|
|
John Carpenter's
 |
|
|
BOARD GAME & CARD GAME
Cpl Ferro has put
together a board game and card game for THE THING. Below is a
brief Intro and the Board Game Map, the complete Rule Book is posted on a
separate page which is linked is below.
John Carpenter’s
THE THING
Board Game
This is a board game for 3 to 6 players, each of which
secretly controls one or more of a group of twelve characters isolated in
an Antarctic research outpost, as they battle for survival against a
shape-shifting monster hiding among them. One player starts as a
Thing-Player, on the monsters’ side, trying to kill the humans or turn
them all into monsters. All other players start as Human-Players, on the
humans’ side, trying to kill all the monsters. During the game, however,
some Human-Players may become Thing-Players. Trust no one!
Complete
Rules for the Board Game
The above map of Outpost #31 is the collaborative effort of Steve
Crawford and Cpl Ferro. It is an excellent schematic overview of the
station and surrounding buildings. The basement/generator room layout of
the camp is set above.
"THE THING" CARD GAME
Cpl Ferro has
also put together these untested "The Thing" card
game rules. If you give them a go, please post feedback, perhaps on the
Discussion Forum.
RULES OF PLAY
For 3 or more players.
EQUIPMENT
A pack of ordinary playing cards, jokers included.
START
1. If there are 5 or fewer players, remove 1 joker from play.
2. Deal out five cards to each player.
3. Set the deck face down in the middle (of the table), marking it with a
coin to distinguish it from the discard pile, which will also be face down.
KEY
Hearts represent humanity. Anyone who holds hearts is still human, and
cannot discard them unless he draws a joker.
Spades represent monstrosity. Anyone holding spades but no hearts, is a
monster.
Diamonds represent flamethrower attacks.
Clubs represent suspicious evidence.
Jokers represent infection. Anyone drawing a joker becomes infected by the monster. An infected player must discard all hearts he draws, but may
not discard spades, nor his last joker. He becomes a monster when he has discarded all hearts he now holds.
PLAY
Play proceeds clockwise from the dealer.
On your turn, draw 1 card from the deck. You must then either discard a card face down to the discard pile, or play either a club or a diamond face
up in front of another player, subject to the rules below.
Playing a club on another player puts him under suspicion. Play immediately
skips to him, to let him answer the charge. If he in turn plays a club on
another player (including you), play skips to that player, who is now under
suspicion. Whoever was placed under suspicion most recently, is in jeopardy. All others under suspicion should turn any clubs before them
sideways to indicate they are no longer in jeopardy.
A diamond may only be played on a player who is in jeopardy. If the diamond's value exceeds that of any of the suspect's face up clubs, the
suspect must discard either a heart or a spade, face down to the discard pile.
If you are human, and discard your last heart, you are killed and must reveal your hand. Any clubs before you are then put before whoever killed
you.
If you are a monster, and discard your last spade, you are killed and must
reveal your hand. Any clubs before you are discarded.
A monster player is allowed to discard his last joker.
Once the deck is exhausted, the discard pile becomes the new draw-deck, without being shuffled.
SHOWDOWNS
At any time on his turn, a monster player has the option of revealing his nature, by opening his mouth and hissing ominously. Any other monsters may
then choose likewise to reveal themselves, or may remain anonymous. If all
players, or all players except one, reveal themselves monsters, the monsters
win together (including any monster who didn't reveal himself. If two or more players do not reveal themselves, then any monsters who revealed
themselves are placed in immediate jeopardy; the other players have the
immediate option of playing any diamonds they have on them. A single diamond played on a revealed monster in jeopardy, kills it. Any revealed
monsters who survive this, may then respond in one of two ways:
1. Either respond in kind, treating the other non-revealed-monster players
as in jeopardy, and vulnerable to a single diamond played on them.
2. Or attack a single non-revealed-monster player by laying down a spade before them. If the attacked player is a monster, he must reveal himself
now. If the attacked player is a human (infected or otherwise), he must play a heart on the spade. The attacker may play a spade on the heart, and
so forth, until one player can play no more of the right cards. If the last
card played is a heart, the attack is unsuccessful and each player takes back his respective cards. If the last card played is a spade, the attack
is successful, and the attacked player discards all hearts he played, takes
one of the spades played, and returns the remaining spades to his attacker.
If the attacker played his last spade, and succeeded, he is killed if he possesses no joker, unless the attacked player gives him at least one spade.
Afterwards, if any players remain who haven't revealed their identity, play
continues as normal, clockwise starting with the person to the left of whoever last played a card.
END
The game ends when only humans, or only monsters, remain. If only humans remain, the humans win together. If only monsters remain, the monsters win
together.
|
|
