The Awful Green Things from Outer Space

Did You Know?

• The game has undergone a number of revisions, including full-sized and Pocket Box editions.
• If the crew escapes, the crew player may play through a short epilogue that determines whether each escape boat made it home, using text passages and die rolls like a gamebook.

Theme

A green rock brought aboard the spaceship Znutar unleashes a rapidly breeding alien menace. One player commands the Awful Green Things, whose goal is to eat the crew and multiply. The other player leads the crew, fighting back with hand-to-hand combat and improvised objects whose effects are unknown. If the situation seems lost, the crew can trigger the ship's self-destruct and escape. This game draws inspiration from the 1968 film The Green Slime.

Rules

The boxed set includes a 16-page rulebook, 151 counters, five green six-sided dice, and an 11.5" x 21" game board. Initially, 22 crew members face 11 or 12 GTs ranging from immobile eggs to full adults. GTs can grow to a maximum of 12 adults, 18 babies, 19 eggs, and 22 fragments. The crew cannot replace losses and is usually at a disadvantage. Each unit has three statistics: Attack Dice, Constitution, and Movement Allowance. The crew player places crew members in designated rooms; weapons are placed in predefined locations. A die roll determines the starting number and type of GTs and their placement, avoiding crew-occupied spaces. After setup, the crew player moves one member into a GT-occupied location, triggering the alarm. The GT player takes the first turn. On a GT turn, they may grow (fragments to babies, eggs to babies, babies to adults, or adults lay eggs), move (adults 2 spaces, babies 1), attack (roll attack dice against a target in the same room; killed crew are eaten for growth), and wake stunned GTs. On the crew turn, they may grab weapons (ray gun, hypodermic, Can of Zgwortz, knife, pool stick, etc.), move (up to 4 spaces for swift, 1 for Leadfoot the Robot), and attack.

Reception

In the January–February 1980 edition of The Space Gamer, Steve Jackson liked the original TSR boxed set, saying players would not regret finding a copy. John Olsen in White Dwarf issue 20 gave it an average 7 out of 10, noting luck plays a large part but concluding he enjoyed the wild and crazy game. Jim Bambra in Dragon issue 141 reviewed the Steve Jackson Games boxed set and advised not to miss it. Doug Niles in Dragon issue 176 called it an exercise in whimsy that provokes a tense, well-balanced battle, praising its storytelling air but criticizing the light and flimsy board and counters needing scissors. He recommended it for rewarding careful strategy. John ONeill of Black Gate called it one of the great mini-games of all time for its gonzo humor and original design. Charlene Brusso in InQuest Gamer said it is simple enough to teach to a grandmother and results in lots of wacky fun.