Tabletop RPG · since 2012 · #22 most discussed

Monster of the Week

Hunters track and stop a new supernatural threat each session, in the style of monster-of-the-week TV shows.

6.0

Geek rating

From 8 firsthand play reports in 4 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 7.1.

Player rating— / 10

No visitor ratings yet.

Discussion7.2 / 10

395 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.

Rules weight

Light. Hype 4.9 for its age.

Have you played it?

Rate Monster of the Week from 1 to 10. One rating per browser and device; you can change it any time.

Didn't work for usOne of our best

What players say

At the table

Firsthand play reports are thin. Most of the threads are about replacement systems or the book's GM advice. The few reports describe weekly groups that enjoyed a monster-hunting loop for months. Tables disagree on how long it lasts: one group ran about a year and is still going, while another got repetitive after roughly 14 sessions.

What works

It gets a lot done per session. One group covered a large amount of ground in about 14 weekly sessions and stayed happy for three months. (thread)
It fits a light-hearted tone with moments of gut-punch drama, built on a find-the-monster-and-beat-it-up loop. (thread)
The prep format and GM chapters teach new GMs how to prep and run a game. One GM still uses the countdown method for mysteries in other systems. (thread)
Loosely defined moves give players creative freedom, and the rules are light enough to teach in minutes. (thread)
One table has played about a year and is "going strong", including a reboot into a Buffy-style monster-of-the-week game. (thread)

What tables struggle with

One group became repetitive after about 14 sessions, even after swapping playbooks and making backup hunters. (thread)
Advancement caps at about 10 advances, so characters run out of things to take. (thread)
The format is hard to sustain for a longform serialized storyline. At least one other group moved on to Night's Black Agents. (thread)
A GM missed a more granular system for long-term investigative play. (thread)
One group didn't connect with it, and the poster doesn't say why. (thread)

Who it suits

Groups planning a short campaign of episodic, monster-per-session play.
New GMs who want a game that teaches prep.
Probably less suited to tables that want granular mechanics, long advancement, or a tightly serialized plot.

In players' words

"we've swapped playbooks, retired hunters, made backup hunters, and basically wrung every drop of juice we can out of things but we're verging into getting a little repetitive" (thread)
"Monster of the Week was the first game I ever GM'd and I genuinely give the game a lot of credit for teaching me how to effectively prep for a game." (thread)
"I just don't love PbtA. It's a fine system, but for long term games I just miss a more granular system." (thread)

The threads behind it

Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.

7.0

Is there anything that does "Monster of the Week" as well as Monster of the Week?

The original poster's table loved Monster of the Week ('still having a blast') through about 14 weekly sessions. They then ran into repetition and a low advancement cap, so the game seems to suit short campaigns. The thread is mostly about replacement systems (Bump in the Dark, Brindlewood games, Savage Worlds and others), which I ignored, so there is little detailed play reporting. 3 firsthand · 54 comments

Open on Reddit

8.0

The Monster of the Week book has an incredible guide to prep and GMing

The thread is mostly praise for Monster of the Week's Keeper advice and prep tools, plus side talk about Apocalypse World, Urban Shadows and Daggerheart. The few people who actually ran or played it say it taught them to prep and run mysteries well, and nobody reports a bad experience. 3 firsthand · 37 comments

Open on Reddit

5.0

I'm looking for a ruleset/setting that does the whole "Fighting against the supernatural, with special powers", that isn't WoD, MotW or Kamigakari.

The thread is almost entirely about other games recommended as alternatives to Monster of the Week. The only firsthand report is the OP, who says MotW was fun but their group didn't vibe with it, and gives no detail. 1 firsthand · 52 comments

Open on Reddit

6.5

Looking for a system to replace Monster of the Week

The only firsthand report of Monster of the Week is the OP's. They have played it for about a year and the game is going strong, but they miss a more granular system for long-term play. The rest of the thread recommends other games (WoD, Buffy, Savage Worlds, Dresden, Delta Green, CoC and others) and says nothing about playing MotW. 1 firsthand · 43 comments

Open on Reddit