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Unplugged Games > Grave Robbers from Outer Space (Card Game)
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by Dr. Matt J. Carlson
July 25, 2005
The card game that is a B-movie horror flick in disguiseﾅ and thatﾒs a good thing.
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Scroll down for our Kid Factor.
Grave Robbers from Outer Space is only one of several "B-Movie" card games produced by Z-Man Games. Each B-Movie card game focuses around a central theme, but can be played alone or mixed together with other versions of the card game. The object is for each player to create a movie with a location, a cast of characters, and props. Players begin with a hand of cards and play them into their own or each other's areas to create a movie. The game ends when the draw deck is exhausted or when a player chooses to play one of two game-ending cards entitled "Roll the Credits". Each card in a player's movie is worth points, the winner is the player with the most points. Most games are played as several hands, with the first person to reach a specific total score declared the winner. To begin, five cards are randomly selected from the deck. Each card in the deck has a word or two at the bottom like "Zombie", "Sininster", "Unholy", or "Next Door". The players use the flipped words to try and form an agreed-upon working title for their movie. The cards are shuffled back into the deck and are worth 5 extra points each for any player who has retains them unplayed until at the end of a hand of play.
A player's movie consists of three types of cards: locations, props, and characters. Players can play as many cards as they wish each turn, and end their turn by drawing up to their maximum hand limit. However, only one location is allowed per movie, and only one prop may be played on a specific character per turn. A new location will simply replace a previous location, while props can continue to accumulate on characters as long as they are not eliminated. Characters can be eliminated if an opposing player plays a creature card to attack. The creature's attack score is compared to the combined score of all characters, props, and location in the movie being attacked. Additional cards are often played in combat to modify either the creatures or characters. Once all card playing is completed, if the creature's attack score is equal or higher than the defensive score, the attacking player may choose one character card (and any associated props) to be eliminated. A final type of card bears noting, Special Effects cards can often be played outside your turn and typically modify characters or creatures in an attack. They can also mess with other player's hands of cards and other nasty things. They serve as a sort of catch-all "mess with other people" category and keep the game moving along.
The first few times you play the game, you will enjoy the humor that is liberally spread throughout the well-produced cards. Fans of the B-movie genre will not be disappointed. However, this does mean there is room for some bad horror/alien references and the expected gratuitous sexual innuendo. Once players have the hang of the game, it plays fairly quickly. Most hands can be completed in less than 15 minutes, but occasionally only players who are behind in points obtain the "Roll the Credits" cards so no one chooses to end the hand early. This results is a significantly longer hand of cards as the hand won't end until the entire deck of draw cards is depleted. With more players involved (up to six), the game also moves a bit slower. It is nice to be able to include more players into the game, but games with 5 or 6 players are more likely to take a bit longer to play.
While the rules are simple enough for younger kids, the subject matter isn't quite appropriate until high school or older. Younger kids might enjoy the basic game, but a good portion of the fun within the game comes from the theme, requiring game players to be familiar with the genre. There is a liberal dose of ominous or dark language (no profanity) and sexual innuendo. Nothing profane, but terms such as boobies and virgin are found within the card flavor text.
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Unplugged Games > Grave Robbers from Outer Space (Card Game)
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