Under Falling Skies is a tense solo science-fiction board game in which you, as humanity’s last hope, fight against an alien invasion.
The game is set in a time when Earth is attacked by alien spacecraft, forcing humanity to retreat into underground bases beneath cities. Your task is to lead the defense, develop technology (research), and prevent a massive mothership from destroying your city.
The atmosphere strongly resembles classic arcade games like Space Invaders—enemy ships slowly descend toward your base while time relentlessly ticks away. The theme creates a constant sense of threat, pressure, and a final struggle for survival.
The core mechanic of the game is dice placement, creating an engaging mix of decision-making and risk. At the start of each round, you roll dice and assign them to different rooms in your underground base.
Each die triggers a specific action, such as:
- generating energy,
- advancing research,
- attacking enemy ships,
- expanding your base.
The key dilemma: higher die values provide stronger effects, but also cause enemy ships in that column to descend faster toward your base.
The game plays like a tactical puzzle:
- you must balance defense and research,
- make trade-offs between short-term and long-term goals,
- and carefully plan your moves, as each decision affects multiple aspects at once.
In addition to the base game, it features a campaign with different cities, scenarios, and characters that introduce new challenges and rules.
Under Falling Skies is a tense strategic solo game that uses simple rules to create a deep and tactical survival experience against a relentless alien invasion. 👽🚀
