The release marks a significant moment for fans of the award-winning RPG, as it introduces a complete campaign module that aims to elevate the gaming experience to new heights. “Building Better Worlds” invites players to explore the mysteries of the cosmos, where the truths of humanity’s origins orbit dying stars, and an unsettling, alien presence awaits.

At its core, the expansion serves as a comprehensive toolkit for Game Masters, providing them with the necessary elements to orchestrate a full open-world campaign. Whether taking on the role of a pioneering explorer or a resilient colonist, players will find themselves immersed in the challenges and triumphs of life on the cosmic frontier.

Key features of ALIEN RPG: Building Better Worlds include a compelling history of colonization, expanded character creation rules for life in the frontier, an extensive chapter showcasing new gear and spaceships, encounters with new Xenomorphic creatures in the Extrasolar Species Catalog, and the framework for a frontier campaign in The Lost Worlds. Additionally, the expansion offers six thrilling expeditions into uncharted space, playable in any order, leading to the ultimate showdown in The Endgame.

The expansion is now available for purchase through the Free League webshop and retailers worldwide. Digital versions are accessible as PDF on DriveThruRPG and as a VTT module for Foundry. It’s essential to note that the ALIEN RPG core rulebook is a prerequisite for players eager to dive into the cosmic horrors presented in “Building Better Worlds.”

As players prepare to embark on this cosmic odyssey, the expansion promises an immersive experience, blending suspense, exploration, and the unnerving presence of the unknown. “Building Better Worlds” stands poised to redefine the ALIEN RPG landscape, providing both seasoned and new players with an unparalleled gaming adventure in the darkest reaches of space.

Free League Publishing has revealed the upcoming expansion for their multiple award-winning ALIEN The Roleplaying Game. Titled “Building Better Worlds,” this highly anticipated module is set to release on January 16, promising to bring the untamed cosmos and its hidden horrors directly to the gaming table.

Exploring the Unknown

“Building Better Worlds” offers a gripping campaign module that plunges players into the role of pioneers and colonists at the edge of known space. The expansion is designed to run a full open-world campaign, capturing the essence of exploration and survival that defines the ALIEN universe.

A Deep Dive into Humanity’s Reach for the Stars

This comprehensive module contains:

• History of Colonization: A narrative detailing humanity’s ambitious spread across the stars.
• Creating Explorers & Colonists: Expanded character creation options for life in the frontier.
• Gear & Ships: An extensive chapter featuring new equipment and spaceships, brought to life with stunning illustrations.
• Extrasolar Species Catalog: A collection of new Xenomorphic creatures waiting to be encountered.
• The Lost Worlds: The framework and backstory for a frontier campaign.
• Expeditions: Six adrenaline-pumping expeditions into uncharted space, playable in any order.
• The Endgame: A climactic final showdown where everything is at stake.

Core Rulebook: The Foundation of Fear and Adventure

Players will need the ALIEN RPG core rulebook, first released in 2019 by Free League Publishing in collaboration with 20th Century Studios, to dive into “Building Better Worlds.” The core rulebook, a testament to the game’s success, sold out its first print run and has won multiple awards, including the ENNIE Award for Best Game 2020 and the People’s Choice Award for Best RPG at the UK Game Expo.

The ALIEN roleplaying game, lauded for its faithful recreation of the iconic universe, offers a blend of body horror and corporate brinkmanship in a universe that is as unforgiving as it is vast. Players are thrust into a world where they are expendable, facing threats both human and beyond imagination, where survival is never guaranteed.

Anticipation and Availability

“Building Better Worlds” is not just an expansion; it’s a gateway to new, unexplored territories filled with wonder and terror in equal measure. Fans can pre-order the expansion now, preparing to embark on a journey where the vastness of space holds both the mysteries of humanity’s origins and the chilling presence of the alien.

As Captain J.V. Gorham aptly puts it, “Space is a pitch-black room—stick your hand out and you might never get it back. Of course, you also might touch God. It’s a gamble either way.” With “Building Better Worlds,” the gamble promises to be a thrilling one.

Building Better Worlds is a complete campaign module that offers all the necessary tools to run a full open-world campaign as a pioneering explorer or colonist. This expansion contains everything players need to expand their experience, including the history of colonization, expanded character creation rules, a gear and ships chapter with new illustrations, a catalog of new Xenomorphic creatures to encounter, the framework and backstory for a frontier campaign, six thrilling expeditions into uncharted space, and the final showdown with everything at stake.

However, it is important to note that players will need the ALIEN RPG core rulebook to play this new expansion. The core rulebook, which was released in 2019 by Free League Publishing in partnership with 20th Century Studios, won the ENNIE Award for Best Game 2020 and the People’s Choice Award for Best RPG at the UK Game Expo. The game immediately sold out its first print run and entered the Top-5 list of best-selling tabletop roleplaying games in the fall of 2019.

Building Better Worlds promises to bring players closer to the harsh and unforgiving universe of the ALIEN RPG, where body horror and corporate brinkmanship dominate. With new frontiers to explore and dangers to encounter, this expansion is sure to excite fans of the franchise.

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From the announcement:

Today we’re delighted to announce the chilling release of the Alien RPG, the hugely anticipated roleplaying game from the makers of Tales From the Loop and Mutant: Year Zero.

The Alien RPG presents a universe of body horror and corporate intrigue and launches with a full suite of products including core book, cinematic scenario Chariot of the Gods, GM Screen, Map & Markers Pack, Card Deck plus Base and Stress Dice Sets to bring this lethal universe to life, all as part of the Alien RPG collection.

This is the official ALIEN tabletop roleplaying game—a universe of body horror and corporate brinkmanship, where synthetic people play god while space truckers and marines serve host to newborn ghoulish creatures. It’s a harsh and unforgiving universe and you are nothing if not expendable.

Stay alive if you can.

The ALIEN tabletop roleplaying game is a beautifully illustrated full-color hardcover book of 392 pages, both presenting the world of ALIEN in the year 2183 and a fast and effective ruleset designed specifically to enhance the ALIEN experience.

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From the announcement:

On May 25, 1979, Alien first graced the silver screen. Forty years after the Alien franchise first inspired and shocked the world, Free League Publishing has a xenomorphic surprise of their own in store. Quite literally.

Last month on Alien Day (4/26), Free League and 20th Century Fox Consumer Products announced their upcoming tabletop RPG series set within the Alien universe, which is set to release this holiday season. Yet for fans eager to explore that universe for themselves, they don’t need to wait any longer.

In celebration of the official 40th Anniversary this Saturday, Free League will offer a meaty 168-page Cinematic Starter Kit for their highly-anticipated Alien RPG – debuting their first Cinematic module Chariot of the Gods written by Alien RPG setting writer and sci-fi novelist Andrew E.C. Gaska – as a complimentary bonus gift for anyone who pre-orders the Alien RPG Core Rulebook at alien-rpg.com. The Cinematic Starter Kit will be available for download as soon as the pre-order purchase is confirmed.

Based upon Free League’s award-winning Year Zero game engine, the full Alien RPG Core Rulebook contains 300+ pages of mythology, artwork, and custom mechanics for open-world campaigns and deep, diverse space explorations on the Frontier. While Campaign Mode provides the tools for long-term gameplay, Cinematic Mode challenges players to start and complete an accessible, authentic tabletop RPG experience in one game session with no prior preparation necessary. A streamlined version of the Year Zero engine, Cinematics deliver only the most crucial game rules for each scenario with pre-generated characters, stories, and challenges – capturing the intense drama of an Alien film.

Free League has big plans for Alien and their new Cinematic mode, which is why they’re sharing the Starter Kit months ahead of the Core Rulebook.

“We’re trying something new and we want to know what people think,” says Free League co-founder and Alien RPG game director Tomas Härenstam. “In fact, anyone who pre-orders the Core Rulebook will receive exclusive access to our development process with opportunities to provide feedback and earn a play-tester credit in the final publication.”

The Starter Kit isn’t the last Cinematic module that fans can expect from Free League. “Chariot is the first in a trilogy of Cinematic modules from Andrew E.C. Gaska in the future,” shares Härenstam. Each Cinematic in the trilogy will explore a different style of gameplay, introducing a different perspective in the Alien universe and a different source of antagonism. Yet while each Cinematic module is designed as a stand-alone experience with new characters, settings, and challenges, the overarching narrative of the trilogy is connected – telling one complete, canonical story by the end.

“That’s what so liberating/challenging about designing and playing in Cinematic mode. You could be space truckers one session. Colonial Marines the next,” says Gaska. “The fun is figuring out how to work together, learn on the fly when the stakes are high, and try your best to survive the night. The constraints really make the whole experience feel more thrilling and terrifying. Like you’ve been dropped into your own Alien movie. And even if your character dies, the night is far from over for you as a player.”

As all characters aren’t likely to survive, Cinematics are engineered with death and replay value in mind, providing an ensemble cast of playable characters and branching narratives with multiple story paths and possible endings. “It’s rewarding to play and replay each Cinematic event, as you learn with experience, try new characters and creative solutions, and encounter new challenges over time,” shares Gaska.

Starting on May 25, Free League will accept pre-orders for the Alien tabletop RPG Core Rulebook and a variety of limited-edition 40th Anniversary goodies and gear exclusively at alien-rpg.com:

• STANDARD EDITION includes the Alien RPG Core Rulebook in a hardcover format with approximately 300 full-color pages of beautiful artwork and complete game rules for both the Cinematic and long-term Campaign game modes. A PDF of the book is included. Price: $49.99
• STANDARD BUNDLE includes the standard Alien RPG Core Rulebook, along with a deluxe Gamemaster Screen, two sets of custom dice (one set of 10 Base Dice and one set of 10 Stress Dice), a set of 50 custom cards (for initiative, weapons, and NPCs), and a set of useful maps and markers. A PDF of the book is included. Price: $99.99 ($50 discount on the total retail price)
• 40th ANNIVERSARY LIMITED-EDITION offers the Alien RPG Core Rulebook with a special commemorative book cover. Exclusive to this pre-order campaign, the 40th Anniversary Limited-Edition will never be printed again. A PDF of the book is included. Price: $89.99
• 40th ANNIVERSARY BUNDLE includes the Alien RPG 40th Anniversary Limited-Edition Core Rulebook, along with the deluxe gamemaster screen, two sets of custom dice (one set of 10 Base Dice and one set of 10 Stress Dice), a set of 50 custom cards (for initiative, weapons, and NPCs), and a set of useful maps and markers. A PDF of the book is included. Price: $139.99
• THE COMPANY SPECIAL EDITION includes everything from the 40th Anniversary Limited-Edition Bundle, as well as signatures from the Free League team on both the commemorative cover and a Limited-Edition 27” X 40” poster of the Alien RPG cover art by Martin Grip. Price: $249.99

Fans can also customize their own package with individually priced add-ons.

The 40th Anniversary Edition of the Alien RPG Core Rulebook is exclusive to the Free League store and its 40th Anniversary Pre-Order Event, which begins 5/25/19 at 9am EST and ends 8/4/2019 at 11:59pm EST. Official retail solicitations for the Standard Edition will begin in July, but retailers are encouraged to contact Free League with any questions to welcome them into the 40th Anniversary fun as well.

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