The Thing: The Game

So there's this movie called The Thing; the famous version is from the 80s and was directed by John Carpenter though it's actually a remake of some movie from the 50s. The premise, in brief, is that a bunch of scientists working at an isolated research base in Antarctica accidentally come into contact with an alien that takes over people's bodies. It's like a small-scale Invasion of the Body Snatchers except when the aliens are exposed they turn into giant kickass monster aliens. Also, it's got lots of flamethrower action. As if I need to say it, Aliens + Paranoia + Flamethrowers = awesome.

When I was in high school, I saw the movie and was inspired to design a game based around it. The game is meant to be played in a smallish group and as an ongoing game, which is to say you play it while also going about your daily activities. It works best in a school-like situation where you come into contact with the same people frequently. I also suggest playing it as a gambling game, with something like a dollar or five as a buy-in. This just encourages people to stay in the game and makes it more fun and intense. If you do play for money, I'd say the player who starts as the Thing should break even, as should the second place player. First place gets the rest. Obviously, though, it's up to you.

STARTING/ORGANIZING THE GAME

The game would be best done with a computerized system, but I'm lazy and don't really know how to do that, so I'm sticking to low-tech means. The most high-tech it gets is email, which even my grandmother can handle. To start the game, you gather everyone together and, maybe using a deck of cards, randomly select one player to start as The Thing. It's important that the other players do not know which player is The Thing. Every other player is a Human. Also, one player (not the thing) randomly starts with a flamethrower. Don't worry, it's not an actual flamethrower, just a symbolic one. Use whatever you want to represent it, though it must be something clearly visible, like a bracelet.

PLAYING THE GAME

The Thing can infect a Human by getting him/her alone in a room. When this occurs, The Thing informs the player that he/she has been infected. Any player who is infected immediately becomes The Thing. The Thing who infected the human remains The Thing. Thus, the balance of power shifts, as The Thing eventually overwhelms the Humans. For the purposes of determining whether a Human counts as alone, other Humans and non-players count but players who are The Thing do not.

The Thing may not infect any Human carrying the flamethrower. However, any Human may ask the player with the flamethrower to give it to him/her. The player with the flamethrower must give it up and may not ask for it back for 24 hours. Others may still ask for the flamethrower though. The Thing may not ask for the flamethrower, but if it somehow comes into The Thing's possession, it is rendered useless for the duration of the game.

When a player is added to The Thing, he/she should inform the player who began the game as The Thing. This player should keep a list and pass it out to all players who are The Thing on a regular basis, presumably by email. This player is also in charge of announcing when the game is over. The game ends when only one Human, the game's winner, remains. Other players should congratulate this player on being probably the most paranoid motherfucker on the planet.

And, well, that's it. Go get scared and stop trusting your friends... I mean, have fun!