“In space, no one can hear you scream.” This chilling tagline introduced audiences to one of cinema’s most iconic and terrifying creatures: Alien. The creature’s design, its horrific introduction, and its sheer presence have instilled fear in generations. Following numerous games, books, films, and short films, the question arises: How would you react if confronted with Ridley Scott’s infamous Xenomorph in a dark corridor? Would you flee? Succumb to panic? Or freeze, paralyzed by fear, awaiting a grim fate?
Now, you can experience that terror firsthand with Fria Ligan’s official Alien: The Roleplaying Game. This game immerses you and your fellow players in a world rife with corporate intrigue, synthetic humans, secret agents with hidden agendas, and, most importantly, Xenomorphs. Fria Ligan has faithfully captured the essence of the Alien universe. The rulebook provides a detailed overview of the various governments and federations, as well as the ruthless corporations that exploit planets for profit – a solid foundation for understanding the setting’s inherent darkness.
Character creation is streamlined and intuitive. As with many role-playing games, the system offers distinct character classes, each with core competencies that provide advantages in their respective fields. Players can choose from pilots, Roughnecks, corporate agents, and more. Distributing points among the four core attributes – Strength, Speed, Empathy, and Intellect – allows for character customization. Crucially, each character possesses a personal agenda, a motivating factor that drives their actions. These agendas range from simple greed (“I’m going to make a killing on this gig“) to complex subterfuge (“I secretly work for another corporation; my colleagues are expendable and irrelevant to the mission“). These driving forces introduce intrigue and suspense: Who can you trust? Is someone concealing their true identity? Is a member of the crew secretly a synthetic?
The game offers two primary modes of play. Cinematic play provides a faster, more focused experience, designed to be completed in a single session. Players can use pre-generated characters or create their own. The Alien The Roleplaying Game Starter Set includes a Cinematic scenario, Chariot of the Gods, in which a crew, reminiscent of the Nostromo’s, is thrust into a horrific situation when they investigate the derelict vessel USCSS Chronos, adrift in space for over 70 years. This starter set serves as an excellent introduction to the game system, which utilizes D6 dice pools (the system is called Year Zero), and the mechanics of the world, where a series of events propels the crew towards an unknown destiny. The starter set also introduces the crucial game mechanic of STRESS. Characters are constantly exposed to stressful situations, leading to increased stress levels. While stress dice can improve rolls, failures on these dice can have severe consequences – a compelling risk/reward mechanic. The question becomes: Is the risk of increased stress worth re-rolling an important check? How much pressure can you withstand?
The alternative is Campaign play, designed for extended, ongoing stories. This mode offers Game Masters greater flexibility and complexity, encouraging them to create expansive campaigns exploring various locations, from space stations to colonies. Campaign play includes rules for ship combat, vehicle operation, and a wider variety of Xenomorph variants. Game Masters can also utilize random event tables to introduce unexpected challenges and opportunities – a welcome and well-implemented feature.
My gaming group played through Chariot of the Gods, and we found the scenario to be a compelling introduction to the system. However, the rulebook would benefit from an index of slow and fast maneuvers, as well as streamlined tables to aid the Game Master. Despite this minor complication, Fria Ligan has largely succeeded in creating a compelling game. The rules are clear, easy to learn, and quick to implement, making it a highly recommended experience for those seeking to explore the Alien universe through role-playing.
Fria Ligan has also released several campaign supplements for Cinematic play, including Destroyer of Worlds, Heart of Darkness, and Building Better Worlds. I am eager to delve into these expansions. Expect powerful, atmospheric, and intense gameplay.
Fria Ligan provided review copies for this assessment. Provision of review materials does not influence editorial objectivity.
