Memorable cult classic films span through the ages, but few are as well-loved and quoted by fans as John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China. It all begins with a truck driver, a kung-fu gambler, a wizened magician, and a nosey lawyer embarking on an iconic adventure through Chinatown on a quest to rescue a green-eyed girl from the clutches of her nefarious kidnappers, the Wing Kong, and their Ghost-Sorcerer leader, Lo Pan. It’s a mystical, action, adventure, comedy, kung-fu, monster, ghost story!

With Big Trouble in Little China: The Game, designers Chris Batarlis (Everything Epic) and Boris Polonsky (Flipside) have created a new way to experience the Big Trouble universe. In their game, players embark on all-new storytelling adventures with all the nostalgic feel of the original film, as well as new stories created for the board game.

“Making a game based on a licensed property is always a tricky proposition, but Big Trouble is a very special film to us, and we knew we had to make this happen,” Chris explains. The designers have been hard at work on the game since 2015, teaming up with BOOM! Studios to secure the license, and dedicating themselves to making a game that fans would love.

Making the game feel like the film was very important to the design team. “We wanted to make a game that would transport the player into that world and let them go on their own adventures. A sandbox in which players can explore the way they want, by following the film or experiencing all-new stories, as they upgrade their characters for the final showdown with the evil Lo Pan,” Chris notes. “We want people to tell stories in and out of the game.”

Chris and Boris went through quite a few variations of the game to capture the essence of the movie while making the game a fun and cooperative experience. All of the aspects of the game had to be right. The miniatures were painstakingly sculpted to capture the feel and likenesses of the characters from the film. The locations from the movie were recreated in great detail on the double-sided game board, superbly illustrated by Henning Ludvigsen (Mansions of Madness). And the quests were written with great care and reverence to the beloved film by Jim Samartino (Secrets of the Lost Tomb) to give the feel of the events of the movie, while also introducing new narrative.

Big Trouble in Little China: The Game starts off on the front side of the game board, in “Little China”, where up to four players can take on the roles of their favorite characters from the film, like Jack, Gracie, Egg, and the rest of the gang, to explore Chinatown locations, complete quests, and do combat with villains. Each character has their own talents and abilities, allowing for different play styles that match the unique character.  You'll work together, gaining audacity and leveling up the characters in preparation for the final showdown with Lo Pan.

Standing in your way is Lo Pan’s unchecked criminal organization, the Wing Kong Hatchet Men, Lords of Death, his Security Forces, and the mythical Three Storms! And just like the heroes, each villain has their own stats and abilities that are thematic to the film.

Actions in the game are performed by allocating custom action dice to slots on your character’s hero board. Players decide just how many dice to assign to any given task or combat.  Use more dice to assure success or possibly give yourself more actions on your turn.

After all of the Heroes have prepped, the ‘Big Trouble’ phase begins. Players draw a Big Trouble card to trigger special effects, spawn new minions, and raise the Big Trouble Track furthering Lo Pan’s machinations. Players have to hurry, because the Big Trouble Track moves up at the end of each round and also anytime a hero goes to Hell, thus allowing Lo Pan to inch closer to breaking the curse and regaining his mortal form.  If the Big Trouble Track fills, or the heroes fill the audacity track, Act Two, ‘The Final Showdown’ immediately begins. The game board flips to the backside, Lo Pan’s Lair, and the players have to race against time to gain entrance to the arena and face-off with Lo Pan. If a player defeats Lo Pan in time, they win the game!

“Designing a game that lets players jump into the film was important, but we also wanted to make a game that felt fresh and had its own identity,” Boris explained. “We came up with some really fun new game mechanics that we think all types of gamers will appreciate.” To emphasize the cooperative gameplay, players may use the communal fate dice that give heroes a much-needed boost in a tight spot, but require you do a fate roll to see if the boost comes with a penalty.  Another unique mechanic in the game are the ‘Hell Cards’.  When a player dies, instead of being removed from the game they go to a “Chinese Hell,” gaining a Hell card that often has a punitive, but fun effect, but doesn’t remove heroes from the action. Just take Jack Burton's advice if ya wanna get out of hell free... remember... "It's all in the reflexes."

Players will have meaningful story choices to make within the quests which result in taking different paths each time a quest is played, discovering a new part of the story. ‘Showdown Quests’, generated by the outcome of the main quests, will affect how the showdown plays out on the back of the board.  Multiple quest choices, branching paths, and variable showdown setups all add a ton replayability to the game. If you worked together, got chi to level up, and played it smart, you and your team will be able to save Chinatown! If not, all will be lost, and Lo Pan will continue his reign of terror plaguing the world with his sorcery.

Big Trouble in little China: The Game brings the action, adventure, and fun of the film into an immersive miniatures tabletop gaming experience with many unique features, components, and replayability. A game, certainly for fans of the film, but also for thematic cooperative game fans as well. A game that will have you telling stories during play, as well as telling your friends about the experience.

Big Trouble in Little China: The Game is estimated to release worldwide to retailers in November 2017. For more information, visit Everything Epic’s site at www.BigTroubleGame.com.