Based in the Year 0 Engine also known from Tales from the Loop and Forbidden Lands (both of which I have played – see upcoming posts) this one was a pleasure to play. The system is simple to use, and I like how it focuses on having the players doing most of the die rolls, and how they (as I mentioned with AGE system in our The Expanse game) can buy extra effects and manipulate the degree and type of success by spending points gained from successful rolls.
The ALIEN game really hits the mood of Alien and Aliens, and though it also incorporates the mythology from Prometheus and Alien: Covenant (which I find mediocre at best), it has the right vibe from the two classic movies. One of the strengths of the game is that it incorporates one-shot scenario style (which is very much the Danish way of creating roleplaying games) called Cinematic Style, which allows the game to be deadly and have the characters betray each other, as it is all contained within a few hours of play, rather than campaign style with session after session.
The rules system emphasizes panic and the deadliness of the monsters in interesting ways, as panic removes agency from the players, and the monsters act independently of the GM, and the they have created the monsters suitably lethal as the setting requires, and we had some lovely bloody deaths and some very intense play.
I want to play more.
Roles, Dice and Fun 