ALIEN: Operation Leading Edge | A Cold Day in Hell

Image by Martin Grip, Eren Arık, Jarek Kubicki, John R. Mullaney, Team Comfort & Adam, Gustaf Ekelund, Johan Nohr

ALIEN: Operation Leading Edge | A Cold Day in Hell

A frozen moon. A routine Marine deployment. Secure the Company's claim and get home alive. The briefing didn't mention what waits in the dark.

TYPE

Campaign

LANGUAGE

English

EXPERIENCE

Beginner

AGE

18+
3 NEEDED TO START
$10.00

/ Session

Details

Weekly / Wednesday - 9:30 AM UTC

Session Duration / 2–4 hours

Campaign Length / 3–5 Sessions

0 / 5 Seats Filled

Report Adventure

Money Back Guarantee

StartPlaying Money Back Guarantee

If your game doesn't happen, we guarantee a refund. Just reach out to StartPlaying Support. Refund Policy

This game will begin once 3 players have joined
About the adventure

The Company found something valuable. The Marines are there to make sure it stays theirs. The year is 2169. Long-range scans have detected a major promethium deposit beneath the frozen surface of Jeremiah VI. Weyland-Yutani sees decades of profit. The United Americas sees a strategic asset. A rival power sees an opportunity. You see another deployment. Aboard the USS Conrad, a squad of Colonial Marines and their Company representative are waking from hypersleep. Your assignment sounds straightforward: land on the moon, secure the claim, and prevent the Union of Progressive Peoples from establishing a foothold. ALIEN_Evolved_Edition_Operation… Command expects little resistance. Nobody expects you to ask too many questions. But Jeremiah VI is a world of bitter cold, toxic air and near-perpetual shadow. Out here, a working rebreather matters more than a corporate promise, and the person watching your back matters more than the flag on their uniform. Some things on this moon were never part of the briefing. Operation Leading Edge is a cinematic military science-fiction horror adventure using ALIEN RPG Evolved Edition. Expect squad camaraderie, tense exploration, sudden violence and difficult decisions under pressure. You have the training and weapons to fight back, but firepower is not a guarantee of survival. You'll play one of five pre-generated characters: four Colonial Marines and one Company Agent. Each has their own relationships, priorities and private agendas. Working together might keep you alive. Agreeing on what matters could be the harder part. ALIEN_Evolved_Edition_Operation… This is a short, three-act adventure expected to run over approximately three sessions, rather than an open-ended campaign. Your choices matter, the danger is real for your characters, and a heroic last stand can be just as memorable as a successful escape. ALIEN_Evolved_Edition_Operation… New players are welcome. I'll explain the rules as we go and help you get comfortable with your character. No previous ALIEN RPG experience is needed. We'll play through Foundry VTT, with atmospheric maps, handouts and sound, using Discord for voice. Bring a microphone, a reliable internet connection and a willingness to share the spotlight. The Company wants its claim. Your squad wants to make it home. What's your priority?

Game style

Hexcrawl / Exploration

Roleplay Heavy

Rule of Cool (RoC)

Theater of the Mind

Game themes

Meet the Game Master
Streamer
LGBTQ+
Parent

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Sets the Mood, Storytelling, Visual Aid

Average response time: Under 1 hour

Response rate: 100%

About me

Hi, I’m Dave—a UK-based GM, player, and enthusiastic explorer of everything tabletop roleplaying has to offer. I have a particular soft spot for horror, science fiction, and dark fantasy, with games such as ALIEN, Blade Runner, Symbaroum, and Forbidden Lands regularly finding their way onto my table. That said, I’m just as happy heading into a D&D adventure! What keeps me coming back is the shared experience: getting invested in a character, facing a difficult choice, and watching a group come up with a plan that nobody—usually including me—saw coming. When I’m not running or playing games, I’m often writing adventures, creating TTRPG content, or developing tools for Foundry VTT. I enjoy finding ways to bring a setting to life, whether that’s through atmospheric sound, interesting characters, or an ominous message appearing on a ship’s computer. But underneath all that, I’m here for the same reason you are: to enjoy a good game with good people. I aim for a welcoming, respectful table where newcomers can ask questions, experienced players can try something different, and everyone gets to contribute. The characters might be having a terrible evening—especially in my horror games—but the players should be having a great one.

View Profile →
Character creation

Creating your character

Pre-Gens are available for this Cinematic Adventure. Players are welcome to customise them and personalise them

What to expect

Preparing for the session

You will need good internet access, a mic and webcam

What Daves RPGs brings to the table

I (try) to do voices for the NPC's and try as much as I can to bring the world to life in Foundry VTT adding effects, atmosphere and music I tend to steer with the Rule of Cool, so if there is a decision to be made I do discuss with the players first

Equipment needed to play

Internet

Computer

Microphone

Webcam

Safety

How Daves RPGs creates a safe table

The horror belongs in the story, not between the people playing it. My aim is a tense, cinematic experience at a welcoming, respectful table. Content warnings: military violence, firearms and explosions; blood, gore, serious injury and dismemberment; character death, corpses, executions and hanging bodies; claustrophobia, isolation and hazardous environments; parasitic infection, forced implantation, reproductive body horror and loss of bodily autonomy; psychological distress, betrayal, self-sacrifice and mercy-killing themes; strong language and possible alcohol or drug use. These warnings describe possible themes, not specific plot events. Descriptive intensity will be agreed with the group rather than assumed. Before the adventure, we'll have a short session-zero discussion covering tone, expectations, character conflict, and Lines and Veils. Lines are content we exclude; Veils are content we keep off-screen or describe without detail. You can share boundaries privately, without explaining why, and update them at any time. If a core horror theme conflicts with a hard boundary, we'll discuss that before play rather than pressure anyone to accept it. During play, use X to stop and remove or change uncomfortable content, N to signal that we should ease back, and O to confirm you're comfortable continuing. Saying “pause” or sending me a private message works too. We'll stop, check what needs changing, and rewind, soften or skip the scene. No explanation is required, and using a safety tool will never penalise your character. An Open Door policy applies throughout: you can take a break or step away whenever needed. We'll also have a planned break and brief check-ins, particularly after intense scenes. Private agendas can create distrust and character conflict. Direct player-versus-player conflict requires explicit table consent. Secret objectives never override our boundaries or excuse bullying, and in-character hostility must not become personal hostility. I will not introduce sexual assault scenes, graphic torture or real-world hate speech. ALIEN-style reproductive body horror is a separately disclosed theme that we will discuss before play. Harassment, discrimination and personal attacks are not tolerated. We'll finish each session with a short debrief to come out of character, check how everyone is feeling, and discuss anything that should change. Private feedback is welcome. Your character may be in danger. You should still feel heard and respected.

Content warnings

Body Horror
Violence
Extreme Violence
Blood

Safety tools used

Frequently asked questions