2019 · Science Fiction

Lifeform

Players take roles on a battered commercial mining starship: one player is an almost-invincible alien and the others are crew members trying to load an escape shuttle and get away. The crew searches a labyrinthine vessel for weapons, supplies and parts while managing glitchy handheld sensors and malfunctioning systems. Play uses two distinct card decks (one for the alien, one for the crew) with icon-driven actions rather than dice. The alien moves through vents, attacks, cocoons crewmembers, sabotages wiring and can activate a broken android; crew actions include searching, moving or running, firing flamethrowers, using shock-prods, hiding and sealing doors. A self-destruct mechanic and multiple possible endings resolve whether the crew escapes or the ship is lost.

groupPlayers

2–4 best 4

schedulePlaying time

60 min

cakeAge

10+

psychologyComplexity

3.1 / 5