Alien: The Roleplaying Game
Gamma rays and neutrino bursts erupt from dying stars to cook you alive, black holes tear you apart, and the void itself boils your blood and seizes your brain. Try to scream and no one can hear you – hold your breath and you rupture your lungs. Space isn’t as empty as you’d think, either – its frontiers are ever expanding. Rival governments wage a cold war of aggression while greedy corporations vie for valuable resources. Colonists reach for the stars and gamble with their lives – each new world tamed is either feast or famine. And there are things lurking in the shadows of every asteroid – things strange and different and deadly. Things alien. This is the official ALIEN tabletop roleplaying game – a universe of body horror and corporate brinkmanship, where synthetic people play god while space truckers and marines serve host to newborn ghoulish creatures. It’s a harsh and unforgiving universe and you are nothing if not expendable. Stay alive if you can.
Originally created by Gaska, Tomas Härenstam, Nils Karlén, Kosta Kostulas, Dave Semark, and Matthew Tyler-Jones
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Alien: The Roleplaying Game Reviews (15)
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This game is amazing at its Cinematic published adventures. Have not had the chance at using its sourcebook material, mainly because it has not grabbed my attention as a sandbox gaming system. But the feeling of dread when you roll facehugger on the dice is amazing!
You might be thinking "how fun can it be to get chased and killed by a Xenomorph over and over again?" And that's a fair assumption, but it's an incorrect one. Alien RPG is one of the best games out there. It's an incredible diversion from D&D and there's lots of ways for your 'Game MUTHUR' to bring about your PCs demise. There are also more horrors out there than you think... It's horror survival at its best and don't worry, PC death is built into the framework so you continue to have fun and can lean into your character's final moments. As a player, it's frightening, exciting, and liberating. As a GM, it's hilarious and a joy to run.
My players and I really enjoyed our Alien:RPG game. Character creation is pretty straightforward, gameplay is fast-paced (REALLY fast-paced once the stress levels start to induce panic and the cascades lead to horror and hellfire pretty darned quickly), and the deadliness of the game does a good job of contributing to fun gameplay (as long as you're okay with your character likely getting ripped apart by aliens, gunfire, or a stray lugnut flying through space). My only complaint is that the physical book itself is all over the place, and I found myself having to jump between sections to find information that should have (in my head) been lumped together. Those who like their books in .pdf format and are skilled with search terms have a different experience (SEE one of my players, who could find information almost three times faster than me). AND I don't know if this has been addressed in the second edition of the book, since I don't have that edition. So mileage may vary. Still highly recommended for both players and GMs!
The Alien RPG perfectly captures the sheer terror of deep space and the nightmare of encountering a Xenomorph. The game’s stress mechanic, represented by its striking yellow dice against the standard black, does more than track tension—it tells the story of a character spiraling into panic. Playing Alien RPG feels like stepping into the role of that character frozen in fear, the one who doesn’t run. But instead of frustration, you understand. You accept it. “Yes, it was my time.” The best part of Alien RPG is its two modes: Cinematic and Campaign. Cinematic mode embraces the horror-movie experience—expect to die, and let that inevitability shape how you play. Instead of optimizing for survival, you use the mechanics and dice rolls to create a story that feels like the most intense Alien movie never made. The campaign mode, on the other hand, allows for longer stories of survival, conspiracy, and corporate betrayal in deep space. This game isn’t just about fighting Xenomorphs—it’s about fear, isolation, and the creeping dread of knowing you might not make it out alive.
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Company Agent
You're hungry. Space is full of opportunity, and you've been assigned to the Frontier to find the next big thing. From insider information to new mineral deposits - or even a hitherto unknown life-form to exploit- it's up to you to score a win for the company and use it to catapult yourself up the corporate ladder. You tend not to form long-lasting attachments, instead viewing everybody as a commodity to capitalize on. Worry about others later. Right now it's all about the bottom line.
Kid
You didn't ask for a Frontier life - your parents brought you into this world kicking and screaming. Grown-ups always ask you what you want to be when you grow up, but all you want to do is be a kid. You used to fantasize about being an adult, able to stay up late and eat junk food whenever you want. Thing is, most of the Frontier adults you know are always miserable and tired. There isn't much to do where you live, so you make your own fun. There's time to grow up later. For now, playing hide-and-seek in the ventilation system seems the way to go.
Medic
There are a million-and-one ways to die in space, from exposure to vacuum or unknown contagions to vicious organisms or getting accidentally shot by a drunken roughneck. In all these scenarios, you're the one carrying the bandages and adrenaline shots. When someone suffers trauma, it's the first few minutes that matter most. If someone survives long enough to make it to a medpod, you've done your job. You used to be altruistic about Frontier medicine, but you've seen enough to become jaded. Too many people in the Outer Veil are addicted to painkillers, and most colonies are not up to health and safety regulations. That means more people get hurt. Your work is never done..
Officer
When everything is going to shit - the Company's holding your crew's pay hostage, there's a mountain of reports to file from that last incident near Thedus, and who knows how many family members back home are weighing on everyone's minds-it's a good thing you spent all those years training to do this for a living. You're the authority figure, the role model, the voice of your superiors, and the enlisted crew's advocate. You're also the butt of all of their jokes around the mess hall... until it all gets so much worse, and they're looking to you for what to do next. Better hope your training has a solution to this one.
Colonial Marine
Most of your friends will never see another world… but not you. As soon as you were old enough, you signed up for the USCMC. The pay is crap and the food is worse, but you’ve always got a bunk to sleep in and you get to shoot all sorts of weapons at all sorts of things. Life in the Corps is never dull—but the luster has begun to fade. You’ve seen things that you’ll never be able to forget, and plenty you wish you could.
Colonial Marshal
The Frontier can be a lawless place. The Colonial Marines are spread thin - they have neither the time nor inclination to mete out local justice. Not to worry - there's a new sheriff in town, and that's you. Most law enforcement officers on the Frontier are firmly planted deep in the back pocket of one company or another - but not you. You don't take bribes and you never look the other way. You've made a lot of enemies on both sides of the law, but your colony has the lowest crime rate in the system. It's only a matter of time before you piss off the wrong CEO and corporate sends someone to take care of you, but that's okay. You'll be ready.
Pilot
The stars are the limit, and they are limitless. You aren't content to keep your feet on the ground, and on the Frontier, there's no need to. From starfighters to dropships, freighters to frigates, there's always something that needs flying- and some aerospace-stunt that only you can pull off. You aren't in this for the money, although it doesn't hurt. You're a thrill-seeker and an adrenaline junkie. Danger is the rush you live for, but stay frosty. Otherwise, the next time you find yourself dodging through an asteroid belt or seeing the ground rush up to meet you might be your last.
Roughneck
Someone has to do the manual labor on the Frontier, and that someone is you. Life has dealt you some harsh blows but you've always struck back. You've been in countless barroom brawls, you swear a lot, and belch at the dinner table. In short, people find you uncouth. You really don't care- you've grown past the need for niceties. No one works harder than you. You are up before first dawn and finish your workday long after second twilight. You are the cog that keeps the Frontier chugging. Your hands are calloused and your face is dirty, and the only thing harder than the work you do is the way you party.
Scientist
Every day, new pieces to the puzzle of existence are found on the Frontier. Figuring out what makes them fit together could leap humanity over nature's next hurdle, and you are one thesis away from the respect you deserve. Some find you cold and detached; they don't understand that your passion is knowledge. Whether your field is xenobiology, astrophysics, robotics, or even archaeology, there are countless treasures in space, just waiting for someone to trip over the next asteroid and run right into them. Whether or not that's you, you're still the one who understands them better than anyone.