Description

Not Alone is a 30-45 minute game for 2-7 players where 1 player takes on the role of an alien trying to assimilate the rest of the players who have crash landed on its planet. Each turn, the human players play a card face down to 1 of the 5 planetary locations they want to visit, followed by the alien player doing the same. While all players start with special event cards that allow them to affect the game and players, only the alien player draws these event cards automatically each round. When the cards are revealed, if the human players are not at the same location as the alien player, they get to perform the beneficial action on that card. If they are caught by the alien player, the alien players assimilation marker moves forward and the human player loses 1 of their 3 Will cubes. If players lose all 3 cubes, the alien’s marker also moves forward. At the end of each round, the humans’ rescue shuttle marker moves forward a space. The game ends after 7-18 rounds, when either side’s marker reaches the middle of the board.

Not Alone plays like the alien is actually a puppy, at once trying to chase the invaders off his turf, but at the same time terrified of their numbers and devious plans. Every successful nibble of a human is more relief than triumph, since the same humans appear indestructible and come back in the same swarm the next day.

The fun in Not Alone lies mainly on the side of the human players, who openly get to discuss their plans for avoiding the alien player and in the course of doing so, attempt to misdirect the alien player who has to carry out the thankless task of chasing multiple leads. 2 out of the 5 cards in the opening phase are clearly the best options for the human players, which inevitably lead them engage the alien player in doublethink to go somewhere else.

Players may not have as much fun as the alien player if they are unable to read the human players’ used cards to determine the ever decreasing places that each human player can visit.

Whitehall Mystery and Catacombs 3rd edition share many of the great one versus many emotions found in Not Alone. While Whitehall Mystery involves the hidden movement of one player around Victorian London, Catacombs 3rd edition is a longer dexterity game of wooden disc flicking for heroes through various rooms of monsters. Across other 60 minute light games, Flamme Rouge, Lords of Vegas, Ra, Camel Up, Clank, and Century Spice Road/Century Golem edition are all excellent choices.

Cards Sizes

97 63.5x89mm cards