- BGG rating
- 7.2
The Things
- 5–6 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,392
- BGG rating
- 6.9
The Thing
2010
Rules assistance for The Thing
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 18+
- Complexity 2.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Thing
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Thing is a board game released in 2010 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 18 and up. It was designed by Mark Chaplin and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Secret Unit Deployment.
Expansions
The Thing: Man Is the Warmest Place To Hide
- 2–6 players
- 45 min
- 2017
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,323
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Aliens: This Time It's War
- 2 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,530
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Lifeform
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #127
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game
- 3–6 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,989
- BGG rating
- 7.6
The Twelve Doctors: Doctor Who Card Game
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,938
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Invaders
- 2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #435
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Dead of Winter: The Long Night
- 2–5 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,297
- BGG rating
- 7.2
The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31
- 4–8 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,584
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Vampire: The Masquerade – Chapters
- 1–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,086
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Revolver 2: Last Stand at Malpaso
- 2 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,707
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Dark Moon
- 3–7 players
- 60–75 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,104
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Nights of Fire: Battle for Budapest
- 1–3 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #985
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Not Alone
- 2–7 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2016
About the game
The Thing is an unauthorised non-collectable, non-profit game based on the 1982 horror movie masterpiece "John Carpenter's The Thing", and simulates the paranoid members of an American Antarctic research facility (Outpost 31) being overrun by - or conquering - a parasitic alien organism capable of perfectly imitating its victims. One player begins as the Thing - all the other players start as human. The game is primarily played out using six asymmetrical card decks - three decks for each side (each deck corresponds to a different section of the narrative). Managing your hand of cards, and when to use each deck, is key to winning the game. The twelve members of the Outpost 31 team cards are positioned between the players, with each human player taking one character. The team then have to overcome various encounters, while trying to stay alive, in an effort to stop the Thing. Encounters are directly taken from film events, and are sorted into three separate acts - the second and third acts are shuffled, and then all three acts are placed together, forming one narrative (in this way, each game is a little different). Some example encounters: Autopsy of Norwegian-Thing, Battle in Dogtown, Explore Norwegian Base, Conduct Blood Test, and Investigate Crashed Saucer Site. In addition, the Outpost team must allocate men to tasks that may aid in their victory over the Thing. The truth being that the humans will not be able to achieve all that they want to do and will have to prioritise. All the while, the Thing player will do all in its power to thwart the human players, while attempting to construct its Blair-saucer in a secret ice cavern by cannibalising parts from the bulldozer, radio room, and helicopter. During the game, at various stages, the Thing player has the opportunity to place infection or dummy infection cards under the human character cards. Later in the game, the Thing may even directly infect other players (unbeknownst to the remaining players), or give the impression to the others that it has! The humans must keep their wits about them if they are to fight and win against the Thing, or they may find themselves fighting each other.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- (Web published)
Questions and answers
The Thing supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The Thing 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 The Thing 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.
The Thing has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
The Thing belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fighting, and Movies / TV / Radio theme. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Secret Unit Deployment. 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 The Thing 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 The Thing 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.