Let’s get one thing clear, right off the bat: “Monster of the Week” was my first ‘Powered by the Apocalypse’ game, and it set the standard by which I compare all other such tabletop roleplaying games. This is a very high standard to reach, but considering how much I enjoy PbtA games, that should tell you how good those particular games are.
Okay, I’m gushing about PbtA again… My Bad.
Let’s refocus… “Monster of the Week” is a fine TTRPG. The rules are tight and consistent, following the standard that “Apocalypse World” and “Dungeon World” previously set, but expands upon them well. MotW is a Modern Horror game that is more like the television shows “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or “Supernatural” than “X-Files”. It can support any style of play, from a one-shot or short set of adventures, to a multi-year campaign.
One of the things I enjoy the most is the depth with which one can develop your characters. Unlike many PbtA games, where you have very few options for developing out your character, so you end up moving on to new characters should the campaign stretch on more than a dozen or so adventures, MotW allows you the room to move and grow, not just mechanically but also emotionally.
When someone describes PbtA games as “Narrative-first” and “Roleplay-heavy”, they would be describing “Monster of the Week” perfectly. It isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, it is right up there with “Spirit of ’77” and “Threadbare” as my favorite PbtA games, and easily in my top 20 TTRPGs of all time.
If you are curious about PbtA games, you can’t go wrong with trying “Monster of the Week” as your first foray into that style of TTRPG. It hits just right.
