Xenohunters
Kickstarter April 7th
Designer: Jack Ford Morgan
Publisher: Half-Monster Games Pty. Ltd.
2-4 Player
Play Time: 30-90 Minutes
Xenohunters is a science fiction horror double-hidden-movement alien-hunting board game that is launching on Kickstarter on April 7th.
We had the opportunity to playtest Xenohunters for hours and hours.
It is the 36th century, and the world's citizens live in station colonies throughout the galactic rim. However, colonies living on the outer galactic rim are going dark and have become uncontactable.
The galactic council has expended their military forces to no avail - they need to call on the best.
You, the Hunters, have been summoned as the elite mercenary crew who live on the edge of the law to investigate the stations. You know very well: this is another outbreak of flesh-eating Xenos, creatures that harvest living flesh to birth monsters.
The only way to stop this advancing tide of evil is with the liberal application of fire. The best way to do so: detonate the fusion reactors at the heart of every Station. As elite mercenaries of the galaxy, your mission is clear: board the stations, destroy the reactors, and kill the aliens.
Good luck. Warp ends in 3, 2, 1…
There are four formable missions, female character Hunters and a Xenos Alien vying to gobble up all that is left of humanity. Choose your team, gather your wits, and board the ship that sent the distress message warning of the Xenos on board. The Xenos has eggs and spawns strewn about the ship. Hunters can proceed slyly hidden or garishly trying to draw her out. Either way, the vessel has all the equipment you need to be victorious if you can find them before she finds you! You turn a corner and see what once your fellow Hunter was now a gruesome Hybrid Spawn. Shall you try to revive her, seeks the bombs to blow the reactor, or dash back to your ship to live another day??
Steeped in strategies, treachery, and consequences- Xenos could be hiding just around the corner!
Gameplay
Players choose between being the Hunter and stop the Xenos from reaching other colonies or the Alien Xenos; kill every Hunter and turn them into your Hybrid Spawn. If the reactor is destroyed, make sure you escape on the Starship to reach another colony and continue to spread your Hybrid Spawn.
Each Hunter has different strengths and weaknesses your team will need to consider as you battle the Alien and destroy the reactor. The hybrid spawn is hatched from a killed hunter with a creepy resemblance; however, there is an equipment card to revive that Hunter if you have one.
A Hidden Movement grid for each character and corresponding Character Screens blocks the Hidden Movement grid's view from other players. Give every player a Hidden Movement cube. (Slick)
Hunters get Equipment cards, Xenos get eggs, and Hybrid Spawn corresponding to the mission number.
Turn Sequence
Hunters can take up to 2 actions per turn:
Melee Strike
If hidden, reveal your location on the board. Roll to aim an attack against an adjacent enemy. If successful, you deal 1 damage to the target.
Sneak
Move your Character token your Speed through adjacent spaces. If hidden, move the Hidden Movement cube to the relevant space. If on the board and not in another enemy character's view, remove your character token from the mission board and move on the Hidden Movement grid.
Sprint
If hidden, you must reveal your location. Move twice your Speed.
Shove
If hidden, you must reveal your location on the board. You shove them 1 space directly away from you, into an empty space. You move into the vacated space. If there is no open space, you cannot shove them.
Rummage
When in the same space as a Rummage Icon, draw the corresponding color from the Equipment deck. If the icon is not the same color as your character, you must roll the dice. If you roll a 1 or 2, you make noise as you rummage and must reveal your character token on the board.
Use Equipment
Discard an Equipment card from your hand and follow the instructions on the card.
Warp
When on the Warp Console icon, you hit the warp button, instantly locking the airlock and sending the Starship into the beyond. All players on the Starship warp away. Successfully using this action ends the game.
The Alien can take up to 3 actions per turn.
Claw, Bite, Maul
If hidden, reveal your location on the board. Roll to aim an attack against an adjacent enemy. If successful, you deal 3 damage to the target.
Sneak
Move your Character token your Speed through adjacent spaces. If hidden, move the Hidden Movement cube to the relevant space. If on the board and not in view of another player, remove your character token from the mission board and move on the Hidden Movement grid.
Sprint
If hidden, you must reveal your location. Move twice your Speed.
Enter or Exit Vent
When in the same space as a Vent icon, move your token onto the Ducts of your Hidden Movement grid, or Move from the Ducts section of your Hidden Movement grid, to any Vent icon on the board.
Shove
If hidden, you must reveal your location on the board. You shove them 1 space directly away from you, into an empty space. You move into the vacated space. If there is no open space, you cannot shove them.
Sense
Choose one hidden Hunter to tell you their current location verbally.
Lay Alien Egg
Place one of your Alien Egg tokens on the board, adjacent to your current space. You can lay a maximum of 6 Alien Eggs. You cannot lay Alien Eggs on Reactor or Starship spaces.
Hatch
If you have died, use this action on your next turn to replace any Alien Egg marker on the board with your character token. You can use your remaining actions after this action has been resolved.
Each Hybrid Spawn can take up to 2 actions per turn.
Bite and Maim
Roll to aim an attack against an adjacent enemy. If successful, you deal 1 damage to the target.
Scuttle
You can move your Speed. You hiss too much to hide.
Shove
You shove them 1 space directly away from you, into an empty space. You move into the vacated space. If there is no empty space, you cannot shove them.
Enter or Exit Vent
When in the same space as a Vent icon, move your token onto the Ducts of your Hidden Movement grid, or Move from the Ducts section of your Hidden Movement grid, to any Vent icon on the board.
Hatch
The hybrid Spawn token replaces the Alien Egg marker on the board. If more than one Hybrid Spawn is hatching from the Alien Egg, they are placed on adjacent spaces. You can use your remaining actions after this action has been resolved.
Equipment cards
Rummaging
Rummaging allows the Hunters to collect specialized equipment. When a Hunter lands on a Rummage icon, you draw the matching Equipment card type. If the Rummage icon is not the same color as the character, you must roll the dice. If you roll a 1 or 2, you make noise as you rummage and must reveal your character token on the board.
Hunters can only carry the amount of Equipment cards equal to their Carry Limit.
Hunters death is when the health reaches zero or in a room that has exploded. Her token is removed from the board, and the Alien receives 3 additional Hybrid Spawn.
If the Alien's health reaches 0, or they are in a room with an Explosive, they die. The Alien can reappear by hatching from an Alien Egg. If there are no Alien Eggs on the board, the Alien cannot reappear.
If the Hybrid Spawn's health reaches 0, or they are in a room with an Explosive, they die. A Hybrid Spawn can reappear by hatching from an Alien Egg. If there are no Alien Eggs on the board, the Hybrid Spawn cannot reappear.
The game ends when every room on the Station and the Starship explode, when the Starship warps away, when all Xenos and Alien Eggs are killed, or when all Hunters are killed.
In Mission: 004, there is no Warp console. This is intentional. This is a final last stand mission, where the Hunters must kill the Alien on the Station. Hunters are expected to win or not return.
Hunters can talk to each other, but be mindful, the Alien is listening in.
Mechanics That Worked for Us
We found that at the start of the game, Hunters sneaking off in the opposite direction to rummage for equipment opened up the board and keep Xenos roving while collecting needed supplies.
We took advantage of our D&D background and role-played as our characters. We did hold "an action" between the two hunters to capitalize on equipment cards. The Engineer would take one of her actions, and then the Scientist would take her two actions, then back to the Scientist for her second action—example- This left opportunity to sprint away if prudent.
There are more Victory Points if all Hunters survive, but much like the cinema- the build-up of tension as the bomb rapidly spreads through the ship and hunters sprint to the exit- the jump scares when Xenos is blocking your way- sacrifices were made to get some of the hunters off the ship alive.
Playing as the Xenos was a wildly contrasting experience. Staying hidden most of the game till the last rounds to block the Hunters or gain access to their ship. The majority of the Alien's wins were getting to Hunter's ship before the Hunters could escape.
Bits and Bobs
2 x Mission Boards (Missions 001 to 004)
5 x Character screens
5 x Character tokens
40 Equipment cards
10 x Military Equipment Cards
10 x Engineering Equipment Cards
10 x Medical Equipment Cards
10 x Scientist Equipment Cards
5 x Hidden Movement grids
5 x Hidden Movement cubes
15 x Hybrid Spawn tokens (3 in 5 colors) when Hunter is killed
4 x Hybrid Spawn Information Cards
6 x Alien Egg markers
3 x Bomb marker to place on reactors
8 x Destroy markers
12 x Sealed door or vent markers
24 x Health Damage markers
Last Thoughts
My hubby and I have talked about "The Game" that sparked the lifelong love tabletop, and his was a game that one player is the alien and the other is the crew trying to take over and eliminate the others to win. We have since tracked down the game and played as adults and found it amusing but thought a more thinky version would be excellent. Xenohunters triggered that emotion from his childhood and does add a captivating, immersive world that immediately drew us in.
Days after completing our first few games, we found ourselves still talking about how we played and what strategies we would do differently and use for the next mission. Xenohunters is bingeworthy. We completed a mission and immediately reset and played again. In the following plays, we understood the board better and communicated with fellow Hunters selectively to try and fool the Alien.
All-female characters are a winning choice.
We reveled in the cleverly staged boards and keen on seeing the finished game. Hopefully, the subsequent missions!!!
We found Xenohunters had the perfect balance between depth, style, tension, and challenge.
A reminder that imagination can triumph.
Xenohunters was generously given to us by the publisher. As always, we strive to be fair and objective.
*Soundtrack we had in the background while playing.
Alien: Isolation | Full Soundtrack
Check out their Kickstarter.
Half Monster Games other titles can be found at THE GAMING GOAT:
Xenohunters
Kickstarter April 7th
Designer: Jack Ford Morgan
Publisher: Half-Monster Games Pty. Ltd.
2-4 Player
Play Time: 30-90 Minutes
Categories: Horror, Science Fiction, Mechanisms, Communication Limits, Finale Ending, Hidden Movement, Player Elimination, Roles with Asymmetric Information
Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game
Team-Based Game
Traitor Game
Let’s be honest; there is still a bit of drama when we play.
Sit Down -Grab a Drink – Join the Game
Suzzan Smith
Nerdz Garage
We play. We invent. We review.
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