While we first reported on a Ghostbusters/Men in Black crossover board game in 2018, it pretty much disappeared off the radar after that.
In fact, it disappeared so much that I had pretty much assumed it was never going to actually happen. And yet…
IDW and Sony have finally announced the game will be released this Fall and they have have put up pre-orders here.
IDW Games and Sony Pictures Consumer Products announced today that their upcoming game, “Ghostbusters x Men in Black: Ecto-terrestrial Invasion”, is planned for release in fall 2021, with a preorder initiative taking place from March 15th through April 2nd.
Originally announced in 2018, Panda Cult Games and IDW Games recently completed development of Ecto-terrestrial Invasion. Following the original Ghostbusters and Men in Black as they partner up to take down a brand new threat, Ecto-terrestrial Invasion features a story-heavy campaign book written by Erik Burnham, the longtime scribe of IDW’s Ghostbusters comics. Throughout the game, players will choose from a series of branch points to craft a new storyline each time they play.
Aiming to capture the look and feel of a Saturday morning cartoon, IDW Games tapped fan-favorite artist Derek Laufman to create character and creature designs in his popular chibi style, and engaged Jack Lawrence (Sonic the Hedgehog), Chris Fenoglio (Goosebumps), Leonardo Ito (Dungeons & Dragons vs. Rick and Morty), Luis Antonio Delgado (Ghostbusters), and Lanza Studio to create over 100 pieces of interior card and tile art.
Finally, Hector ‘Hec’ Moran was brought on to translate Derek’s designs into over a dozen highly detailed miniature sculpts. As such, Ecto-terrestrial Invasion marks the first big collaborative effort between IDW Games, IDW Publishing, and Sony Pictures Consumer Products, and stands to be one of IDW Games’ most ambitious releases to date.
IDW Games will offer Ghostbusters and Men in Black fans an opportunity to preorder their copy of Ecto-terrestrial Invasion via a limited time BackerKit. Fans that preorder will be given a number of exclusive bonuses, which will be revealed over the course of the preorder window — including crowd-favorite characters to expand this epic team-up.
During the preorder initiative, IDW Games will release a prequel story, written by Erik Burnham, that details the arrival and creation of the ecto-terrestrials, and the team-up between the Ghostbusters and Men in Black. This story content will be released piece by piece via IDW Games’ social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About The Gameplay
Ghostbusters x Men in Black: Ecto-terrestrial Invasion is a semi-cooperative game for 2 to 4 players. In it, each player will take control of one Ghostbuster and one MIB to create their team, while the ecto-terrestrials are controlled by a set of AI rules. Players will then compete with each other to bust the most ecto-terrestrials, earning them cash. In between missions, players can spend their money to buy new weapons and gear to increase their busting potential. However, missions are littered with gadget cards that can swing the busting balance in a moment’s notice. Players will need to choose their targets carefully though, as too much in-fighting can lead to the ecto-terrestrials gaining the upper hand and defeating the players.
As players bust ecto-terrestrials and complete objectives, hot sheet cards will be drawn. Hot sheets will always contain a game altering event and an ecto-terrestrial icon. Each time an ecto-terrestrial icon is revealed, a corresponding track is filled. If any of the tracks become full, a ship piece must be removed from the firehouse. A multi-chamber dice tower, the firehouse has been riddled with ship pieces from the ecto-terrestrial’s crash landing. When a piece is pulled, any number of dice might spill out, indicating how many ecto-terrestrials and of which type will spawn around the map.
You can download the rulebook here by clicking the link:
And you can read Erik Burnham’s story setting up the game itself here (I’ll add the new chapters as they drop):
Here’s a look at the figures:
And here’s how to play:
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
Nerd Comments