Astronauts have traveled to Mars on an important fact finding mission. With the superhero Invincible on their side, how could they fail? Invincible Escape from Mars is a social deduction game based on the hit Amazon Original animated series from Skybound Animation. In this game, up to 10 players are working to complete challenges and make it home safely. But, not everyone is who they appear to be.
Fighting for Good?
Invincible is a comic series from Robert Kirkman that follows teenager Mark Grayson as he discovers his superhuman powers. The comic and animated series is filled with superheroes, villains, outrageous aliens and over the top violence. While the source material isn’t appropriate for younger audiences, Invincible Escape from Mars doesn’t include any mature material.
Players will take on the role of a superhero with a unique, asymmetric power or a standard human astronaut. In each round of the game, there will be a challenge card in the center of the table. Players can contribute a card to the challenge presented on the central board. Like any good astronaut, you want your team to succeed! But, some of your teammates have been infected with a Sequid.
This mind controlling parasite means that you no longer want the team to succeed. Your new directive is to fail challenges and spread to other players at the table. If you’re dealt a Sequid card or receive one from another player, you’re now the enemy. You need to keep your status a secret, causing discourse for as long as you can.
Get to the Shuttle
Invincible Escape from Mars can end in one of three ways. If players successfully finish 3 challenges, the superheroes and astronauts have won the game. If 3 challenges are failed, the Sequids have taken control and won. If you get to the end of the 7th mission of the game without a winner, it’s time to board the shuttle.
Players secretly look at the cards assigned to their “set back” cards during the game. Some players may have been a Sequid all along because of the card played on their set back. The final accusation phase will dictate who boards the shuttle back to Earth. A single Sequid making it on board means that the Sequids have won.
At the end of each mission, players get to accuse another player of being infected. This accusation phase of the game is led by the the person playing as Invincible during that game. Invincible can never be infected by a Sequid, will always assist the good guys, and will break any ties when players make accusations.
Invincible Escape from Mars is a game where your allegiances can shift from missions to mission. You’re only a Sequid as long as you are holding a Sequid card. That’s what makes this game feel so dynamic each round. Just because someone was an enemy in the first mission, doesn’t mean they are still an enemy two missions later. When players accuse someone at the table of being a Sequid during the accusation phase, they have to give up all their infected cards.
Standing Out
When I first heard about Invincible Escape from Mars, it was hard not to draw comparisons to The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31. While these two games share a similar mechanic, I found that Invincible stands out in a couple of ways.
First off, once you get the flow of the game, Invincible is about a 30-minute game. During each mission, players are only playing a single card from their hand. This keeps everyone engaged as gameplay moves around the table quickly, even at 8+ players. When the game ended, we found ourselves wanting to jump into another game because everyone genuinely wanted to play more missions.
Invincible Escape from Mars also sets itself apart in how the game favors the good guys. We found that, in games where the players with the Sequid cards didn’t play aggressively, it was an easy win for the superheroes and astronauts. In a game with 7 or fewer players, you get two Sequid cards to start the game. With 8 or more players, a third Sequid card is shuffled into the mix.
A new Sequid card is introduced each mission, giving more control to the infected if a Sequid isn’t found during the accusation phase. There’s a nice balance to the game that never feels unfair to a specific group. Like most social deduction games, players are going to let accusations fly. Every smile or smirk at the table means you’re probably guilty of something.
A Super Game?
I’ve been impressed with how easy it has been to get Invincible Escape from Mars to the table. The game moves quickly and players are usually up for a second game. The minute I received the game, my college aged son invited his friends over and it hit the table the same night. This doesn’t mean the game doesn’t have a couple missteps along the way.
Challenge cards require players to submit a card that has a matching colored shape to the challenge board. These colors and shapes seems very generic and, to my knowledge, have no connection to the source material. The cards have generic resources like batteries, gas, crowbars and other pieces of equipment. They never feel connected to what you’re doing at the table.
The one production choice that bugs me every time I play the game is the tiny cardboard tokens used to represent the number of Sequid cards that are in play. The tokens are beyond tiny and are begging to get accidently tossed in the trash. The first player token is incredibly small and we’ve almost stopped using it because it gets lost on the table.
With these minor issues aside, I really like the unique character art on each player card along with their asymmetric abilities. Players can lean into their character and use their ability to benefit the team they’re currently playing for.
Invincible Escape from Mars sets itself apart from similar games in our collection because of its fast-pace. Having the Invincible character as a permanent force of good and mediator for the table makes thematic sense. Players who love the animated series or comic book will be immediately drawn into the game.
The game mechanics are strong enough, that even without knowing the source material, you can still have a fantastic time. If you’re a fan of social deduction games, Invincible Escape from Mars is going to be a go-to game for game nights with 6+ players.
Invincible Escape from Mars is available at your local game store, the Skybound webstore and online through Amazon.
This game was provided to us by the publisher for review. Read more about our review policies at One Board Family.
Highs
- Great use of the license and shows storyline
- Supports up to 10 players and really shines with 6+
- Straight-forward gameplay with snappy turns
- Asymmetric characters and Martian game variant
Lows
- Comically small Sequid and first player marker
- Playing with less than 6 players falls flat
Complexity
Time Commitment
Replayability
