Overview

Bug-Eyed Monsters is a 1983 board game published by West End Games that recreates the tropes of 1950s science fiction B-movies. Aliens invade small-town America, and the two-player game pits alien Bug-Eyed Monsters against the human townsfolk. The game includes two scenarios: in one, aliens land in Freedom, New Hampshire to capture women; in the second, they attempt to kidnap President-elect Eisenhower.

Components

• 1 color map (23” x 17”) depicting a small American town
• Die-cut counters (aliens, townspeople, vehicles)
• 8-page rulebook
• 2 six-sided dice

Setup

1. Lay out the map of the town.
2. One player takes the alien counters, the other takes the human counters.
3. Place counters in their starting positions according to the chosen scenario.
4. The human player places townspeople in buildings and locations around the town.
5. The alien player sets up their landing party at the designated entry point.

Turn Structure

Each turn:

1. First Player Phase: Move units and resolve combat or other actions.
2. Second Player Phase: Move units and resolve combat or other actions.
3. Alert Phase: Check if additional humans have been alerted to the invasion.

Actions

Move:

• Each unit has a movement allowance determining how many spaces it can move.
• Terrain (buildings, streets, etc.) may affect movement costs.

Combat:

• Combat uses strength ratings, weapon values, and aiming ability.
• Roll dice and compare results against combat tables.
• Aliens have superior technology; humans have numbers and local knowledge.

Capture (Aliens):

• In the first scenario, aliens attempt to capture women, who have “Pulchritude” ratings from 1 to 6. Higher-rated women are worth more to the aliens.
• In the second scenario, the target is President-elect Eisenhower.

Alert Others (Humans):

• Human counters can alert other townspeople and the family dog.
• Alerted humans can join the fight against the invaders.
• Different human counters have different abilities.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Victory conditions depend on the scenario:

• Scenario 1 (Capture the Women): The alien player wins by capturing women with sufficient total Pulchritude points. The human player wins by preventing this within the time limit.
• Scenario 2 (Kidnap Eisenhower): The alien player wins by capturing Eisenhower and returning him to their ship. The human player wins by protecting Eisenhower until the time limit expires.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• B-Movie Theme: The game heavily leans into 1950s sci-fi B-movie tropes, with humor and thematic flavor.
• Pulchritude Ratings: The women have ratings from 1-6, determining their “value” to the aliens — a direct parody of B-movie alien invasion plots.
• Asymmetric Combat: Aliens are individually powerful but few in number; humans are weaker but can rally reinforcements.
• The Family Dog: One of the human counters is a family dog with its own abilities for alerting others.
• Town Map: The detailed town map with buildings and streets creates interesting tactical situations for ambushes and pursuits.

Player Reference

Faction	Strength	Objective
Aliens	Few but powerful	Capture targets and return to ship
Humans	Numerous but weak	Protect targets and repel invasion

Combat: Strength + weapons + aiming vs. dice roll Scenarios: 2 included (capture women or kidnap Eisenhower) Components: 23” x 17” map, die-cut counters, 2d6