# Alien: The Roleplaying Game Tags: #game/rpg/alien-the-rpg ![[Alien - The Roleplaying Game (cover).jpg]] ![[Alien - The Roleplaying Game - Evolved Edition (cover).jpg]] Ah, _Alien: The Roleplaying Game_. A delightful simulation of how quickly biological life expires in a vacuum—or slightly faster when punctured by double-jawed abominations. Published by Free League, this game does not care for your heroic fantasies. It is a universe where space truckers, colonial marines, and corporate hacks are ground into paste by the indifferent gears of capitalism, only to be finished off by the "perfect organism." You do not play heroes; you play victims in waiting. The game offers two modes: **Cinematic Play**, which essentially emulates a movie where most of you are expected to die horribly by the third act (my personal favorite), and **Campaign Play**, a longer, agonizing struggle to survive while drifting through the uncaring void. It captures the retro-future, cassette-futurism aesthetic of the films perfectly—clunky motion trackers, flickering CRTs, and the pervasive sense that your employer values your cargo more than your pulse. ## Core Die Resolution Mechanics The mechanics are built on the **Year Zero Engine**, modified to ensure maximum anxiety. It uses a dice pool system involving six-sided dice (d6). - **The Roll:** When you attempt a risky action, you add your **Attribute** score to your **Skill** level and roll that many Base Dice. You need at least one **6** (a success) to accomplish your task. Extra 6s can be spent on "stunts" to look impressive before you inevitably perish. - **Pushing the Roll:** If you fail (roll no 6s), you may **Push** the roll. This allows you to reroll all dice that aren't 6s or 1s. However, this desperation comes at a cost: you gain **Stress**. - **Stress Dice:** This is the game's cruelest innovation. For every point of Stress you have, you add a special **Stress Die** (usually a different color) to your pool. Rolling a **6** on a Stress Die is a success (adrenaline helps!), but rolling a **1** (a Facehugger symbol) triggers a **Panic Roll**. - **Panic:** When you roll a 1 on a Stress Die, you roll a d6 and add your current Stress level. You then consult the Panic Table. Results range from mild trembling (imposing penalties) to dropping your weapon, screaming uncontrollably, or entering a catatonic state. Panic is infectious; if you scream, your allies gain Stress, creating a beautiful cascade of incompetence. ## Editions and Changes The game currently exists in two primary iterations: the original _Core Rulebook_ (2019) and the recently released _Evolved Edition_ (2025). While the core remains the same, the _Evolved Edition_ smooths out the rougher edges of mortality. - **Armor Mechanics:** - _Original:_ Armor was an active dice roll. You rolled dice equal to your Armor Rating; successes reduced damage. It was unpredictable, much like the quality of Weyland-Yutani equipment. - _Evolved:_ Armor is now a flat Damage Reduction value. It is faster, more reliable, and requires less math while bleeding. - **Stress and Panic:** - _Original:_ Panic could spiral comically fast. A space trucker might have a mental breakdown because they failed to fix a coffee machine. - _Evolved:_ The "Panic Spiral" has been dampened. You generally only roll for Panic when actively threatened by horrors or taking damage, rather than every time you fumble a wrench. - **Ammo and Supplies:** - _Original:_ You tracked ammo via the Panic roll. If you panicked while firing, your gun went dry. Simple, but punishing. - _Evolved:_ Introduces a "Supply Dial" mechanic (similar to _Twilight: 2000_). You step down a die size or lower a counter to track resources, allowing for more granular attrition rather than sudden, empty-magazine death. - **Action Economy:** - _Original:_ Slow and Fast actions. - _Evolved:_ Renamed to Full and Quick actions, with clearer rules on what constitutes which. It clarifies the chaotic fumbling of combat. - **Stealth:** - _Original:_ A complex affair of passive vs. active observation modifiers. - _Evolved:_ Streamlined into opposed rolls, making it easier to determine exactly when the Xenomorph hears you breathing. ## References - [Official Game Page and Webstore - Free League Publishing](https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/alien/ "null") - [Review of the Starter Set - There Will Be Games](https://therewillbe.games/articles-boardgame-reviews/8240-free-league-s-alien-starter-set-rpg-starter-set-review "null") - [Review of Building Better Worlds - Gnome Stew](https://gnomestew.com/alien-the-roleplaying-game-building-better-worlds-review/ "null") - [Detailed Review and Mechanic Breakdown - Plane Sailing Games](https://planesailinggames.com/review/2024-05-04-review-alien-rpg/ "null") - [Digital PDF Purchase Page - DriveThruRPG](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/11437/Free-League-Publishing/category/34036/ALIEN-RPG? "null") > [!info] Commentary > If you're into the themes but the heft of these books in price or size is a little much, check out *[[Those Dark Places]]* and *[[Those Dark Places|Pressure]]* for something lighter on your wallet and a bit less physically intimidating.