Board Game Spotlight: Alien vs Predator: The Hunt Begins

In yet another of our regular board game spotlights, Zatu Games dissociates entirely, plunging into a downward spiral of misfiring synapses and questionable choices from which the only possible respite is Alien vs Predator: The Hunt Begins, the 2015 release from publisher Prodos Games LTD and designers Jarek Ewertowski and Grzegorz Oleksy.

The Game

Combining two of fiction’s most famous creatures purely because they share complementarily genital faces proved to be a tragic mistake in the film world, one which cost us millions of lives. That’s not to say, however, that nothing good can come of it, as Alien vs Predator: The Hunt Begins aptly demonstrates.

A game for one to three players, The Hunt Begins allows you to take control of one of three factions: heartburn exacerbators the Xenomorphs; Carl Weathers’ limb detachment specialists the Predators; or standard human peeps the Colonial Marines.

Each faction has a unique playstyle and a specific set of skills. Units taken down by Aliens in close quarters have a chance of returning another Alien unit to the board via their ‘Egg Injection’ ability; Predators gain combat bonuses from nearby brethren with their ‘Pack Hunt’; and Marines have an array of equipment with which they can heal, shock and reveal accordingly. These cover only a fraction of the slew of traits each faction has.

A tactical combat experience, the game is set aboard the USCSS Theseus, and players may use the networks of corridors and air vents to outmanoeuvre and outwit their opponents. There are an array of different game types along with a 10-mission campaign to play through. For all those who love big things but made small so that they’re like small versions of the big thing that they look like, each faction has an array of detailed, perdy miniatures.

The Publisher

Prodos Games LTD are a relatively young company comprising members from the UK, USA and Poland. They specialise in miniature wargames, of which AvP is one. They have a team of highly-skilled 3D designers working for them and produce some of the most detailed miniatures on the market.

The company also offers a 3D design service as well as 3D printings. Another of their main titles is Warzone: Resurrection, which is described by the company as a "fast paced, exciting and tactical miniature game."

The Designers

Jarek Ewertowski is the CEO of Prodos, and specialises in developing the rules for miniature wargames, most notably those for Mutant Chronicles: Warzone Resurrection and, of course, the above.

Grzegorz Oleksy is a Polish game author with Prodos Games.

If you think it’s time to get down to tri-directional bipedal business and shoot some somethings, buy this game from Zatu today!