Why Monsterhearts Should Be Your Go-to TTRPG This Halloween | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Monsterhearts helps players tell spooky stories of teenage angst and relationship drama with monstrous characters for the perfect horror experience.

It's the season of ghosts, ghouls and vampires, which means it's time to invite these Halloween monsters to the TTRPG table too. No game does this better and with more depth than Monsterhearts, a role-playing game focused on "the messy lives of teenage monsters." Players will find spooky content in everything from character design and setting to the ideas the game asks them to explore.

Monsterhearts, now on its second edition, was created by veteran game designer Avery Alder and originally released in 2012. The game uses thePowered by the Apocalypse system, rolling two six-sided dice when attempting something with an element of risk. On a combined total of 10 or higheractions succeed, six or lower they fail, and a 7-9 results in a partial success at some cost.

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Monsterheartstakes the Apocalypse system into the realm of monsters,giving players a chance to embody spooky creatures. Players all select a different Skin, akin to different character classes of other TTRPGs. This monster-focused game includes Skins like theWerewolf, the Fae and the Witch, all providing players with different special abilities. Ghosts can walk through walls, Vampires can hypnotize and the Witch can cast illusions. Playing in this space of monstrous feats and characterdesign can certainly fit the spooky fall mood.

But Monsterhearts is not just a spooky game; it's also a sexy one. A character'smoves define not what happens when a character lands a critical attack, but rather when they have sex or become the darkest version of themselves. As characters interact, they'll role for actions, like trying to turn each other on, with the game's Skins specifically outlining bonuses to these roles and special effects.

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The sexual content is whereMonsterhearts truly shines. Players are invited to create characters of any gender and sexuality, helping to better explore more real-world sexual content than the traditional heteronormative tales usually told in monster stories. Players have praised how the game explores significant sexual content without resorting to sexismor slut-shaming, allowingMonsterheartsto explore more interesting and relatable character interactions. The queer, sex-positive world ofMonsterhearts is rare and wonderful.

The game demands vulnerability and builds relationships that can be catharticand important to play through or to watch, and the luck of the die and improvisational aspect of any TTRPG means that players will not always be prepared for what happens at the table. This is another aspect that can makeMonsterhearts legitimately scary and not just creepy-monster-scary, although Alder also released a guide to navigatingthe sexual content inMonsterheartssafely in order to highlight the responsibility of players and the importance of boundaries in the game.

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WhileMonsterhearts foregrounds literal monsters, that's not the only thing bringing a taste of horror to the game.Monsterhearts is setin a high school, when characters are at the whims of hormones and changing bodies, all of which is happening without their permission. It is in reliving these past moments of teenage angst that the true horror ofMonsterhearts lies -- the monstrous characters are just set decoration.

With its novel and responsible approach to gender and sexualitycombined with its unique setting and character design,Monsterhearts sets itself apart from other TTRPGs. It was nominated and shortlisted for various awards, including "Game of the Year" at the Indie RPG Awards and theOrigin Awards' "Best Roleplaying Game." The RPG community has certainly recognized the importance of Alder's work withMonsterhearts, but the critical reception of this game is only one reason to play it.

Monsterhearts gives players the spooky aesthetic of witches and vampires that many crave around Halloween. It also provides the opportunity to play through legitimately scary situations and relive the horrors of high school, making the terror more than just a setting.This exquisitely-designed game is the only TTRPGplayers need for the ultimate Halloween experience.

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E.L. first saw the game Myst when she was in elementary school, and it has irrevocably changed her aesthetic, She is currently a graduate student in the history of the exact sciences in antiquity, and *has thoughts* about ancient math and modern astrology. She has shared these thoughts (and her writing) with digital venues like Eidolon, Lady Science, and the Journal of the History of Ideas blog, and if you sit still for long enough she'll probably try to share them with you, too. In her downtime, E.L. enjoys puzzle games and pet care, and is currently training in the circus arts.

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Why Monsterhearts Should Be Your Go-to TTRPG This Halloween | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero