Looking for a new role-playing game to invest some downtime in? We at Tabletop Beard have you covered. If you enjoy sci-fi, you no doubt love the award-winning Alien film series. Well, guess what, there is a corresponding RPG system and it’s called ALIEN: The Roleplaying Game.

First off, a little background about this compelling and terrifying world.

The Alien Film Series

Alien

Alien was released in 1979. You probably thought it was released later, right? Well, that is the sequel, Aliens. Alien, the first movie in the series, was directed by Ridley Scott.

It was given mixed reviews when released, but over the years, it has risen to a beloved status, become critically acclaimed, and is considered one of the best films of 1979.

Alien is the story of a commercial space tug ship following a distress call to a moon to investigate a derelict alien ship. As a result, the crew is wiped out by alien creatures called facehuggers that await on the surface in egg-like pods and quickly grow to full-size.

Aliens

Aliens was released in 1986 as a follow-up to Alien. Perhaps it is so well known due to its director, James Cameron.

It takes place 57 years after the first movie because the main character, and the only survivor of the first film, Ripley, was in statis in an escape pod. She is convinced to return to the moon, the site of a colony now, with the aid of the Marines. They fight many Aliens in this film, including a brood queen.

Aliens is considered one of the best sci-fi movies of all time.

Aliens 3

Aliens 3 is an immediate follow-up to Aliens. It was released in 1992 and was directed by David Fincher (he did Fight Club too).

It centers on the story of Ripley and the alien organism that survived the events of the previous film. The escape pod Ripley was in at the end of Aliens has crash-landed on a penial colony filled with violent male offenders.

When it is realized that a face hugger has escaped and is now a fully grown alien on the loose, Ripley decides to hunt it, only to find out it will not hurt her. To her dismay, she discovers she is carrying the embryo of an alien queen inside her.

This movie was poorly received and had mixed to negative reviews. But many fans of the series still enjoyed it.

Alien: Resurrection

Alien: Resurrection followed in 1997. It was written by Joss Whedon (Buffy) and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

It takes place two hundred years in the future and centers on a clone of Ripley. An alien queen is produced as well, and the government hopes to create aliens of their own for “research.”

Of course, something goes wrong and Ripley and a gang of mercs need to stop the worst-case scenario from happening. Again, the movie had mixed reviews but was considered an improvement over Aliens 3.

Following these movies were several crossovers and a prequel series. Also, many video games, including Alien: Isolation for the PC in 2014, which is a fun one!

ALIEN: The Role-Playing Game

Sci-fi and horror fans are in for a real bone-chilling treat!

Released in 2019 by Free League Publishing, Alien: The Role-Playing Game is a fun way to join the Alien film series storyline and not end up dead like Dallas, Kane, Parker, Bishop, Newt, and many…many others.

So, grab your ginger cat and get ready to play!

From the Publisher (as printed on Amazon.com description)

This is the official ALIEN tabletop roleplaying game, a universe of body horror and corporate brinkmanship, where synthetic people play God while space truckers and marines serve host to newborn ghoulish creatures. It’s a harsh and unforgiving universe and you are nothing if not expendable. Stay alive if you can.

The ALIEN tabletop roleplaying game is a beautifully illustrated full-color hardcover book of 392 pages, both presenting the world of ALIEN in the year 2183 and a fast and effective ruleset designed specifically to enhance the ALIEN experience. The game supports two distinct game modes: Cinematic play is based on pre-made scenarios that emulate the dramatic arc of an ALIEN film. Designed to be played in a single session, this game mode emphasizes high stakes and fast and brutal play. You are not all expected to survive.

The core rulebook contains one introductory Cinematic scenario, Hope’s Last Day. Campaign play is designed for longer continuous play with the same cast of player characters over many game sessions, letting you explore the ALIEN universe freely, sandbox style. The core rulebook contains random tables and other powerful tools to quickly create star systems, colonies, missions, encounters, and NPCs for your campaign. The rules of the game are based on the acclaimed Year Zero Engine, used in award-winning games such as Tales from the Loop and Mutant: Year Zero, but adapted and further developed to fully support and enhance the core themes of ALIEN: horror and action in the cold darkness of space.

Features We Enjoy in this Rulebook.

• This is simply one of the most gorgeously designed hardcover rule books ever. And it’s massive at 392 pages!
• Amazing illustrations with a haunting feel fit perfectly in this creepy space horror.
• A map! In this book, the first pages are an amazing space map double-page spread!
• An intro by MOTHER. Perfect, right?
• A detailed timeline to help you set the background and understand when and where you and your players are.
• Background on themes and jobs and more. Space is great, but you still gotta eat. 😊
• A brief explanation of what is needed to play helps you jump right in!
• Detailed character breakdowns. Play as a Colonial Marine, Colonial Marshal, Company Agent, Kid, Medic, Officer, Pilot, Roughneck, and/or Scientist.
• One foot in reality. Lots of the rules help define stress and panic. Real-world concerns during combat…especially with Aliens whose blood is basically acid.
• Pictures of the weapons and gear. From our days long ago with the first D&D rulebook we owned, nothing has inspired us to create a character like the illustrations of gear.
• Quotes from the characters bring the book alive. Right, Charles Bishop Weyland?
• Spaceships. You can design one! Nuff said!
• Game Master? Nope–Game Mother!
• Most important point. The rulebook is easy to navigate and clear in its instructions on how to play.

Conclusion

Regardless of whether you are a fan of the Alien film series or not, this is a worthwhile RPG game to learn and play. Get the game bundle. It is worth every cent!

ALIEN: The Role-Playing Game is a faithful adaptation of the Alien film series. So, if you are a fan of one, you will be a fan of the other. The game is diverse and holds tight to its horror themes and foundation. The aliens are ruthless and will rip your characters a new one.

So, don’t get too attached to the first couple of characters you make; the Game Mother will likely exterminate them. But hey, you’ll go out having a good night of gaming with friends, and that is all that matters.

As a wise man once said, “Game over, man! Gamer over!” Hudson – Aliens.