Movies / TV / Radio theme

Reload

In the near future, the mega-corporations of the military-industrial complex have invested trillions developing cybernetically enhanced clone soldiers for off-world exploration. Seeking to build robust teams for future missions — and more importantly, to land lucrative government contracts — they have created special training islands. On these islands, they are able to simulate all of the deadly conditions their soldiers may face on remote planets.

To fund these expensive programs and the military-grade innovations built into their test subjects, the arms manufacturers have teamed up with media moguls to create and promote broadcast competitions live from the islands' training grounds. Thus was born "RELOAD", the biggest TV show on the planet, with the most charismatic and capable subjects competing in front of millions of avid viewers to win fame for themselves and fortunes for their creators.

In Reload, you get to engage in this battle-royale experience thanks to an innovative action dice system that offers fast-paced play and the freedom to explore the island while fighting for fame.

ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo

In ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo, players take the role of Nostromo crew members Ripley, Lambert, Parker, Brett, or Dallas. Over the course of the game, they collect scrap, craft items, and fulfill different objectives. The crew will lose and gain morale as they encounter the Alien and other situations. If crew morale reaches zero, players lose the game.

Each turn has two phases. In the Crew Action phase, players creep through the Nostromo's halls, gathering scrap, crafting items, trading scrap and items with other players, and using items and their special abilities. Brett, for example, can craft items with one fewer scrap than other players. If the Alien is within three spaces of the player with the incinerator, that player can use the incinerator to send the Alien back to its nest.

In the Encounter phase, players draw and resolve an Encounter card. The Alien could be lurking behind any corner...

Once the players fulfill their initial objectives, they face one of five final missions, each with a unique set of requirements. Players must fulfill the final mission's requirements simultaneously to win the game. Players can also introduce Science Officer Ash for a more challenging game. Ash moves through the ship, removing scrap and forcing the crew to lose morale.

The Office: Downsizing Game

"Oh, it is on like a prawn who yawns at dawn." Huh? It's a game of workplace survival! Can you make it through the workweek at Dunder Mifflin without getting downsized out the door? Roleplay as your favorite The Office character and try to make it 'til Friday without getting fired. Be part of Team Michael, intent on exposing Toby as the Scranton Strangler. Be part of Team Toby, just itching to issue a pink slip (or two or three). Orrr, BE TOBY in disguise! Each day of the week comes with a new email from HR and enough episode-specific gameplay references to separate the avid show watcher from the hard-core Dunder Mifflin devotee. Will you triumph in the finger gun face-off? Your job may depend on it.

—description from the publisher

The Queen's Gambit

Can you visualize chess games like Beth Harmon in The Queen's Gambit, thinking multiple moves ahead of her opponents?

In The Queen's Gambit: Das Damengambit, you can try to outwit your fellow players by playing with as much foresight as she did. Each of the 2-4 players has their own gambit piece that moves across the chessboard, and your turns are always planned three moves in advance by laying down cards upon which chess pieces are depicted. On your turn, you reveal your first card; move the gambit piece according to what's depicted on that card, ideally capturing chess tiles in the process; then refill your row by placing a third card in your personal queue.

Once all the chess tiles have been captured, the game ends and whoever has collected the most tiles wins.

Back to the Future: Dice Through Time

Great Scott! Biff stole the DeLorean and went on a joyride through time, disrupting events and scattering items through space and time! Now it’s up to you to help Doc and Marty repair the space-time continuum before time paradoxes unravel the very fabric of the universe. Jump in your time machine, complete events, return items, and help! The future is in your hands!

In this cooperative dice game, you’ll take control of a DeLorean and travel through the entire Back to the Future film trilogy, completing memorable events and returning key items to their proper place and time before the OUTATIME tracker reaches “Game Over.” Each round, you and your fellow players will roll dice to determine your actions, which include time travel, moving meddling members of the Tannen family, and more.

You’ll use your dice to complete events form the films. Once an event is complete, you’ll draw an item card, which you’ll need to return by traveling to the year and location listed on the card. Then, the OUTATIME tracker is reduced—buying you more time—and you earn an Einstein token. Einstein tokens provide one action anyone can use later. In a pinch, you can even "ripple" dice by placing them on your space the board, allowing other players in future years to pick them up and use them!

After everyone has taken their actions, advance the OUTATIME tracker depending on which year has the most unsolved events. Finally, add Paradox tokens to all unsolved events on the board. In later rounds, these will cause the OUTATIME tracker to go up even faster! Return all the items before the OUTATIME tracker reaches “Game Over” to win!