by Chris Creagh
This multiplayer board game was rediscovered in a box of SF ‘stuff’ housed in Murdoch University library. It is a Furrball Publication, copyright 1999 Paul Kidd with the concept being “One player controls a horde of bugs. One or more other players each control a single marine. The bugs must charge down the corridor and try and eat the marines. The marines get to brass the whole joint up and blow holes in lotsa bugs in a manic attempt to stay alive!”.
The board has a ‘corridor’ divided into 6 zones which could be hex or rectangular depending on if you look at the board or read the instructions. The Marines are in one section and the bugs are in the dark outside of the playing area. Moves are made, dice are rolled, Marines free of face huggers fire their weapons and lifeforms die. “If all the bugs die, the bugs lose. If all the marines die, then the marines lose.”
Simple game but has anyone played it? If so then was it fun?
The artwork of guns, bugs and Marines by Grant Freckleton is detailed enough to set the imagination spinning. Particularly the “Inflatable Decoy (with thermal/seismic lures, nuclear device & improv. armaments).
I am assuming it was tested at SwanCon 1999. Any gaming stories welcome. Grant can we scan and upload some of the artwork?