Bumps in the Night - A Monster of the Week Review

Evil Hat Games

Monster of the Week

Published by Evil Hat Productions (Revised Edition 2015)

Written by Michael Sands

Licensed roleplaying games are bigger than ever, with even confined, main character-driven settings like Cowyboy Bebop and Blade Runner getting official systems. Avatar: Legends, based on the beloved, element-bending, had a record-breaking 10 million dollar Kickstarter.

But that doesn't mean every licensed RPG is a winner - the negative response to the recent Power Rangers shows us the limits of this trend. And even the best ones still leave game masters and players acting out adventures that often feel like a sideshow to the property's main story. I've played, enjoyed, and written plenty about licensed games but that's something always in the back of my mind. So what if you want to capture the atmosphere of a specific story but let the players take more of a role in the world?

That's where games like Monster of the Week come in. The book is very open about its influences,  actively promoting itself as being in the vein of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, X-Files, Supernatural, and those shows' creature-killing ilk. Using Powered by the Apocalypse for the mechanics, Monster of the Week shows the benefits of emulating an entire genre rather than a specific setting.

Evil Hat Games

The book puts the emphasis on getting right into play, broken up into digestible sections tailored to how quickly the table wants to get into a game. Even then, some more involved info is given for long term campaigns. Keepers are provided a wide range of support, like example monsters, mechanics for running story arcs, and advice on crafting a satisfying mystery. 

Some of this advice isn't specific to Monster of the Week but that's what makes it effective direction and plays to the overall ethos of PBtA - you're not playing