- BGG rank
- BGG #16,585
- BGG rating
- 6.0
Air Cav
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 1985
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- BGG rank
- BGG #17,787
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Bug-Eyed Monsters
1983
Rules assistance for Bug-Eyed Monsters
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 2 players
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Rules assistant for Bug-Eyed Monsters
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Bug-Eyed Monsters is a board game released in 1983 for 2 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Greg Costikyan and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
"They want our women!" reads the box cover. Based on the science fiction movies of the 1950s, especially They Came From Outer Space, the cover also shows three well-developed women in pedal-pushers, pumps, and low-cut blouses caught in the clutches of tentacled creatures with large eyes and crunching mouth parts. Two scenarios from 1951 are included. In one, the Bug-Eyed Monsters land in Freedom, New Hampshire to capture women, who have Pulchritude ratings from 1 to 6, and to knock out the men. Combat is resolved using ratings such as strength, weapons, and aiming ability. The human (and family dog) counters feature different abilities such as alerting others. In the second scenario, the aliens attempt to kidnap President-elect Eisenhower. Components: 23"x17" color map, die-cut counters, 8-page rulebook and two six-sided dice in a box. Reviewed by Matthew Costello in Space Gamer no. 68.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- West End Games
- Kokusai-Tsushin Co., Ltd. (国際通信社)
Questions and answers
Bug-Eyed Monsters 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 Bug-Eyed Monsters is 90 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 Bug-Eyed Monsters for ages 12 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.
Bug-Eyed Monsters has a complexity rating of 2.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Bug-Eyed Monsters belongs to these categories: Wargame and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. 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 Bug-Eyed Monsters are: Greg Costikyan. 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 Bug-Eyed Monsters 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.