# Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game

Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game is a board game for 1–5 players. It plays in 30–60 minutes and is meant for ages 17 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 3. It is rated 7.1 out of 10 by 75 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $77.54 (United States).

- **Players:** 1–5 (best with 3)
- **Playing time:** 30–60 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 17+
- **Complexity:** 2.7 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2014
- **Categories:** Fighting, Card Game, Science Fiction, Movies / TV / Radio theme, Horror
- **Mechanics:** Solo / Solitaire Game, Cooperative Game, Traitor Game, Hidden Roles, Delayed Purchase, Open Drafting, Team-Based Game, Variable Player Powers, Events, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Player Elimination
- **Ludoya rating:** 7.1 out of 10, from 75 reviews
- **Owned by:** 106 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 586
- **Unique players:** 228

**Designers:** Ben Cichoski, Daniel Mandel

**Artists:** (Uncredited)

**Publishers:** Upper Deck Entertainment

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alphaspel | 729 kr | https://alphaspel.se/491-bradspel/40800-legendary-encounters-an-alien-deck-building-game |

## Expansions

- [Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game Expansion](https://www.ludoya.com/games/legendary-encounters-an-alien-deck-building-game-expansion)
- [Legendary Encounters: Alien Covenant](https://www.ludoya.com/games/legendary-encounters-alien-covenant)
- [Legendary Encounters: Alien Conversion Kit](https://www.ludoya.com/games/legendary-encounters-alien-conversion-kit)

## Similar games

- [Legendary Encounters: The Matrix](https://www.ludoya.com/games/legendary-encounters-the-matrix)
- [Legendary Encounters: A Predator Deck Building Game](https://www.ludoya.com/games/legendary-encounters-a-predator-deck-building-game)
- [Aeon's End: The Descent](https://www.ludoya.com/games/aeons-end-the-descent)
- [Astro Knights: Eternity](https://www.ludoya.com/games/astro-knights-eternity)
- [Nemesis: Retaliation](https://www.ludoya.com/games/nemesis-retaliation)
- [Invincible: The Card Game](https://www.ludoya.com/games/invincible-the-card-game)
- [Shards of Infinity: Saga Collection](https://www.ludoya.com/games/shards-of-infinity-saga-collection)
- [Astro Knights](https://www.ludoya.com/games/astro-knights)
- [Aeon's End](https://www.ludoya.com/games/aeons-end)
- [XenoShyft: Dreadmire](https://www.ludoya.com/games/xenoshyft-dreadmire)
- [Legendary Encounters: The X-Files Deck Building Game](https://www.ludoya.com/games/legendary-encounters-the-x-files-deck-building-game)
- [Clank! In! Space!: A Deck-Building Adventure](https://www.ludoya.com/games/clank-in-space-a-deck-building-adventure)

## Rules questions

### When do hidden Hive cards get revealed — do I flip them when I draw them or only when scanned/entering the Combat Zone?

Hive cards are added face‑down to the Complex during the Hive Phase and are turned face up only when their room is scanned or when a face‑down card is pushed into the Combat Zone, at which point any “Reveal” abilities trigger (pages 8, 11).

### How does pushing through the Complex work — can a card be shoved out into the Combat Zone?

Each Complex room holds one card, so when a new card enters it pushes existing cards one space toward the Airlock; if a card is pushed off the Airlock it leaves the Complex and enters the Combat Zone and is turned face up (page 8).

### When do enemies strike, and how do strikes and strike damage work?

During the Strike Phase at the end of each player's turn, enemies in the Combat Zone strike from oldest to newest; each strike makes you draw a Strike card and any damage from strikes is placed next to your avatar — if your accumulated strike damage is greater than or equal to your avatar’s health you die (page 12).

### When should I reshuffle my discard pile into my deck?

Only shuffle your discard pile into a new deck when your deck is completely empty and you still need to draw or reveal more cards; do not reshuffle preemptively (page 12).

### How do Facehuggers and Chestbursters work — who gets impregnated and when do you die?

A revealed Facehugger is placed in front of the current player and that player (then the next player) has the opportunity to kill it; if it isn't killed it impregnates the original player (Facehugger goes to Dead Enemies and that player gains a Chestburster in their discard), and when a Chestburster is drawn it immediately kills that player (pages 14–15).

### Do Vigilant characters still trigger Class/Crew abilities on later turns?

Vigilant characters stay in play between turns but only trigger Class or Crew abilities on the turn they were played; on later turns while they remain in play they do not help trigger those abilities (page 14).

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/legendary-encounters-an-alien-deck-building-game)
- [Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/legendary-encounters-an-alien-deck-building-game)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/146652)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-19. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._