From the publisher’s rulebook
Who goes first in The Thing: The Boardgame?
Pendragon Game Studio English rules, 2021

The player who most recently watched The Thing starts as the Leader.
Rule details
Give that player the Leader Sheet. The Leader handles the opening weather phase; character movement later begins with the player to the Leader’s left.
The same opening criterion is repeated in the separate one-to-three-player rules.
Source & edition
- The Thing: The Boardgame: English rulebookPendragon Game Studio / Ares Games · Setup, step 21; Game Overview; Character Movement; one-to-three-player setup; credits · Checked 2026-09-24Printed page references: 5, 6, 8, 23, 27
Image: © Pendragon Game Studio · Pendragon Game Studio
If your rules call for a random choice, use the player picker.
If there’s a tie
The rulebook doesn’t say. If you need a tie-break, pick a player at random.
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