Alien RPG
Officially Alien: The Roleplaying Game
OFFICIALLY LICENSED TABLETOP RPG (2019) by FREE LEAGUE PUBLISHING — set in the ALIEN FILM UNIVERSE (Ridley Scott, James Cameron). Uses YEAR ZERO ENGINE (Free League's proprietary d6 dice pool). Signature: TWO MODES — 'CINEMATIC' (short single-session pre-generated character horror one-shots — high mortality, thematic) + 'CAMPAIGN' (long-term Colonial Marines / space colonists). Deeply tuned SPACE-HORROR ATMOSPHERE: PANIC DICE (stress + panic escalation); XENOMORPHS deadly + iconic; FIREFIGHT rules brutal (single hit can kill). WINNER of Golden Ennie 2020 Best Game. Multiple official cinematic modules (Chariot of the Gods, Destroyer of Worlds, Heart of Darkness).
Quick facts
Category
Tabletop Role-Playing
Type
Team sport
Players
3–7
Duration
~240 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇸🇪 Sweden
Estimated origin
2019 by Free League (Fria Ligan) under 20th Century Fox / Disney license; won 2020 Golden Ennie Best Game
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Survive + investigate + defeat xenomorphs OR corporate conspiracies (thematically: survival horror often ends badly).
Rules
Basic rules
SETTING: 22nd-century ALIEN film universe (Weyland-Yutani, Colonial Marines, xenomorphs)
Signature setting.
TWO MODES: CINEMATIC (short mortality-heavy one-shot with pre-gens) + CAMPAIGN (long-term)
Signature two-mode design.
SKILLS: 12 skills across 4 attributes (Strength, Agility, Wits, Empathy)
Signature Year Zero skill system.
DICE POOL: roll d6s = attribute + skill; each 6 = success
Signature d6 pool.
STRESS: gain STRESS dice from horror, injury, exhaustion; roll as bonus dice BUT any '1' on stress die = PANIC ROLL (escalating panic effects)
Signature stress + panic mechanic.
PUSH ROLLS: reroll failures = but gain more stress
Signature push mechanic.
COMBAT DEADLY: single hits often lethal; xenomorphs devastating; no bounce-back
Signature deadly combat.
CINEMATIC MODULES have PERSONAL AGENDAS pitting characters against each other secretly
Signature secret agendas.
Scoring
Narrative + survival; XP for talents in campaign mode.
Win condition · Survive + complete scenario objectives; often at least one character dies dramatically.
Equipment
Alien RPG Core Rulebook (hardcover, art-heavy)
Signature rulebook
Base d6s + STRESS d6s (all d6; different colors for stress)
Signature d6 dice pool
Character sheets (Colonial Marine, Colonist, Company Rep pre-gens)
Signature pre-gen archetypes
Optional: map + minis (for combat)
Optional grid combat
Cinematic scenario modules (Chariot of the Gods, Destroyer of Worlds, etc.)
Signature cinematic modules
Terminology
- Xenomorph
- The iconic alien creature; deadly + terrifying.
- Stress
- Accumulated mental strain; both grants bonus dice + risks panic.
- Panic
- Escalating panic reactions rolled when '1' comes up on stress die.
- Push
- Reroll failed dice at cost of more stress.
- Cinematic
- Short pre-gen one-shot mode designed for high mortality.
- Agenda
- Secret personal goal in cinematic modules that pits characters against each other.
- Weyland-Yutani
- The Company — the corporate antagonist across all Alien fiction.
Where it is played
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Alien RPG— Wikipedia
- Free League Publishing — Alien RPG— Free League