A crew journeying through space discovers a derelict ship and on board is something no one has ever seen and lived to tell about. If this plot sounds familiar, that's because it is. Free League's Alien the Roleplaying Gamewhich won the 2020 Gold ENnie for Best Game, brings the classic horror film to the tabletop.

So far, Free League has released two cinematic scenarios for the game, which respectively mimic the flavor of the first two films, but also tell unique stories that will surprise and satisfy franchise fans. Alien the Roleplaying Game expands the lore of the Alien universe with immersive scenarios and simple mechanics that nail the dark, sci-fi horror fans crave.

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A xenomorph in all her glory.

Players can get started with Alien the RPG in two ways: The Starter Set or the second scenario, Destroyer of Worlds (which requires the additional Core Rulebook). Both scenarios are written by Andrew E.C. Gaska, who has consulted for Rockstar Games titles like Grand Theft Auto III-V and Red Dead Redemption.

Gaska's writing harkens back to the oldest Alien films (Alien and Aliens) while also expanding on the lore developed in the franchise's newer offerings, like Prometheus. In the starter set, players investigate a ship that has been infested by aliens. Destroyer of Worlds, on the other hand, is designed like a space marine dungeon crawl. The core rules also supply mechanics for creating a campaign, rather than the one-shot-style scenarios, for players who want epic exploration.

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Campaigns and scenarios both run on a souped-up and horrified version of Tomas Härenstam's Year Zero Game Engine, which has been adapted for games like Tales from the Loop and Vaesen, among others. True to form, the rulebook for Alien is fairly slim, at just over 100 pages. Most of the rules deal with precisely the types of situations horror requires: Stress, combat and injury, the menace of the unseen and, of course, the dangers of space itself.  To amp up the mystery of the unknown, the game features a Stealth Mode mechanic for exploring the dark and mysterious settings. Half the fun of Alien stories, after all, is knowing that something lurks just out of sight.

Scenarios also come equipped with thick, heavy duty maps of the ship interiors, decks of cards for various narrative mechanics and pregenerated characters. Free League has even released a full version for Roll20 for those who are still playing strictly online these days. Besides the aliens themselves, however, many fans know and love the interpersonal drama between characters, and the ever-present "synthetic" on board. In the scenarios, a player will secretly take on the role of a synthetic, which adds a layer of social deduction and intrigue. Meanwhile, players each have a Personal Agenda that could arise and jeopardize the mission, or create additional complications for the characters.

Lest anyone forget, the story is set in space. Hostile conditions threaten the players as much as the aliens or each other, making for a game that is both terrifying and deadly. To be clear, this is a game where characters will die, just like any horror film, but for anyone who has ever wanted to star in their own, Alien the RPG delivers a way to create an unforgettable Alien story.

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