Paranoia and distrust prevail in Mondo’s ‘The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31’
Mondo and USAopoly release, “The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31”, the first board game collaboration with USAopoly’s designer games devision Project Raygun.
I’ve always had a love for board games, whether it’s a simple concept that only requires two people, or it’s the more intricate concept that require multitudes of people, I’ve always found them to be a great way of bringing people together. Though the last few years haven’t given me a lot of time to immerse myself in them, I’ve amassed a small collection of some of my favorites; most notably Monopoly (in both the Nightmare Before Christmas version and the Cthulhu one).
However, when Mondo announced that they would be releasing their first game, The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31, based off of John Carpenter’s The Thing, my head exploded with joy. You see, The Thing, is one of my absolute favorite films of all time, and the thought of being able to combine my love for board games with a film that is near and dear to me was something I couldn’t wait to experience.
For fans of the film, you are going to be very familiar with the story surrounding the board game. For those not overly familiar with the movie and need a refresher, the description of the game, which I’ve pulled from the Mondo website, does a great job of breaking it down:
"“Stir-crazy Norwegians shooting first at a dog, then you. Their base – not unlike yours – left in ruin, littered with strange research notes and even stranger carcasses. A 100,000-year-old alien vessel uncovered in ice.Then some…thing…attacked your dogs and you put it down. But that was just the beginning. Power fluctuations, missing tools, shredded clothes, equipment destroyed – all that pales next to the preliminary conclusion of your scientists: at least one of you is probably already being impersonated by this lifeform!You may not know who to trust, but you do know that out there, in the dark, THE THING is waiting for you to make a mistake.But what if it’s already in here with you?”"
First and foremost, let’s talk about the design. The packaging and the board itself are beautifully crafted to house what is inside the Outpost. The game includes placards designed to be the characters that players are inhabiting during their play as well as cards that help in advancing the storyline. Everything is meticulously designed to give a cold Arctic feel so as to resemble what our characters are experiencing. Along with the stunning cards, placards, and board, there are also sculpted miniatures that freakishly resemble the most prominent features of these characters. Along with this, there are also different creature miniatures of The Thing that evolve throughout the game. In the version of the game that I received, the artwork and designs were done by Justin Erickson of Phantom City Creative and it’s quite apparent that he must love this film because his design work is impeccable.
As for the game itself, I’ll be honest. It’s extremely complicated at first. The game can be played with a minimum of 4 players and a maximum of 8 players, though I would highly suggest getting as close to 8 people as possible. My group, which consisted of 4 people in total, really enjoyed our experience playing, but we did learn that we were at a bit of a disadvantage. Because there is so much to remember and so many moving pieces (no pun intended), it was hard to recall every rule that needed to be followed. I think it would be beneficial to have someone who’s sole responsibility is to just be the master of the rules so that the players don’t get confused and/or forgetful when coming to the responsibilities of their character.
My group also learned that by having only 4 players, we were at a huge disadvantage when it came to defeating The Thing. I don’t want to get into all the rules in this review, but how the game is meant to be played doesn’t lend itself entirely fair to those who only have four people, especially considering that from the start someone is automatically (and secretly) The Thing and can sabotage other players quite easily. With more players, this would allow for a much more balanced chance in defeating the game and killing The Thing. With that said, I would love to play the game again with a much larger group of friends to see how the end result would differ from my first experience.
Even though there were a few bumps in the road, once we all got the hang of how to play, it was a lot of fun. The game does a great job of promoting paranoia and having players turn on each other while at the same time making sure everyone works with one another. It’s a weird juxtaposition to have, but you either all die or you all find a way to destroy The Thing before it destroys you.
Overall, The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 is a great game to play with friends whether they are a fan of the film or not. Though initially the game gave us some pause due to the difficulties of figuring out the rules, it proved to be incredibly enjoyable once we were in the groove of what was happening. As of right now, Mondo has released two versions – the regular version which is what I reviewed, and a Mondo Exclusive which comes with some other goodies; however, as far as I can tell the Limited Edition Mondo Exclusive is all sold out. With all that said, I would without a doubt recommend The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 to friends and family who love playing board games or to those who want a breathtaking piece of art to add to their The Thing collection.
Next: Ash Wednesday: Bruce Campbell - I am not Daniel Day Lewis
The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 is currently for sale for $60 and can be purchased HERE. Regardless of the difficulties we had in the beginning, I’m glad I had a chance to play it as I now understand it more and will definitely be sharing with friends far and wide. So don’t waste time contemplating getting it, pick up a copy now before the sell out!