- BGG rating
- 8.6
The Thing: Human Miniatures Set 2
- 1–8 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2022
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,033
- BGG rating
- 7.6
The Thing: The Boardgame
2022
Rules assistance for The Thing: The Boardgame
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–8 players
- 60–90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for The Thing: The Boardgame
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Thing: The Boardgame is a board game released in 2022 for 1–8 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Andrea Crespi and Giuseppe Cicero and its main mechanics are Hidden Roles, Voting, and Semi-Cooperative Game.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.8
The Thing: Norwegian Outpost
- 4–8 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2022
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About the game
The Thing is a game that mixes different mechanisms to create an experience that is as faithful as possible to that of the original film. It is a "hidden role" game, in which one player is initially the Thing and the others players are humans. The purpose of the Thing is to infect others, to prevent the survivors from escaping from the base (which can happen three different ways), or to try to escape with them by behaving as a human. In addition to these elements, players also have to manage Outpost 31. On the map are the same rooms as seen in the film, and each of these rooms allows players to perform a different action. Human players have to feed themselves and keep the boiler and the generator on to avoid being in the cold and dark. The Thing will try to sabotage these places to make life difficult for humans...or not, trying to camouflage itself among the humans and infect them when the perfect opportunity presents itself. The goal of the game designers was to bring the same personal emotions and paranoia that the protagonists of the film experienced to the gaming table.
Designers
Publishers
- Delta Vision Publishing
- Hobby World
- ADC Blackfire Entertainment
- Galakta
- Matagot
- Geekach LLC
- Conclave Editora
- Gen-X Games (GenX)
- Pendragon Game Studio
Questions and answers
The Thing: The Boardgame supports 1–8 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: The Boardgame is 60–90 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 The Thing: The Boardgame for ages 14 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: The Boardgame has a complexity rating of 3.0 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: The Boardgame belongs to these categories: Movies / TV / Radio theme, Deduction, and Horror. Its main mechanics are Hidden Roles, Voting, and Semi-Cooperative Game. 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: The Boardgame are: Andrea Crespi and Giuseppe Cicero. 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: The Boardgame 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.