Before returning to deep space and start the review of Building Better Worlds, I want to thank Free League Publishing for sending us a digital copy of this new book for Alien RPG.

If, like me, you are also passionate about this book, you can find it on the publisher’s website at a cost of around 42 euros. As with all the other manuals, the Foundry Virtual Tabletop module is also available for less than 22 euros.

The book consists of approximately 300 pages perfectly organized pages with a timely index, useful for finding everything you need at a glance. At the end of the book, you will find the analytical index, another functional tool for precise consultation.

I remind you that to use this volume you need the core manual, which you can find our review on the website

A Book for the Campaign Mode

Alien RPG: Building Better Worlds is the second module designed for the campaign mode of the editorial line. Where Alien RPG: Colonial Marines Operation Manual focused on a very action story, the volume we are talking about today instead orbits around exploration in search of new worlds to inhabit.

The nearly 300 pages of this paperback volume are divided into 10 chapters. The first 5 are dedicated to the whole group and can (indeed, should) also be read by the players; chapters 6 to 10 are the sections dedicated to the Game Mother, the name used to indicate the storyteller in the game.

New Elements in the Game

The first part of this substantial manual expands the possibilities and information of the game. In fact, after a purely introductory first chapter, in the second, we find a vast section dedicated to the history of space colonization which introduces not only the events in chronological order but also reference figures to which to connect in the narrative.

The third chapter is entirely dedicated to the existing Organizations in the game; we find not only the famous Wayland-Yutani Corporation but also lesser-known others such as the Central African Confederation and the Space Exploration Corps.

Instead the fourth chapter introduces two new character classes. The Wildcatter is a gold prospector focused on exploring new lands in search of resources; the Entertainer, on the other hand, has skills designed to keep the morale of the colony’s inhabitants high.

The fifth chapter is dedicated to expanding the arsenal of weapons, vehicles and spaceships. In short, many elements are proposed to expand the gaming possibilities.

Tools for Game Mothers

As I said at the beginning of the review, the remaining chapters of Alien RPG: Building Better Worlds are all dedicated to the Game Mother.

Chapter 6 explains in detail how to set up games in the dangerous places of the border. These are useful suggestions because they help to understand how human settlements in space are classified and what types of colonies can settle in those contexts. This chapter goes into more detail, providing some examples, of how to structure a campaign based on exploration rather than colonization. For each possibility, a huge number of ideas are presented, which is excellent if you want to structure something of your own.

Chapter 7 fully details the systems and colonies, providing a large setting where other adventures can be set in addition to the one proposed. There’s a brief description for each area, technical details and a small star map are available. The game world is so potentially vast given that we have an entire space that we can occupy with our plots.

I found chapter 8 particularly interesting, which lists and presents new creatures to add to the game universe. There are many new monsters related to the black pathogen seen in the Prometheus movie; the infection process, as well as its outcomes and consequences, are also precisely explained.

Instead, chapter 9 presents the campaign and its narrative setting; in fact, it details the parts at play as well as the characters and offers an interesting overview of some key NPCs in the plot.

The Game Mother also has many ideas for secondary events to introduce at will or to use as key elements for your campaigns.

The Lost Worlds: a Frontier Mission

Our reviews are always spoiler-free; we will therefore tackle chapter 10 of this volume, dedicated to the playable plot, avoiding going into particular details.

In The Lost Worlds, the characters will face seven explorations; the first six can be undertaken in any order and lead inevitably to the last, In the Shadow of Perfection, in a thrilling crescendo. Characters will be able to follow the missions of each exploration by putting together the pieces that will ultimately reveal the bigger picture in which they are involved.

Each mission is different and each takes the characters to very different worlds. They will have the opportunity to investigate a world of tropical jungles and a baffling cave system on KOI-784.01; they will visit Earth-like KOI-1966.03 with the intent of exploring and colonizing it. They will have to deal with insurgents on KOI-610.01, a largely volcanic planet, and will have to search for a missing ship on the gas giant KOI-2702.07.

The plot therefore has an interesting evolution and offers players various and not at all banal adversaries and conflicts. The presence of the much loved and feared creatures that made Alien such an exciting franchise is not excessive. On the contrary, they serve, in the right places, to raise the tension without descending into banality.

Each exploration offers different possibilities for managing the plot; The Lost Worlds can therefore be proposed again simply by changing the order of the explorations without the whole losing its bite.

Alien RPG: Building Better Worlds Aesthetics Review

I can only confirm what has already been said for all the volumes previously released of this editorial line. Alien RPG: Building Better Worlds confirms itself as a highly graphic manual.

The layout in two columns is completely framed and the impression is that of reading directly from a monitor. Setting notes are an exception, as they have a specific font similar to those typical of the early 1980s. The solid black printed pages with small stars as decoration impose this choice to make the text stand out.

Arts and maps, entrusted to the couple Martin Grip and Gustaf Ekelund, are a warranty. Whether it’s a panorama or the features of an NPC, the clear lines and the choice of colours are perfect for conveying the tension that the game wants to convey.

The maps, as always extremely necessary in this game, are perfectly usable at the table. They are clear even when they represent huge areas making them even more precious.

Conclusions of Alien RPG: Building Better Worlds Review

In conclusion, Alien RPG: Building Better Worlds is a valuable supplement. It is precious if you have mainly explored the cinematic adventures of this immense saga. The tools for players and the master are also extremely functional for creating adventures. The insights offer a wide range of useful information to expand the game world.

Aesthetically beautiful and extremely functional, if you are passionate about the Alien saga, this manual cannot escape you!

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