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The Thing
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- BGG rating
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Aliens: This Time It's War
2010
Rules assistance for Aliens: This Time It's War
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 45 min
- 18+
- Complexity 1.8/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Aliens: This Time It's War
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Aliens: This Time It's War is a board game released in 2010 for 2 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 18 and up. It was designed by Mark Chaplin and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Card Play Conflict Resolution.
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About the game
The Company has colonised the planet LV-426. Contact with the "Shake and bake" colony is lost. The Company sends a team of Colonial Marines, with Ripley as "Advisor", to find out what has happened at Hadley's Hope. Aliens: This Time it's War is an unauthorised, non-profit and non-collectable card game set within the boundaries of the hugely influential 1986 sci-fi film, Aliens. Consisting of two balanced 60-card decks, the game pits two players against each other in a life or death struggle. One player takes the role of the Colonial Marines, and his opponent assumes control of the hordes of deadly xenomorphs. At their disposal, the Colonial Marines - very tough hombres - have a roster of high-tech, state-of-the-art weaponry. The Alien player's objective is to eliminate all the Marines, before they escape the planet and "Nuke the entire site from orbit." The game has an asymmetrical design, with both decks featuring different cards and abilities. Aliens: This Time it's War is played using a 5-column system, representing consecutive melees. Gameplay is quick and bloodthirsty with Marines butchered frequently, and aliens destroyed by the well-placed use of cards. Numerous tricky decisions must be made throughout. For instance, the Colonial Marine player could choose to deploy the Powerloader during the Reactor Chamber battle, but the resources that this would require make it a very risky, but rewarding, play. Similarly, the Alien player can deploy the Alien Queen at any time during the conflict - she's free to play aboard the Sulaco, but hugely expensive if used during the APC Withdrawal, for instance. Primarily a combat-driven card game, each player must manage his deck of cards effectively to win. In addition to simple, unique abilities, each card also has two values: power and cost. No icons are used. Aliens: This Time it's War can trace its parentage back to San Juan, Magic: The Gathering, Battle Line, BattleTech TCG, and Iliad. Victory Conditions: The Colonial Marine player wins if she manages to "Nuke the entire site from orbit". The Colonial Marine player wins if she reaches and survives the Sulaco Loading Bay battle. The Alien player wins if Ripley and all the Colonial Marines are either killed or cocooned.
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
Questions and answers
Aliens: This Time It's War supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Aliens: This Time It's War is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Aliens: This Time It's War for ages 18 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Aliens: This Time It's War has a complexity rating of 1.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Aliens: This Time It's War belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fighting, and Movies / TV / Radio theme. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Card Play Conflict Resolution. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Aliens: This Time It's War are: Mark Chaplin. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Aliens: This Time It's War as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.