turn. Thats not fun for anyone else.
@@billyb1996 All games are competitive - we as a team want to win. When we're playing it's not a learning exercise. We are putting our collective skills to the test to achieve a common goal. That tends to lead to one or two people in our group being more dominant, depending on which game it is. If we were playing with complete board game novices, that would be a different story.
@@PartyTails basketball players want to win as a team. But if they sit on the bench the entire game do they get the same satisfaction when winning? Play a moba or rts if you want to win as a team and not pretend you won as a team when the alpha did all the work. This is why all co op board games should be semi co op with a win or lose together thing. But with rankings at end of game to encourage individual thought. But there are soooo few of those!
I’m about to play this game for the first time today and I’m wondering if I should add these rules: 1: If you encounter the Alien 3 times...you die 2: if you find a way to escape, you can/may leave the other players behind and win it for yourself 3: You cannot speak to other players if they are not in the same room as you Let me know how/if this works or sounds fun. Thank you! Merry Christmas 🎄
If your character dies, does that mean you’re out of the game while the rest of the group continues playing? We’re not usually fans of rules that keep players from participating. If you want to add stakes to constant alien attacks, maybe lose your ability, or lose an item placement on your character board?
