Space Invaders Have Breached The Tabletop!

May 19, 2019 by cassn

It's been 40 years since the sky was overcast by an impeccably lined-up army of pixelated alien horror. Now 612 Games are bringing the classic arcade game Space Invaders to the tabletop!

Space Invaders: The Board Game is a deck-building card game combined with board game movement strategy where 2-4 players attempt to defend their moon from...invaders from space. I feel like I probably don't need to explain this bit - if you've played the arcade game at any point in your life, you already have a pretty good idea of what is going on.

The board game is set up in the same formation as the arcade game, with player cannons on the bottom and a seamlessly organized army above them, with a command UFO at the very top. At the beginning of the game, the space invaders are shuffled and placed onto the game board, hiding special bonuses and technology which can help players to upgrade their decks when they are revealed during the game.

However, while Space Invaders: The Board Game may be about facing a shared foe, the game is competitive, rather than co-operative and, like the original arcade game, you're fighting to develop for your own personal high score and beat your opponents!

Players start the game with an identical deck of cards and a drawn hand of five random cards. These cards are divided into actions and energy cards. Increase your energy output and the number and power of your actions to boost your score and win the game!

Space Invaders: The Board Game is available in either the Standard Version or the Deluxe Versions which contains upgraded components. Indeed, a board game like this is all about collectability, and the Deluxe Edition delivers the luxury component quality you want in a 40 year Space Invaders celebration!

There's also the option to also purchase a full-size 1:1 scale Space Invaders arcade machine diorama with printed signature of creator Tomohiro Nishikado. Coming in just under $1000, that's one serious collectible!

So if you think you have what it takes to save the earth from invasion, head over to the Kickstarter campaign now and get your Retro geek on!

Do you think video games on the tabletop is a good idea? Let us know what you think below!