allboardgames.com
They Live: Assault On Cable 54 box art
2022 Ranked #20,121

They Live: Assault On Cable 54

This hidden-role narrative adventure has humans strengthen a resistance while invaders secretly sabotage it before a midnight deadline. Players explore for assets and develop personal stories, then need to reach Cable 54 and overcome a final assault.

Adventure Deduction Action/Event Point to Point Movement

Players

1-6

Play time

120-200 min

Age

13+

Complexity

3.67/5

Rating

6.30

Harder to teach Highly interactive Deep strategy

Overview

At a glance

Is this game right for my group?

ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.

Teachability 2.3/5

Harder to teach

Replay value 4.0/5

High replayability

Interaction 3.6/5

Highly interactive

Player scaling 4.0/5

Scales well

Strategic depth 4.5/5

Deep strategy

See all 5 specifications

How it plays

How does it play?

They Live: Assault on Cable 54 is a narrative driven, adventure game that features hidden enemies inspired by the 1988 sci-fi classic.

Core mechanisms

Key systems that shape the decisions players make.

Read the full game description

They Live: Assault on Cable 54 is a narrative driven, adventure game that features hidden enemies inspired by the 1988 sci-fi classic. The main game features a cooperative campaign designed for 4-6 players taking the roles of Human or Invader (secondly a 1-2 Player Blind Play mode is currently in development). Most importantly, it includes a real-world working pair of Hoffman Lenses that not only make you feel more immersed in the world of the movie, but are also an integral part of the game. The adventure involves players exploring the city of LA to gain assets that will prepare them for the final push against the oppression of the Invaders. Players will assume the role of either a Human or an Invader, and that will determine if they plan to strengthen the resistance or sabotage their efforts to succeed. However, this role will be hidden from the other players, and can only be detected by using the Hoffman Lenses. Great effort has been taken to ensure that this feels like a living, breathing story within the world of the classic movie. Can a simple drifter rise to lead the resistance against our Invaders? Can a corrupt politician find redemption? Can a tired detective track down an elusive Invader-targeting serial killer? These stories are told through a unique story deck for each character. The order of their deck is randomised, and how many cards it takes to complete your story depends on your success with each. This system means a different personal-story experience each time you play. Each story features different endings depending on if you’re playing as a Human or an Invader. Completing them is optional, but doing so will reward you with unique character items and special skills to aid in overthrowing the Invaders, or sabotaging the resistance. The game contains a ticking timer that progresses towards a fixed deadline. In order to win the game, you need to get to Cable 54 and start the ‘final assault’ before the clock hits midnight! The ‘final assault’ contains three story-based trials that your team will need to overcome to win. Doing so will require high-level characters that players have developed throughout the game. You will also need a vast stash of weapons, items and allies to be victorious. Each of the three trials will test your skills, and require you to spend assets on improving your chances of successful dice rolls. It’s during this assault that enemy players are most likely to reveal themselves, and spend their sabotaged goods on halting your progress. With the correct planning, the right equipment, and a little luck, you have the chance to stop the signal once and for all, and live on in legend as part of resistance history. If you fail, well, things will be a lot worse… —description from the publisher

Browse all classifications

Shopping

Where to buy

No verified retailer offers are available yet. The references below may still help you continue your search.

Unverified shopping references

Editions

Language and publisher variants currently recorded in the catalog.

Edition Year Language Publisher / Region
No editions imported yet.

Player resources

Rulebooks, player aids, FAQs, and solo resources.

No files imported yet.

Game and edition data

All specifications (5)

Play and group

Players
1–6
Best with
–5
Play time
120–200 min
Age
13+
Complexity
3.7/5
Credits and catalog connections

Credits

Designers

2
Andrew Aitcheson Matt Lees

Artists

2
Makistony Carvalho Hugo Dourado

Publishers

1
Iconiq Studios

Linked items

No published linked games yet.