New Extra-Terrestrial board game ET breaks the franchise’s curse

Most likely, Steven Spielberg’s ET the Extra-Terrestrial still an unqualified success. The sentimental sci-fi sensation captivated audiences back in 1982, breaking box office records and laying the groundwork for generations of suburban fantasy (hello, Strange things). However, its appeal almost never translates into the gaming experience. One rush to make Atari 2600 . toner cartridge helped put the entire market in free fall and took the idea of ​​burying failure to shocking extremes. Can a board game break that bizarre curse?

Funko’s ET the Extra-Terrestrial: Light Years from Home flying to challenge that model. Eye-catching co-op board game designed by it Prospero Hall team (who created adaptations of Spielberg’s countertops Jaw and Jurassic Park) is unusually similar to seeing the movie for the first time as a child; If you can get through some of the initial turmoil, you’re on treatment.

Photo: James Paul Correia Photography / Funko Games

Designed for two to four players, Light year from home takes the film’s plot – bringing ET to the “phone home” – to complex but interesting extremes. Every Player Cycle – Elliott, his siblings, Michael and Gertie, and a semi-secret friend Greg – move yourself or the aliens around the chessboard, collect communication pieces and hide from nasty federal agents (who don’t own guns or walkie-talkies). Those communication pieces are used to build a set of dice that move the beautifully designed mother piece – but only if the player brings the dice (and ET) in their bike basket to a particular point in the game. forest to send their signal.

Custom aspects make ET spirit like Dungeons & Dragons the game the kids play in the movie. Each character has unique abilities, and carrying the ET figurine gives you access to a more powerful moving deck that renders beautifully stylized scenes from the movie. (A set of player cards helps keep track of everyone’s moves.)

Light year from homeThe challenges – early on at least – lie in the sheer number of play options you have per turn. Some moves are free, others bring you closer to the end of the turn, and some offset or allow those moves to be skipped. Those actions can even be combined by attaching the characters’ bases together and moving them parallel across the board. It’s a setup that can frustrate younger kids with shorter attention spans – or adults paying attention to Reese’s Pieces and cans of Coors. (The game is marketed for ages 10 and up; if you’re a 10-year-old ET fans in 2022, I’d love to sit down with you and let you know what’s coming your next decade.)

Photo: James Paul Correia Photography / Funko Games

But after a few rounds of concentration – or a pause to really Read those instructions – you’ll be thrilled to achieve the game’s goals together, bask in the light of the game’s classic art design, and nod to all your favorite moments from the movie. . You might even be inspired to put on that classic Theme by John Williams when you land the spaceship before the government takes you off the landing pad – and after you’ve repackaged the gameplay, you may wonder when is the right time to request a replay, choose other characters next time.

Four decades later ET became synonymous with miserable gaming experiences, Light year from home provide a surprise hit when redeeming. The character’s balanced specs and matching the finest details of the source material all make for a delightful addition to your next family game night. You’ll forgive the obvious pun… but it could even send you and yours to the moon.

ET The Extra-Terrestrial: Light Years From Home was reviewed with a final retail copy provided by Funko Games. Vox Media has an affiliate partnership. These do not affect editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. You can find Additional information on Polygon’s ethics policy can be found here.