Against the Monster
A story game about a monster hunt, the good in the monster, and the monstrosity of the hunters.
The Game
Cover in English
(Illustration: Andrea Rick)
You have set out together to hunt the monster and end its existence once and for all.
Against the Monster is a story game about a monster hunt, the good of the monster, and the monstrosity of the hunters. Whether it’s a dragon, vampire, tentacle monster, artificial intelligence, or something else entirely—you’ll decide in which setting you’ll hunt what kind of monster.
When the monster faces you in the end: Do you really attack it?
Against the Monster is great for TTRPG newbies as well as for experienced players. Everything you need to play is this zine or PDF and a regular deck of playing cards (52 cards). No preparation or experience necessary – just start playing!
In 2024, the German version of Against the Monster won a Bronze Stephan (Place 3) for Best Role-Playing Game in the Publikumspreis für Eskapismus, Nerdkultur & Phantastik (PEN&P)", short "Goldener Stephan" (Public Choice Award for Escapism, Nerd Culture, and Fantasy).
The Rules
Against the Monster is a GM-less Descended from the Queenstory game (you may know these mechanics from our earlier project Viva la QueerBar) for 2-6 players and a flexible play time of about 1-4 hours (one-shot).
Everything you need to play is this zine or PDF and a regular deck of playing cards (52 cards). No preparation or experience necessary – just start playing!
The rules of Against the Monster are very simple. First, you read the short introduction text out loud together. The text has our recommended consent and safety tools already built-in. During that introduction, you also choose the rough setting of your monster hunt.
Then the core game starts: You take turns drawing a playing card and looking up the question associated with it in the random tables. Over the course of the game, your monster, your characters, and further details about the context of the monster hunt develop through your answers to the questions.
In the end, all main characters answer: When the monster faces you in the end: Do you really attack it?
Spread: "Copyright" and "Table of Contents" (Illustration: Andrea Rick)
Spread: "What You Need" and "About The Game" (Illustration: Andrea Rick)
Spread: "Introduction" and "Set-up" (Excerpt) (Illustration: Andrea Rick)
Spread: Random table "Diamonds" (Illustration: Andrea Rick)
The Zine & PDF
Cover in English
(Illustration: Andrea Rick)
The core game contains everything you need to play. It's available in English or German.
Format:
- 24 pages in A5 format (148 x 210 mm / 5.8 x 8.3 inches)
- Full-color cover, black-and-white interior
- Zine: Staple-bound, uncoated paper
- PDF: Screenreader-ready with image descriptions, PDF tags, internal references, and external links
Contents:
- Complete instructions for play (consent and safety tools included)
- 4 random tables with questions (13 options for each of the 4 suits = 52 different questions)
- Table with 18 monster ideas
- Evocative illustrations on every page (100% human-made)
You also need:
- 2-6 players (no GM)
- Something to write (optional)
- A regular deck of playing cards (52 cards without Jokers, such as for poker). You can also use an online card deck.
Links & Downloads
You can find free downloads for the game here:
If you already bought the game here, you can find your own downloads in your account.
Unsere Blogbeiträge zu Gegen das Monster.
Credits
- Game Design: Jasmin Neitzel and Andrea Rick
- Proofreading: Camilla Kutzner (German), Marx Shepherd (English)
- Illustrations: Andrea Rick
- Layout: Andrea Rick
- Crowdfunding consulting: Jasmin Neitzel
Media
Actual Plays / Let’s Plays
Actual Play bei Shay Igrima (YouTube, Podcast), wo wir eine künstliche Intelligenz in einer virtuellen Welt voller Inseln und Ozeane jagen (mit Shay Igrima, Big Nose, Andrea Rick und Jasmin Neitzel):
Actual Play with some folks from the Open Hearth Gaming Community (YouTube), wherein we hunt a ghost in the American desert (with Mads, Robbie, Sabine, and Andrea Rick) – ENGLISH:
Actual Play bei Plotbunny Games (YouTube), wo wir ein Monster mit Amor-Maske während des Karnevals in Venedig jagen (mit Barti, Michael, Andrea Rick und Jasmin Neitzel:
Actual Play on PlusOneExp (YouTube) wherein we hunt a cryptid in the Black Forest (with Kegan, Sarah, SirHeckalot, and Andrea Rick) – ENGLISH:
Actual Play bei Franigo Rolls (YouTube), wo wir eine Überwachungsmaschine in einer Steampunk-Stadt mit mehreren Ebenen jagen (mit Franigo, Findelfuchs, Kritzelpixel, Andrea Rick und Jasmin Neitzel):
Actual Play for Shared Hearth (YouTube) wherein a bounty hunt turns into a heist in far-flung space (with Mads, Marc M, Will S, Jonn, and Rod S) – ENGLISH:
Actual Play bei Deutsche Lovecraft Gesellschaft e.V. (YouTube), wo eine Gardistin und eine Jägerin in einer belagerten preußischen Stadt im 17. Jahrhundert nicht nur mit den Belagerern vor ihren Toren zu kämpfen hat, sondern auch mit einer Bedrohung innerhalb der Stadtmauern (mit Laura und Madi):
Schattenläufer (YouTube) Interview mit Andrea Rick
