The Thing Board Game Review

The Antarctic base is shrouded in darkness. A group of people sits around the table, teeth chattering from the cold, constantly glancing nervously at their colleagues. On the table lie bowls of blood samples, and the commander is heating a piece of wire with a flamethrower. And on top of that, that damn dog under the table keeps growling in a strange way…

When the horror movie The Thing hit theaters in 1982, it didn't exactly receive a warm welcome. Many contemporary reviewers even labeled the film as trash. Over time, however, everything changed, and The Thing became a cult classic and one of the most essential sci-fi horror films of all time. This has happened to more films by the famous director John Carpenter. Today, no one doubts that his adaptation of the novella Who Goes There? belongs in the golden fund of world cinema. Even if it got there in a very gruesome way…

The mysterious, mutating alien scum has firmly taken hold in pop culture. Comics, books, a great video game, a weak modern remake (2011), and several board games have appeared. Most of the board games have been lost to the dust of history. Today, however, we are looking at the latest one - The Thing: The Board Game from 2021, which has recently been released in Czech.

The Thing is a board game for 1 to 8 players. In this case, you could say the more, the merrier. Players take on the roles of the film's characters, given the simple task of maintaining the base and evacuating in case of danger. But among the crew, there is someone who doesn't belong. An alien intruder, an infectious something spreading by touch. A mutating monstrosity that sprouts extra legs, eyes, and tentacles all over your body. It's clear that this thing must not get out of the base at any cost. But how to manage that when The Thing is stealthily hiding inside the body of a victim who looks completely normal at first glance? Everyone is a suspect. Every step and movement of the others is suspicious. Paranoia is rising! And this is exactly the main element of the entire board game. I must add in the same breath that it is also a lot of fun!

The game board is divided into several rooms, most of which are used for routine base operations. Depending on the weather, you have to monitor the power generator, heating, and food. You can call for an evacuation helicopter, repair the snowcat, or get your own helicopter running. You have the option to search for new equipment, research the later very important blood tests, and someone also has to keep catching the dogs wandering around the base. Each player has one action, and the base commander determines which one is triggered.

The Thing is one of those games where a more experienced player can explain the rules in fifteen minutes, and after one round, even the most confused person at the table knows what to do. The trick is that one of the players is a secret alien who can sabotage the base, and if they meet someone, they have a 50/50 chance of infecting their colleague. Or they can reveal themselves publicly and terrorize everyone openly. Otherwise, you need to proceed cautiously and spread paranoia among the others. In the end, the evacuation happens, and the least suspicious player decides who to take with them and who not. Humans lose if everyone dies or fails to uncover the alien that sneaks onto the helicopter. And The Thing must kill the others or escape. If you are interested in the complete rules of the game, you can find them here, for example.

The Thing is definitely not a complex game. The iconography is clear, and when it comes down to it, the gameplay itself is simple and relatively time-efficient. Even less experienced players will enjoy the game. The interaction between players, constant doubts, and suspicion are the main focus of the gameplay. With the right people who know how to get into character, you are in for great fun full of hilarious moments. There is nothing better than convincing others that your completely innocent friend is the alien who must be left to freeze among the ruins of the burning base at all costs. The Thing: The Board Game is recommended by eight out of ten mutating aliens!

author Karel Krajča