Who Goes There? (2018) Board Game

Who Goes There? is a board game based on the novella “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell, which inspired the classic sci-fi horror film “The Thing.” The game was released in 2018 and designed by Anthony Coffey and Jesse Labbe. It is a semi-cooperative game where players must work together to survive in an Antarctic research station while trying to figure out who among them is infected by an alien parasite.

Game Components of Who Goes There?

Player boards: Each player has a board to manage their character’s actions and status.

Character cards: Representing the humans and potential aliens.

Event cards: Introducing random challenges and paranoia-inducing scenarios.

Resource tokens: Used for managing actions and resolving events.

Paranoia tokens: Tracking the growing mistrust among players.

Alien markers: Indicating which characters might be impostors.

How To Setup Who Goes There?

To set up the game, each player selects a character card and receives a player board. The event deck is shuffled, and a set number of cards are drawn based on the player count. Resource tokens and paranoia tokens are distributed. The game starts with all players as humans, but as events unfold, some may become aliens, adding to the paranoia.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Cooperative gameplay: Players work together to survive and complete objectives.

Social deduction: Players must identify and eliminate alien impostors among them.

Resource management: Players manage tokens to perform actions and resolve events.

Player elimination: Players can be eliminated if they are revealed as aliens or if they succumb to the paranoia.

Random events: Events can significantly alter the game state, adding unpredictability.

Objective: The humans must work together to escape the Antarctic base while identifying and eliminating any alien impostors.

Player Experience

Playing *Who Goes There?* is an intense and engaging experience. The game builds paranoia as players question each other’s intentions, and random events can swiftly change the dynamics. This creates a highly immersive and suspenseful atmosphere, mirroring the horror theme of *The Thing*.

Pros

High replayability: Random events and variable player roles ensure each game is unique.

Immersive theme: The game effectively captures the paranoia and suspense of *The Thing*.

Engaging mechanics: Social deduction and resource management keep players actively involved.

Cons

Complex endgame: The final stages of the game can become overly complicated.

Random events can be disruptive: Some events may remove player choices for a round, leading to frustration.

Player elimination: Players can be eliminated early, reducing their overall participation.

Personal Thoughts on Who Goes There?

*Who Goes There?* is ideal for fans of cooperative games and those who enjoy social deduction and horror themes. It’s best suited for groups of experienced gamers due to its complex mechanics and the potential for player elimination. If you enjoy tense, immersive games that challenge your trust and strategic thinking, *Who Goes There?* is a great addition to your gaming collection.

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