How To Play: Aliens
Aliens is a wild ride of teamwork, smart moves, and not running out of ammo (trust me, that ended badly once). It comes packed with cool minis and unpredictable alien action. Follow my How To Play aliens tips: plan, share, and never split up. Also, snacks help. Good luck!

Welcome to my guide for How To Play aliens! If you’ve ever wanted to outsmart hungry extraterrestrials while your friends scream and spill chips everywhere, you’re in the right place. I’ve put together an outline of the main game rules, plus the best strategies we’ve found to survive and win. So buckle up—let’s see if you can do better than my cousin Dave (he got eaten first).
Overview
What’s in the box
- 1 Game Board
- 7 Character Miniatures
- 16 Alien Miniatures
- 8 Dice
- 1 Rulebook
- 160 Tokens
- 50 Motion Tracker Cards
- 20 Endurance Cards
- 10 Mission Cards
- 4 Reference Cards
- 45 Equipment Tokens
- 12 Door Tokens
- 6 Ladder Tokens
- 5 Barricade Tokens
- 35 Acid Splash Tokens
How To Play Aliens: Rules Summary
Setup
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Unfold the board. Place it in the middle of your table—not your lap, that’s chaos.
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Each player picks a hero. Don’t fight over Ripley. Trust me, last time we almost started a real war.
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Set up miniatures and tokens where the rulebook says. Put Aliens in their nasty spots. Humans get safe corners or, well, as safe as cardboard gets.
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Shuffle the event and equipment decks. Place them nearby unless you like finding cards in your drink later.
Gameplay
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Players go in turn order, which you decide. Last time, we let the person who made popcorn go first—highly recommended.
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On your turn: move, search, and attack! Pick an action. For example, run screaming from the Alien, or search for a flamethrower. Or both at once, if you’re good.
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Aliens move next. They chase, they corner, and sometimes they pop out right behind you. It’s not personal—they just love a good jump scare.
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Draw an event card at the end of each turn. Sometimes you’ll regret it, sometimes you’ll just curse softly.
Winning
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Check the mission card for your goal. Most likely, you need to escape alive. Good luck with that.
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Complete your objective before the Alien wipes your friends out. Or before you turn on each other because someone “accidentally” locked a door.
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If every human gets chomped, the Aliens win. If even one survivor crawls out, humans celebrate!
Special Rules & Conditions
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Use secret tunnels to move quickly, but watch for surprise Alien visits. (Last time, my friend Jim learned this the hard way.)
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Each hero has a special action. Don’t forget to use yours—except that time I forgot and everyone yelled at me for ten straight minutes.
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If an Alien attacks and you can’t defend, you get injuries or worse. Sometimes, you might even become an Alien yourself. It’s complicated and a bit gross.
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If you meet certain hidden goals early, you might unlock bonus cards. Or you might just brag. Both are fun.
If you’ve never played before, just remember: don’t split up, always check your corners, and yell “Game over, man!” at least once per session. That’s the real secret of How To Play aliens.
Best Aliens Strategies
Survive and Thrive: Outwitting Aliens Together!
Stick Together or Perish
My friends and I learned this the hard way—when we split up, the aliens pick us off like snacks at a sleepover. So, here’s how to stay alive:
- Stay in pairs or groups whenever possible.
- Use abilities to cover each other’s weak spots.
- Share items and weapons for balanced defense.
Communication is Key
We shouted across the table more than once, but it worked! Always keep everyone updated on movements and threats.
- Call out alien positions as soon as you spot them.
- Coordinate moves so no one is stranded.
- Make team decisions about objectives and escapes.
How To Play aliens: Master Coordination
Playing Aliens with good coordination increases your survival rate. We lost fewer people once we took these steps. Try them, and you’ll see!
Conquer Aliens with Smart Ammo and Resource Choices
Count Every Bullet
A full clip means nothing if you fire like a movie action hero. Always keep track of spent rounds. I once ran out at the worst moment—no heroics then! Here’s how:
- Reload before it’s too late.
- Share spare ammo with teammates.
- Pick up dropped clips when safe.
Stockpile for Emergencies
Aliens pop up everywhere, so always stash supplies. We learned the hard way. Now, we split our finds. Try this:
- Distribute gear evenly.
- Keep first aid easy to reach.
- Hide backup ammo on escape routes.
Trade Wisely
Never hoard! Trading in “How To Play aliens” gives your team a chance. I traded a grenade for a bandage once. I survived, the alien didn’t!
- Swap what you don’t need.
- Barter during quiet turns.
- Remember you need each other alive!
Mastering Alien Sneakiness: Outsmart Those Slimy Invaders!
Alien movement in How To Play aliens is like herding cats, but with more screaming. Predicting their path is key. Here’s how I finally beat them—after only seven humiliating defeats.
Spot Their Patterns
- Pay attention to which direction aliens move each round.
- Look for repeated paths or favorite rooms.
Bait and Switch
- Place yourself as bait to lure aliens away from your friends.
- Quickly double back once you’ve drawn them off-course.
Use the Environment
- Block doors to force aliens into predictable paths.
- Lead them into traps using teammates as backup.
Trust me—if you follow these tips, you’ll feel way less like alien dinner. And you might even win. Finally!
Final Thoughts: Don’t Let the Aliens Eat You (Seriously)
If my friends and I learned anything from getting chomped, zapped, and trampled in Aliens, it’s this: stick together, don’t waste your ammo, and always watch your back! The best How To Play aliens strategy tip? Don’t act like the guy in the horror movie who goes off alone. Trust me, we tried. He did not appear in the sequel.
Play smart, laugh at your mistakes, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll survive long enough to brag for years. Now go out there and show those aliens who’s boss—or at least who’s tastiest!
Want to know what we think of Aliens? Read our detailed review of Aliens here
