Monster of the Week

Monster of the Week

Game Creator – Developed by Michael Sands
Publisher, Published Date: Evil Hat Productions, 2012
Genre: Urban fantasy, horror. Role Playing Game
Number of Players: 2-5
Play Time: Varies

Keywords

Roleplaying, Collaborative, Storytelling, Fantasy, and Science Fiction.

Image provided by Amazon

Short Description

Monster of the Week is a role-playing game meant for 2-5 players. In the game, you and your team will hunt monsters and solve mysteries monitored by the Keeper. The game design is based on television shows such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or “Supernatural” that deal with a different villain every week. In this game there will be “playbooks” to determine the character archetype you fulfill in the game. From there you will play within the capabilities of your character and utilize two six-sided dice. The Keeper decides the flow of the story and is encouraged to throw away the rules in the name of story.

Key Components

  • The physical book for reference.
  • Two six-sided dice.
  • Some way of keeping track of moves and the story (EX: computer).
  • Imagination!

    Image provided by AnyFlip depicting example of Monster of the Week Character Sheet

Annotated Bibliography

“How to Play Monster of the Week in 10 Minutes | Roll 20 Tutorial” YouTube, Uploaded by Roll20, 19th January 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMIb__oPvw0

This video serves for first time players to grasp the mechanics of the game in a more visual way that the written instructions can’t provide. The presenter even gives advice on the games to give potential players a better understanding of how to go about the game. It breaks down the game devices into multiple different and clearly labeled sections. Such topics covered include Ratings, Moves, how Healing works and much more. They also link a free story to try out for new players. This is geared towards audience members that are more visual or auditory learners. Its relevancy lies in the in depth explanation of everything needed to start playing the game.

“Monster of the Week Actual Plays Index.” Genericgames.co.nz, genericgames.co.nz/motw_actual_plays/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

The Purpose of this source is to provide prospective players with videos or audio of a gameplay. It is great to provide better understanding of gameplay the different ways it can look, especially those unfamiliar with role playing games as a whole. Generic Games provide a list of video playthroughs, audio playthroughs, and relevant texts. The source is relevant to add for those who need an example of the game being played. Generic Games provides multiple forms to serve all sorts of learners; videos for visual, audio for auditory, and additional texts for those who learn by reading.

“Play Monster of the Week.” StartPlaying, startplaying.games/play/monster-of-the-week. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

A site the publisher of the game recommends assisting prospective players use to get a base understanding of the game and gives information on other modules they can purchase. They provide a description of the game and a basic explanation of the game paired with a video. It is written for those who have played RPGs in the past and those looking to dive into the world of RPGs. As it is recommended by the creators to look at the site, and is even linked on their site, it holds valuable information.

Silcox, Mark. “On the Value of Make-Believe.” The Journal of Aesthetic Education, vol. 46, no. 4, 2012, pp. 20–31. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.5406/jaesteduc.46.4.0020. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

This source goes into depth on the importance of make-believe for human development as researched by both psychologists and philosophers. It starts with speaking about early human development where make-believe play is linked to the development of morals and behavior. Following that, the writer Mark Silcox speaks on how there need not be an end to this phenomenon. Games that promote the use of imagination after childhood are actually very important. The audience for this article is those with an interest in the psychology behind a game, and curious on the merit of simply paying games. It is relevant as it provides an in depth discussion on why games like this that force user to use their imagination actually benefit them.

Waskul, Dennis, and Matt Lust. “Role-Playing and Playing Roles: The Person, Player, and Persona in Fantasy Role-Playing.” Symbolic Interaction, vol. 27, no. 3, 2004, pp. 333–56. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2004.27.3.333. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

Source speaks on the idea of players or role playing games gaining a better perception of who they are in the world and who they want to be. It discusses the ability for them to use the game to inform them of how to act in the real world. It is relevant to the game as Monster of the Week is a role playing game, and it provides insight to players and prospective role playing players on what the game can bring into their everyday life.