Big Game Hunting Live - XCOM: The Board Game

by Rae

It's time for Big Game Hunting Live! This is a monthly gaming event that takes place on the second Saturday of every month. Players will get a chance to learn and play featured games all day long. This month we're featuring XCOM: The Board Game!

XCOM: The Board Game is inspired by the video game franchise, XCOM. The developers have done everything they can to bring the best elements of the video games to their tabletop counterpart. The result is a fast-paced strategy game that sees players working together to stop an alien invasion. Unlike other board games, however, this one features a digital app, required to play the game. While this initially sounds a bit strange, playing the game with an iOS or Android device (and soon through the website as well) actually makes the game feel that much more intense, challenging, and fun. It also adds functionality to the game that you could not imitate with tokens or cards, making the app a core element of the gameplay rather than just a gimmick.

What makes this cooperative game so immersive is that every player has a particular role to play, with unique responsibilities that will be impacted by everyone else. For example, one player's role leaves them in charge of funding, but everyone else has the ability to spend those funds for their own actions! The first phase of every round is timed – each player has a certain amount of time to complete a particular task. The app keeps track of the time you've used – and if you run out. The second phase resolves all the actions that took place in the first, and determines the effects on the next round. Like most cooperative games, there are multiple ways to lose, so staying alive to see the final round is crucial.

During the day, we will be running open demos from 11am to 5pm. The app will be managed by the demo runner, so there's no need to bring any devices with you. Feel free to drop in at any time, we're happy to teach you how to play! See you Saturday 14th February! (Nothing says love like saving the world from aliens together, right?)

All participants will receive a voucher that entitles them to 10% off XCOM: The Board Game. You can find the Facebook event here!

Rae tried to solo this one without knowing all the rules first. It ended quickly.