New E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial board game breaks the franchise’s curse

In nearly every capacity, Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialUnqualified success remains. This sentimental scifi hit charmed the audience in 1982 and broke box-office records, laying the groundwork for future suburban fantasies (hello! Stranger Things). Its charms are almost always not translated into enjoyable gaming experiences. A poorly made Atari 2600 cartridge caused the whole market to crash and took the concept of failure down to new heights. What board game can break the bizarre curse of Atari 2600?

Funko’s E.T. Extraterrestrial: Light years from Home This is why he’s flying in to change that paradigm. The eye-catching co-op board game designed by its Prospero Hall team (who’ve crafted tabletop adaptations of Spielberg’s JawsAnd Jurassic Park) is unusually similar to seeing the film for the first time as a child; if you can get past some early moments of unrest, you’re in for a treat.

Photo: James Paul Correia Photography/Funko Games

This is a great choice for 2 to 4 players. The Light Years From Home takes the film’s plot — get E.T. to “phone home” — to complicated but exciting extremes. Each bike-riding player — Elliott, his siblings, Michael and Gertie, and semi-obscure friend Greg — moves themselves or the alien around the board, collecting communicator pieces and evading pesky federal agents (who possess neither guns nor walkie-talkies). Those communicator pieces are used to build a set of dice to help the beautifully designed mothership piece move — but only once the players carry the dice (and E.T.) In their bikes, the players take their signal to an area in the forest with their baskets.

You can customize everything. E.T. as spirited as the Dungeons & Dragons game the kids play early on in the film. The little E.T. gives each character unique capabilities. The figurine gives you the ability to access a deck with extra-powerful movement cards. These cards feature beautiful stylized scenes taken from the film. (A set of player cards helps keep track of everyone’s move sets.)

The Light Years From Home’s challenges — at least early on — lie in the sheer amount of play options you have per turn. While some moves cost money, others will get you closer towards the end of your turn. Other moves can be offset by abilities that allow you to skip those moves. Those actions can even be combined by snapping the characters’ bases together and moving them around the board in tandem. It’s a setup that could frustrate younger kids with shorter attention spans — or adults gorged on Reese’s Pieces and cans of Coors. (The game is marketed for ages 10 and up; if you’re a 10-year-old E.T. fan in 2022, I’d love to sit down with you and tell you what to expect for your next decade.)

Photo: James Paul Correia Photography/Funko Games

But after a few focused rounds — or a pause to Really read those instructions — you’ll thrill to achieving the game’s objective together, basking in the glow of the game’s retro art design and nods to all your favorite moments in the movie. You might even be inspired to put on that classic John Williams theme when you get the spaceship to land before the government boxes you out of the landing site — and after you pack the game pieces back up, you might wonder when it’s the right time to ask to play it again, picking different characters next time.

Four decades after E.T. Gaming experiences that are not enjoyable were synonymousized with the word “sorry”. The Light Years From HomeOffers a surprising chance at redemption. You’ll have a lot of fun with your family gaming night thanks to its balanced characters and thoughtful nods. You’ll forgive the obvious pun… but it might even send you and yours over the moon.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is Light Years from Home Funko Games provided a retail copy of the final edition for review. Vox Media is an affiliate partner. Although these partnerships do not impact editorial content, Vox Media could earn commissions on products sold via affiliate links. Here are some links to help you find. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.