Looking for some outerspace action? the galaxy is crawling with Aliens but if that's what you want, then this is the list for you.
If you’re looking for an adventure to the great unknown, or maybe just up for fighting some monsters not from this planet, then you can’t go wrong with Alien themed board games. These board games go above and beyond what the theme has to offer. Get ready for an adventure beyond the earth’s surface and capabilities.
When it comes to alien themed board games there’s a vast array of titles that we can throw in here (as vast as the space maybe?). Here’s a list of 10 alien themed board games that we got to enjoy over the years that you might be interested in trying out yourself. (Star Wars is a given but we didn’t include it here to give other board games with aliens a chance.)
10. Desolate
You are on a rescue mission to investigate Station 4 on the moon due to unusual silence from the members in that station. Your ship suddenly loses control once you are near the station. With almost no way to reach home you decide to venture inside Station 4. You find out that aliens have overrun the station and there is no sign of your comrades. With your ship destroyed your only hope to go home is through the escape pods found deep within the station. You must find enough powercells in order to power the escape hatch and get out of there.
What’s fun about Desolate:
- A solo game, well you can add players if you buy the booster and expansion, but the game is great solo.
- Quickplay, Easy and fast to play, if you’re waiting for something with 15-30 mins to spare this game would be great to pull out.
- Art, sure it’s only in grayscale but you get this retro horror vibe from it.
9. Alien Entity
Alien Entity Box
You are a group of stranded planetary researchers just trying to survive and get out of hostilities. One of your members has been infected by an alien and will now sabotage and infect all the other researchers. You have to contact mission control before this infection gets out of control. All of the players are passed cards which will determine your role in the ship (as a human or alien). The humans win if the satellite array is built before the alien manages to infect all the other members of your ship.
What’s fun about Alien Entity:
- Mafia Game, seems to be all the rage now so Alien Entity kind of fits, only with an alien theme and the ability for players to come over to your side…. Well, you don’t get to expose the alien though.
- Party Game, Easy game that you can bring to a get-together. I also count it as an ice-breaker game.
- Played with as many rounds as you want, Quick game to be played in multiple rounds… you can keep playing till you get bored.
8. Cosmic Encounter
Okay, instead of fighting off aliens as humans, why not be the aliens instead? Welcome to the Cosmic Age, the alien species is growing rapidly and it is now a race to colonize more planets to dominate the galaxy. There are so many species of aliens and you get to choose 1 of these races to play as. Each race has their own unique sets of abilities that will help you achieve your goal however you see fit to dominate the universe.
What’s fun about Cosmic Encounter:
- Simple enough, it’s a war game but a tone easier, the basics are simple enough to get.
- Replayability, there are so many species and abilities to choose from, while the game is simple to learn it takes a while to master due to all the options you have as the aliens.
- Difficulty rating, the aliens come in colors! The colors show how easy or hard it is to use a certain character. So, if you’re new, use the green aliens till you get the hang of the game.
7. Thanos Rising: Avengers Infinity War
Given that there are alien members in the popular movie franchise, we decided to put this in the list as well. In this game your goal is to ultimately put a stop to Thanos who is on a quest to collect six infinity stones to power his Infinity Gauntlet. The game is a dice and card game where all of you control a team of heroes with the common goal of beating Thanos. You’ll lose if 10+ heroes are defeated or if one team is completely depleted by the end of the turn. Another lose condition is if Thanos manages to gather all six Infinity Stones.
What’s fun about Thanos Rising: Avengers Infinity War:
- Team of heroes, you can make your dream team of heroes, well at least the ones available in the game.
- Critical thinking, from building your team, choosing a sector and fighting other villains.
- Easy to learn, something you can bring over to game night and get to playing right away.
6. Galaxy Trucker
Galaxy Trucker Box
Let’s have something less serious and family friendly in this list. Just like earth, the galaxy also needs a sewer system. Corporation Incorporated is in charge of building and maintaining these sewer systems and now you—yes! You! get to join their ranks. You are now a Galaxy Trucker. Your job is to build a strong enough ship that can withstand the harshness of space and deliver valuable cargo across the galaxy all in record time. While the task sounds easy enough, there are Space pirates, stray meteors and other hazards you need to deal with along the way. Let’s not forget that other Galaxy Truckers tend to be competitive.
What’s fun about Galaxy Trucker:
- Build the ship, all players go through a common warehouse where they look for parts of their would-be ship. You end up with different ships every game.
- Competitive, for some reason the game forces everyone to be really invested with everyone’s actions and their own.
- Watching your ship chip off, you will not get out of this game unscratched.
5. Space Alert
Let’s face it, in reality, time isn’t something we have a lot of during a crisis and usually in board games, time is slower—sometimes all players take a long time making their move while in-game time-- only a minute or so has passed. Well, you don’t get the luxury of time in Space Alert. The game is a co-op team survival game where you have to keep your ship safe for ten minutes. During play, a central computer (app) will announce the presence of threats and will play a 10-minute soundtrack (this acts as your timer). You (and your crewmates if you play with other people) will have to decide how to act to fend off threats (aliens being one of those threats).
What’s fun about Space Alert:
- Quick Game, you have ten minutes.
- Stress/ Pressure, It forces you to think of quick and decisive moves to solve the upcoming threats, I think board games that allow their players to think more are great.
- Chaotic, it’s part of the fun, especially if all of you are active team players but with varying opinions on what to do.
4. Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space (Ultimate Edition)
Things seem to look dim as the research ship you are on-board on is dealing with system failures. The malfunctioning of the ship seems to be the least of your worries as an unknown lifeform has entered and is picking your companions off one by one and turning them into horrendous monsters. Will you and your remaining crew members be able to survive? The game is a card game where the players are either human or aliens. Players need to cleverly bluff their way to victory by revealing bits and pieces about their location. As a human you win the game if you manage to reach the Escape Hatch, meanwhile the Aliens win if they manage to hunt all the humans down.
What’s fun about Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space:
- Engaging, you don’t know your enemies and allies, it’s dark, every sound and clue is important.
- Ultimate Edition, everything from the base game to the other editions is already included.
- Aliens can be their own enemies, you know how mafia games go where the bad guys know their fellow bad guys? Over here the aliens could eat their own.
3. Clank in Space
Clank! in Space Box
Instead of finding yourself up against a dragon like the previous game of Clank!, we are now cautiously making our way through a giant spaceship filled with loot owned by the evil Lord Eradikus. Your goal is to take the loot and escape through the emergency escape pods in the ship. To do that you need to have access to the ship’s command module. Build your deck to help you go through the ship without making a – Clank!
What’s fun about Clank! In Space:
- Stand alone, no need to play the previous game, if you prefer the whole alien space theme more than fantasy themed game but with a deck building mechanic, then this is the game.
- Artwork, we get aliens, android and a bunch of stuff you expect in the future from this game, some still keep the medieval design… only with a futuristic touch to it.
- Replayability, sort of feels like a party game that you can keep playing.
2. Twilight Imperium
We’re all fighting for galactic dominance. While military might is one way to show superiority, other components such as political maneuvering and economic bargaining must be looked at in order for you to strengthen your forces. Which faction will be the strongest in the galaxy? There can only be one. The game allows 3-6 players to take command of one of seventeen available factions, each faction has their own strengths that you can use to get the upper hand in this intergalactic battle. Keep note of your objectives, and make sure you work towards them instead of focusing on military prowess (unless winning via might is one of the objectives).
What’s fun about Twilight Imperium:
- Time flies by, you won’t notice, even with a lot of players the hours can be passing and you guys would still be heavily invested.
- Winning Objectives, it’s not always about winning via combat, the objective system keeps people on their toes on what they have to complete first.
- Replayability, there are 17 races to look at, you can try them all out every game.
1. Nemesis: Lockdown
Minis of Nemesis: Lockdown
Well, this list wouldn’t be complete without the mention of the Alien franchise. You and your crew find yourself on a secret Martian base overrun by another alien threat. Each player has their own objectives they need to fulfill in the seemingly abandoned lab. However, the mission is made difficult due to the alien infestation where you have to either evade the aliens or destroy them.
What’s fun about Nemesis: Lockdown:
- Stand alone, it’s fine if you missed the first game, you don’t need any previous knowledge from the core game since this is an entirely new setting.
- Objective to turn on the other, not all the humans are allies, all of you have different objectives and some of you might get in the way of your own goals.
- Area fun, You can use the labs features to your advantage and to travel to other parts of the map.
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