The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 Review

Critical Hits: Very evocative, full of paranoia and flamethrowers
Critical Misses: Fragile, could have used more development

CT: The Thing. Just that name conjures up stark imagery of Kurt Russel wielding a flame thrower and dogs splitting in half. It’s one of the most iconic horror films of all time and a setting many of us have been dying to game in. Utilizing a system that’s basically Battlestar Galactica with the crisis structure torn out in favor of The Resistance-influenced missions, this is a setup that should evoke juicy betrayals and violent showdowns. Should is the key word there as I’m not quite sure this design lives up to its massive potential.

RC: Man I loved this game at Gen Con. It knocked me away with the scheming and uncertainty that popped up around the table. I live for the ability to lock eyes with someone and engage in bold face lying and arguing - says a lot about me I guess - and that’s exactly what happened in that play. However, subsequent plays haven’t always lived up to that. They’ve succeeded and fallen flat in equal measure based almost completely on the group and how that group plays on that particular night. You’re right though, in that the potential for a great play is high.

CT: For sure, this is a wobbly game that’s susceptible to the whims of its participants. It’s not nearly as robust or smoothly aligned as its influences, and this can result in disappointing plays for sure. The game does a great job of setting things up. It puts the table at odds, it makes people cooperate (or not), and it pushes the narrative into places reminiscent of the feature film. The problem is that putting the ball on the tee is only half the battle. Frequently it stumbles upon itself and doesn’t quite resolve things as strongly as it should.

For instance, it sets up a compelling mission structure similar to the Resistance with a BSG crisis resolution, but it doesn’t offer the proper tools to resolve this in an interesting way. Players speak up and say what cards they can contribute, leaving an imitation to play along. If the infected player decides to toss in a sabotage, the leader of the mission can question people before revealing the inserted cards, pressing random players on what they put in. While this may not catch the traitor immediately as they could shift into a clever lie, this makes it very difficult to do so. The design offers no cover or randomization in the resolution and takes much of the agency away from the enemy player.

RC: This questioning and sharing of knowledge is exactly what makes or breaks the game. The rulebook offers no specifics, just encourages table talk. This game, and the movie it’s based on, lives in the uncertainties and unknown. Without clear rules about what is and isn’t allowed, it’s up to the group and individual captains to decide what kind of talk they want to allow. We’ve found it best to allow only general information, without allowing direct questioning of individuals until any cards have been revealed. Of course, this is a bit of a house rule and has the unfortunate side effect of making The Thing a little more difficult for people who haven’t played deduction games before.

CT: After you deal with that, you still have the issue that if an imitation is caught and outed, they’re stuck between a Flamethrower and a hard place (this sounds much more interesting than it actually is). Since mission cards dictate how many players and what types must be included, either this known enemy is continually sitting on the sidelines doing nothing, or they’re forced to be included by the players as they’re powerless to subvert their sabotage. It simultaneously offers no additional set of actions for a traitor, while punishing the rest of the group arbitrarily by forcing their hand.

Admittedly, this is much worse at lower player counts where it feels as though the mission deck wasn’t fully playtested. Playing with a minimum of six participants alleviates some of this as you have more randomized hands to hide behind, and more targets to deflect suspicion towards.

RC: I agree. High player counts also contribute to The Thing being very friendly towards players who are unfamiliar with deduction games precisely because it’s easier to hide. While it might seem strange to those of us who have played games like One Night Ultimate Werewolf or Secret Hitler, games where all of the action takes place above the table can be very jarring to new gamers. The combination of a board with familiar spaces and cards you can be specific about contribute to easing someone into the system. “I have the fire extinguisher you need” makes it easy to sell yourself, and knowing you need to bring a Scientist alleviates some pressure on the captain. It’s a shame then that the systems that make The Thing approachable also make it fragile for experienced players. I don’t mind imposing communication rules it’s just a shame I feel the need. Fighting the urge to be specific about the concrete information you do have is also frustrating.

It’s not enough to keep me from enjoying the game however. Especially at high player counts I find The Thing engaging and live for those moments when you lock eyes with another person and begin arguing, watching the web of assumptions light up like an imitation at the business end of Macready’s M2A1-7 flamethrower.

It’s business time.

CT: Definitely, there are some tremendous moments here. The ability to burn a player down with the flamethrower and sneer at their imitation ashes is wonderful. The game coming down to the wire and a vote for who gets to board the chopper is fantastic. I think much of this comes down to stomaching the bad for the sake of the good. If those highs adequately counterweight the lows, then this one may be worth your time. If they don’t, well, then you’re likely better off sticking with Dark Moon, Secret Hitler, or Battlestar Galactica.

RC: For sure this game won’t be for everyone. I’m hoping we can settle on some communication rules to smooth out the rough edges and really kick the game into overdrive. When it hits, The Thing delivers exactly what I want out of a game of deceit and deception.